Birsay and Harray
Harray is a parish in the northwest of the mainland of Orkney. Harray projects southward from the southeast of Birsay, and is wholly inland. (1892-6: Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis H. Groome)
Bimbister, Harray
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Harray was dedicated to St Mary. The parishes of Harray and Birsay were united in the sixteenth century. Their union was annulled quoad omnia on 17 Jul 1876.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Harray and Birsay (QO)
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1784-1854 | Harray | 18 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Harray | 18 | RD |
| 1972-2003 | Harray | 141 | RD |
| 2009 | Orkney Islands, Harray | 141 | RD |
| 2026 | Orkney Islands Council; Harray and Sandwick Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Flett, Harvey, Isbister, Johnston, Linklater, Mowat, Scott, Spence, Stanger, Taylor
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr George Low.
"The people are as well contented as poor people can be expected; can put a new suit of clothes upon their backs now and then, partly of their own making, and partly bought; and can make a feast, at a wedding or a christening on their own provisions, with a drink of their own ale. There is a good deal of malt brewed in different houses, where sometimes a battle will happen, which often brings forth a petty lawsuit of little consequence. No cottagers are employed except in harvest, and but few hired servants, most of the labour being done by the children of the house, except in cases of minority. As to artisans, there are 1 smith, a few tailors, a few shoemakers, and few weavers employed in woollen stuffs for their own use."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 14, p. 297
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 15, Section III, p. 148
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
