Old-Lore Miscellany
(To be continued).
OF THE ZETLAND ISLANDS.
ITS HISTORY AND MISFORTUNES
The "Description" was first printed in 1786 from a copy of the original manuscript communicated by Mr. George Paton, an eminent Edinburgh antiquary, to the Editor of the Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica. It appears as a quarto publication, in the tenth volume of that series, witht he title, "An Historical Description of the Zetland Islands. By Thomas Gifford, Esq. London. Printed by and for J. Nichols, Printer to the Society of Antiquaries, 1786."
The work, issued in this form, was a meritorious one, but as it did not appear till several years after Gifford's death, which ocurred in 1760, it had not the benefit of his supervision. Indeed internal evidence shows clearly that no one acquainted with the islands, or in any way capable of seeing to its accuracy, had been consulted. The misreadings and misprints are therefore appallingly numerous, though, for the most part, so obvious that their rectification presents little difficulty to any one possessed of the requisite local knowledge.
This print of the "Historical Description" remained for 100 years the only form in which the work was known, and the first to undertake its reissue was Thomas George Stevenson, bookseller, Edinburgh. Stevenson was an industrious and careful editor so far as his knowledge went, but in this instance he was totally ignorant of the subject he had attempted to deal with. He assumed that the print, as issued in London, was correct and reliable, and rashly put it through the press at his own hand, with the result that the misprints which deface it were reproduced in his new volume ad nauseam. The following may be quoted as example:----
Scath for Seath (Saithe). Ottaberse for Ollaberrie.
Frondray " Trondray. Pillocksfo " Piltocks
Euphara " Eupham. Scalsta " Scatsta.
Lawtainy " Lawtaing. Whaley " Whalsey.
Forvd or Ship " Fowd or Chief Bulla Voe " Basta Voe.
Magistrate Magistrate. Mall Parish "Mid Parish.
Grista " Girlsta. Uyor " Uyea.
Valisation of "Valuation, &c. Northaven " Northmaven
Tythes
Florins of the Pikine for Florins "of the Rhine."
Douglas of Spynic "Douglas of Spynie.
The book appeared in 1879, disfigured by the above and many such like. When the sheets had been printed off they were shewn to me by Mr. Stevenson, and it was my unpleasant duty to point out to him the prevailing inaccuracies. Pages 1 and 2, with the table of the parishes and their respective churches (many of these quoted in grotesque forms) were at once cancelled and the obvious mistakes corrected, with the least possible interference with the probable orthography of the author, and any other sheets which still admitted of revision were amended in the same way. But the mischief already done was irrevocable, and had to remain as it stood.
When the book was issued I found, to my dismay, that thanks were returned to me in the preface "for kindness and information received during the course of the volume through the press." This tribute, well intended, was in point of fact, as I have shown, wide of the mark, and could not be appreciated by me in the circumstances. I am now glad, after the lapse of more than thirty years, to have this opportunity of vindicating myself from any responsibility for the volume. At the same time, with all its errors, Gifford's "Description," as published, is of inestimable value for all students of Shetland history, and its re-issue, under competent editorship, would be an addition of great importance to the historical literature of the islands.
A transcript of the original MS. is said to have been presented to the Earl of Morton, and to be still in the family library. Another copy is that from which the book was printed by Nichols; and the original itself is understood to have been among the papers in the custody of the Busta Law Agents.
Gilbert Goudie.
IV
(Continued from Vol. III., p. 219)
SELASETTER scattald, containing the rooms of Houlnon, Himron, Bigtown, Newgord, Quoy and Collaster, begins with Underhoul at the aforesaid march on the sea side at Lugrood Goe, runs up with Underhoul on the right through the Vadle of Baila, up to the march on Valafield benorth Houlspund, where it meets with Coldback scattald, and stretches therewith along the height of valafeild to a place on the height thereof called the Height, a little besouth the Voard House, where Balista or Mid-parish scattald meets with Coldback scattald and Sellasetter, then Selaster stretching yet northward along the height of the hill with Bolista on the right hand, keeping sight of both seas till you come to the height of the brae east from Cleve, above the place called Labahulter, and thence stretching in a straight line westward to the middle of the stack or rock called Cleavastack [altered from Clivestack], which is the northmost sea march of Selasetter scattald, and divides it on the west sea from Balista scattald.
BALISTA, or Midparish scattald, containing North the Voe rooms Skea, Balista, Rue and Mailland, south sea march with Selasetter at the middle of Cleavastack [altered from Clivastack], runs up with Selasetter on the right hand, eastward to the height of the brae called Labahulter, then stretching with Selasetter along the height of the hill southward, keeping sight of both seas to the place on the top thereof a little besouth the Voard House, called the Height, which is the nuick march twixt Selasetter, Coldback, and Balista scattalds, from thence stretching east and northwards in a straight line with Coldback on the right through a place called the Garths of Coldback or Budagarths, and upward in the same line to the top of the Hill of Voesgarth, a little to the northward of the Cloven or Cliff Stone, to a green towick or hillock, where it meets with South the Voe scattald on the north side of the said hill, where lie some stones about it, and then stretching down and northward with South the Voe scattald on the right through the town of Voesgarth, keeping the Closs of Voesgarth open to a place on the Houbs or Vadle, called the Stepping Stones, which is the southmost sea march of Balista scattald, and separates it from South the Voe scattald. (N.B.---The Town of Voesgarth has no privileges without its dykes, nor on the seashore, but by permission of the respective neighbouring heritors.) Then following the shore north and eastward round Sweenaness to a goe on the Town of Hagdeal [altered from Hagadeal], called Hagdealt or Hagmarks Goe in the middle thereof, where it meets Harlsweek scattald, and runs thence with Harlswick scattald on the right hand, to a heap of stones below and besouth the Little Heog, and thence keeping the south side of Cruisafiel to a place called Scotties Wart, where it meets with Cliff scattald, and then with Cliff on the right hand runs through a place twixt the dykes of Cliff and Balista to a pass or ford on the Burn of Balista, then northward along the west edge of the Loch of Cliff into Ling Garth, where a few stones are set, and thence westward to a round know, where is a stone set, so westward to a long point called Tonga, where there is a small stone set endlong with some stones about it, and is the west sea march separating Balista from Burrafirth scattald.
BURRAFIRTH scattald begins with Balista scattald at the aforesaid march in Tonga, and goes over with it to the march in Lingarth, and following the loch edge to the burn which separates Burrafirth or West the Burn from Sotland or East the Burn, ends in the sea, which burn also divides the Midparish at the north end from the North parish of Unst, West the Burn being part of the Midparish.
SOUTH THE VOE scattald begins with Balista at the stepping stone in the Houbs, run up with Balista on the right hand, keeping the Closs of Voesgarth open to the above-mentioned march on the north side of the top of the Hill of Voesgarth, a little to the northward of the Clovenstone, then parting with Balista and meeting with Coldback, stretches southward be-east the Pund of Coldback, at some distance from the dykes of Coldback, Gudon and Wattlie, runs be-east the rocks on the east side of the public road, over the Burn of Watlie a little above the ford, down to Yellaburn, where it meets Week scattald, then turns up east and northward, with Week on the right hand to a march on the north end of the Hill of Mousafiel, where it leaves Week and meets with Colvadale scattald, and so running north-eastward to the northward of Hellerswater, takes up the hill and following nearly the same direction with Colvadale scattald on the right hand, ends in the sea at a well-known place called Huqueyn.
COLVADALE scattald begins with South the Voe at Huqueyn on the east sea, runs southward with South the Voe on the right, till it comes to the march on the north end of Housafiel, where it leaves South the Voe and meets with Week, and then running southward with Week on the right hand till it comes to the march at Little Soobool, which is the corner march, twixt Colvadale, Week, Hoversta, and Sandwick scattalds, runs eastward over the hill through the town of Meal and over the Barn of Meal, straight to the sea. N. B.---Meal has no scattald.
(To be continued.)
Endnotes
`15. The location of The Unicorn here, does not correspond with that of Tudor's Orkneys and Cowies Guide, in which it is placed off Hawksness, north of Green Holm, and before you come abreast of the Isle of Gletness. In Preston's and Collins' charts this rock is called Toagroad, while that off the Holm of Cruister is called Loofabar. In Captian Thomas's Admiralty Chart of 1833, Unicorn Reef is located off Hawksness. Back
16. Whalsey Sound, between West Linga and Whalsey, so in Thomas's chart, but now called Linga Sound in the Ord. map. Back
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