Louttits Pier

[Patsy Beech]

Hi Folk,

I am trying to research a branch of my family who came from Orkney, and on the 1851 census they were living at Louttits Pier, Stromness. Robert Brass, possibly born in Sandwick, had married Catherine Louttit on the 9th November 1826. The children I have found on the IGI are as follows:-

17th October 1826 Margaret, baptised 3rd December 1826
17th October 1827 Margaret
30th November 1828 Catherine, baptised 21st December 1828
30th November 1829 Catherine

There seems something strange about the above entries is there any way of checking for mistakes in transcription?

11th August 1831 Tomima [Tommia] Robertson
20th August 1834 Jessie
13th October 1836 Robert
4th September 1842 James
30th November 1847 Jane

The family moved to Tyneside between 1851 & 1861 and the youngest daughter Jane married John George Douthwaite on 6th March 1876 in Queen Street Chapel, South Shields and on her wedding certificate it gives her name as Jane Amm [Ann?] Hourstain [Hourston?] Brass - the bits in brackets are my guess work!!!!!

Now also on the IGI I have found a Peter Loutit marrying a Jean Hourston, but I cannot find them having a daughter named Catharine which would have fitted my theory as to why Jane had a middle name Hourstain. I would really like to take the doubt and guess work out of the family tree and any suggestions of how to do so would be greatly appreciated.

Also has anyone any idea where Louttits Pier might have been?

Happy Searching,
Patsy

[akc]

Hi!
on 1851 census at louttits pier, stromness:
robert brass 51 sailor born sandwick
catharine brass 48 born sandwick
margaret seamstress 24 b stromness
catharine servant 22 b stromness
tomima 19 servant b stromness
janet 16 scholar b stromness
robert 14 scholar b stromness
james 8 scholar b stromness
jane 3 b stromness


on 1821 census at upper voy, sandwick
thomas louttit 41 farmer
william 21
catharine 19
margaret 17
robert 12 at school
jannet 9 at school
there is no mother mentioned on this census

also on 1821 census at quoys, sandwick;
mary 54 widow nee brown
marion 25 strawplaiter
jannet 24 strawplaiter
mary 23 strawplaiter
catherine 22 strawplaiter
betty 16 strawplaiter

on 1871 census at new quoys sandwick:
catharine louttit head aged 70 unmarried stocking knitter born sandwick

akc

[Patsy Beech]

Hi akc,

Thank you very much for the information especially the records going back to 1821. I did not know there was a census that far back so I have learned something new today.

I think this next bit of information could either muddy the waters even further, but with fingers crossed it just might confirm which Louttit family Catherine came from!

As I said previously the Brass family moved to the North East of England by the time of the 1861 census, and Catherine [nee Louttit] can be found living with her daughter Jessie [by now Mrs. Lockyer] & son James Brass.
RG9/3786 Folio 13, page 14,
1 Lower Thames Street, Westoe, South Shields, District 3.
Catherine gives her place of birth as Stromness, Orkney Isles unlike the Scottish 1851 census which gives her place of birth as Sandwick, and by 1861 she is widow, but I don't know where or when Robert had died.

Also on the 1861 census for Hartlepool there are more of her family.
RG9/3700 Folio 81, page 3 Olive Street, Hartlepool, District 13e
Francis Walter - head - married - 46 - master mariner - Scotland
Jessie Walter - wife - married - 46 - Scotland
Margaret Rosswell [Rosewell] - sister-in-law - married - 48 - seamstress - Scotland
Jane H. Brass - niece - single - 13 - Scholar - Scotland

From the BMD Margaret Loutitt married Mark Rosewell during the quarter ending March 1853, Stockton 10a 108 so I think that the Jessie Walter & Margaret Rosewell would have been Catherine's younger sisters. The Jane H [Hourston] Brass is the one who grew up to marry John George Douthwaite and started this search in the first place!

Unfortunately when I look at the census returns in sequence the ages do not progress in neat 10 year gaps so I am not putting much faith in their accuracy! However if Margaret was aged 48 in 1861 it would give an approximate DOB of c1813 whereas the Margaret on the 1821 census taken at Sandwick would give a birth date c1803. The more I look at the information the more confussed I am getting!!!!!!

Are there any old maps of the Orkney Isle which might show where Louttit's Pier was once located?

Thank you once again for your help it really is appreciated.
Best Wishes, Patsy

[gortonboy]

From the 1770s, whaling fleets bound for the Davis Strait began to hire crew in Stromness - the young Orcadian men sought for their skills in handling small boats. The connection between Stromness and the whaling industry continued well into the 1900s.

By now Stromness parish had a population of almost 3,000 people and 385 dwelling houses. The main street was rough, muddy and narrow. Measuring only 12 feet at its widest point, the street shrank to as little as four feet in places. But to a town that relied so heavily on the sea this narrow road was not really a problem.

By this time many stone piers jutted out from the western shore of Hamnavoe and most of the larger houses along the west side of the street had their own pier and boat.


As you can read from this excert,,,some of the houses had thier own pier,,,so maybe louttits pier was simply the pier attached the house where he lived,,,??

[akc]

There is an old ordance survey map available (  the godfrey edition orkney sheet 108.03 which I have) of Kirkwall and Stromness from 1902 which doesnt name the houses but as gortonboy says Stromness is a long town on the the waterfront and a lot of houses do have their own pier ( I did find another Brass family in Louttits House so that may be where the pier was). The main street of Stromness is still basically the same layout as it was back then ( and still 2 way driving believe it or not). I have a relative who lives in Stromness so will see what I can find out

[Patsy Beech]

Dear gortonboy & akc,

Thank you for your continued help with the Brass and Louttits families. The description of Stromness back in time and now is very helpful and interesting. I was also interested in your comment about another Brass family in Louttits House - do you have a date for that information please?

I have had a look on Scotland's people today and found the Brass family on the 1841 census (all except for Robert whom I suspect may have been at sea) living at North End which I am guessing is near the main street.

1841 030/00012/00009
Catherine Brass - 35 - Straw Platter - Yes
Margaret Brass - 12 - Straw Platter - Yes
Catherine Brass - 10 - Straw Platter - Yes
Tomima Brass - 8 - Yes
Janet Brass - 6 - Yes
Robert Brass - 4 - Yes

Today I have sent for a copy of the marriage certificate between Margaret Loutitt & Mark Rosewell in Stockton 1853, and have my fingers crossed that might shed some light on who Margaret's father was, and therefore that also would be Catharine's dad. There appear to be many different  ways of spelling the name Louttit - Loutitt - Loutit - Lowtit etc. but I am guessing they all originate from the same family - am I right?

By the way do you know what the platted straw was used for? It must have been a very important part of life on the Isles because so many people were occupied in that way.

I was in Scotland last year looking at the Orkney Isles from the Castle of Mey and thinking how rough the stretch of water was over to the isles, but I now wish I had taken the ferry despite being a terrible sailor!!!!!!

Thank you once again for all your time and trouble.
Best Wishes,
Patsy

[akc]

Hi again, on the 1851 census at Louttits House were:
margaret brass head married 38 dressmaker husband at sea
mary 17 daughter unmarried dressmaker
peter son 15 carpenters apprentice
james 13 son scholar
margaret 6 daughter
john 4 son
anne 1 daughter
all were born in stromness

I think a lot of the spelling depended on the individual who was registering the birth

the straw was used for different things i.e tying down straw and hay stacks and roofs, also for furniture

The sea crossing is not too bad if you come across in the summer there is a crossing that takes 45 mins, june is the best time, it is light all day and most of the night

akc

[akc]

on cursiter.com there is a robert brass born 1/8/1799 sandwick, parents are andrew brass and margray mourick( this could be marjory marwick)

found another 2 with the same parents: margaret brass b 3/1/1796 sandwick also andrew brass b 19/8/1797

akc

[akc]

found this monumental inscription: in stromness kirkyard a: here lies the remains of margaret hourston wife of peter louttit merchant in stromness died 5 august 1788 aged 46, those of janet moar & john louttit son of above peter louttit also merchant in stromness. she died 6 aug 1798 aged 31 ( possible connection?)

akc