Groats of Orkney

[weeabi99]

Hello, I have recently taken a 23andme test which shows I have 3% German & French ancestry. Not a lot, but having previously done research on the 'Groat' surname it seems it originated in Germany.
I am very interested in finding out about more of my Groat lineage but feel I've hit a bit of a brick wall.

My great grandmother was born Annie Twatt Groat in Eday, Orkney, on February 4th 1927.
Her parents were Thomas Groat and Christina Anderson Groat nee Cormack. They married October 4th, 1918 at Clunie Church.

Annie is long dead and I am not in contact with any of her descendants (apart from my father who is not in contact with them either) so I don't know where Thomas & Christina were born or when, makes it difficult to search records for them!

I'd appreciate if anyone had any info on them or any advice, thanks so much!

[Skoosh]

weeabi, I think your best bet is to join the Orkney Family History Society, after the part-clearance of North Ronaldsay some of the folk moved to Eday, my own people amongst them.

https://orkneyfhs.co.uk/home.php

Bests,
Skoosh.   

[weeabi99]

weeabi, I think your best bet is to join the Orkney Family History Society, after the part-clearance of North Ronaldsay some of the folk moved to Eday, my own people amongst them.

https://orkneyfhs.co.uk/home.php

Bests,
Skoosh.

Thank you, I'm doing it now!

[Forfarian]

According to G F Black's The Surnames of Scotland says that the name is most probably from Low German or Dutch groot meaning large or tall.

There's a story, which may or may not be true, that the place name John o'Groats is from Jan de Groot, supposedly a Dutchman who settled there. Wikipedia says, "The settlement takes its name from Jan de Groot, a Dutchman who once plied a ferry from the Scottish mainland to Orkney, which had recently been acquired from Norway by King James IV. Local legend has that the o' Groats refers to John's charge of one groat for use of his ferry, but it actually derives from the Dutch de groot, meaning 'the large'."

The earliest record of the surname is a charter in 1496 (during the reign of King James IV) by William de St Clair, earl of Caithness, of one pennyland in Duncansby, Caithess to John Grot, son of Hugh Grot.

[Haemish]

Hi,
I have some groats in my family tree and I would like to share any information to help you and myself fill gaps in our family trees.