Introduction / Westray Grays / Archibald Gray / Louisa Gray and William Lennie

Isabella Lennie and John Swannie

Isabella Lennie (c. 1st January 1818) was the youngest daughter of Louisa Gray and William Lennie. She married John Swannie (c. 22nd September 1819), the son of James Swannie and Jean Taylor. This must have been shortly before the time of the 1841 census for they both form a household at Faney in the North Parish of Westray.

Also staying at Faney and forming a separate household are Isabella's brother, James Lennie, and his wife Isabella Sandison.

Isabella and John Swannie are known to have had eight children:

• Louisa Swannie b. 14th July 1842 who married Thomas Sandison

• James Swannie b. 18th November 1844. He was with the family at the time of the 1861 census.

• William Swannie b. 25th October 1847 who married Margaret Drever

• Jean (Jane) Swannie b. 10th January 1850 who married John Hutchison

• John Swannie b. 3rd June 1853

• Thomas Swannie b. 7th December 1856. He died at Hardbraes on 23rd January 1858.

• Janet Swannie b. 24th December 1858 who married John Rendall

• Jessie Swannie b. 1860

While John Swannie's occupation in that first census in 1841 is given as "Fisher", he was a farm servant at Skaill by the time of the second in 1851. The first four children were all living with them at the time.

They moved to Hardbraes certainly by 1856 when their son Thomas Swannie was born. John's occupation at the time of the birth was given as kelpmaker and then farmer again by 1858 when daughter Janet was born. The 1861 census has John as a ploughman. Isabella and John's oldest daughter was not in the household for this census.

They stayed some time at Hardbraes, appearing there in the 1871 census as well. By 1881, the family had moved to nearby Belltowers although only children John, Janet and Jessie were with their parents.

Isabella Lennie died there on 9th April 1891 at the age of seventy three. John Swannie lived a further seven years, dying on 27th December 1898, aged seventy nine.