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Robert Scollay

Robert Scollay, the son of Margaret Fea and Robert Scollay, married twice.  In 1725, he married Margaret Dennison and in 1739, he married Jean Bakie who was the daughter of the Rev Thomas Baikie, the minister in Kirkwall.
 
He had numerous family although it is unclear how many.   They certainly include -

• Ann Scollay who as a daughter of Margaret Dennison and married William Heron, mariner.  They had a son -
• William Heron
• James Scollay who was the oldest surviving son on 5th August 1749
• Elizabeth Scollay who was a daughter of Jean Baikie
• Isobel Scollay (baptised 22nd May 1743)
• Thomas Scollay (baptised 11th November 1744)
• Robert Scollay (baptised 16th August 1746)
• Thomas Scollay (baptised 4th December 1748)
• John Scollay (baptised 7th August 1750)

The last five appear in the Stronsay OPR which commence in 1743.

Robert Scollay, like other Orkney gentlemen, was a merchant for on one occasion he is reported in the Kirkwall Kirk Session minutes as being in Kirkwall and “desiring to make satisfaction”, presumably for some moral lapse, prior to making a voyage out of the country.  The Session “finding him very obedient and not willing to go to sea without being absolved”, granted his wish to be absolved the next day. On one occasion, he was bound for Norway and on another for Hamburg.

Robert’s Odness line of Scollays faded out.  It appears that his children to Jean Baikie seem to have suffered some sort of congenital weakness.  It should be noted that there had been a number of  marriages linking the Scollays and the Feas -

• Robert’s mother was Margaret Fea, the daughter of James Fea IV of Clestrain and Isobel Traill
• Robert’s second wife, Jean Baikie, was the daughter of Rev Thomas Baikie and Elizabeth Fea, the daughter of Patrick Fea I of Whitehall.
• Robert’s paternal grandparents were Robert Scollay and Elspeth Fea

In 1798, Thomas Scollay, as the eldest living son received the sasine of his deceased father’s lands of Odness, Trundershall and Papa Stronsay.  William Watt of Breckness (a second cousin due to a marriage between the Scollays and the Watts, another of the Orkney “families.”) was acting as Factor “loco tutoris” for Thomas Scollay, who had been deaf and dumb since birth.

In 1804, a petition to the Sheriff was presented by Wm. Heron, Wilsontoun, Lanark indicating that by a power of Curatory from Chancery dated 18th July 1803, he was made Curator of Thomas Scollay.  The curatorship had hardly begun when Thomas Scollay died and the lands passed to his sisters, Elizabeth and Isabella Scollay and to Wm. Heron, himself, who was their nephew (the son of Anne Scollay and William Heron.)

Wm. Heron, in his petition to be Curator of Isabella Scollay indicates that he is the only son of Ann Scollay and William Heron, mariner, Queens Yacht, Deptford.   Isabella was living in Kirkwall at the time.

In 1820, Wm. Heron is stated to be heir to the estate of the late Isabella Scollay who died in July 1807.  She then owned Thundershall and half of Papa Stronsay along with her sister, Elizabeth.

B H Hossack in this book “Kirkwall In the Orkneys”(1900) makes reference to these Odness Scollays being supposed to have some sort of gift of second sight.

The Scollays of Odness were believed to have the gift of second sight.  Towards the end of last century there were three of that family, two sisters and a brother, all deaf and dumb.  The sisters lived in Kirkwall, and when Richan of Rapness and his boat’s crew were drowned going to Westray, they were seen to be in great distress, wringing their hands and pointing seawards.  The brother lived at Skaill with Mr Watt, and every now and then he would look out an extra supply of silver and see it polished, and would have a spare room or rooms prepared for occupation, and this restlessness was speedily followed by the arrival of unexpected visitors to the number indicated by Scollay.  So it is said. Kirkwall In The Orkneys (1900),  page 176 - B H Hossack