Introduction / Barbara Allan / Westray Allans / Marion Allan and James Harcus / John Harcus and Jane Drummond

John Hercus and Margaret Seater

John Hercus, son of John Hercus and Jane Drummond, was born at Pharay on 8th December 1829. He married Margaret Seater on 16th March 1855 at Kirbirst, Westray. Margaret was born on Westray in January 1832, daughter of John Seater and Elizabeth Harcus. They had seven children, all born on Pharay:

• Margaret Seater Harcus, b. 21 Jan 1856 on Pharay who married William Kelday Craigie in 1877

• John Seater Harcus, b. Doggerboat, Pharay, 24th July 1857 and d. 22nd Mar 1868

• James William Hercus, b. about 1860, Pharay, who married in 1883 Jessie Crawford Mack

• George Hercus, b. 16th June 1863 who married, in 1887, Isabella Logie Duncan of St, Margaret's Hope

• Jane (Jeannie) Harcus b. 4th Aug 1866 who married John Seater, a cousin, and lived in Washington DC where John was a carpenter. Jane went to the US about 1893 and married about 1894. It appears that they had no family.

• Johann (Annie) Hercus, b. 29th Dec 1869 who married about 1892 Alfred Jeffrey of England. They lived in Washington DC where Alfred was a carpenter. US census records indicate Annie had emigrated in 1892 and Alfred in 1887, and they had married about 1892. They had four sons born in the US.

• John Hercus, b. 13th Oct 1872 who married Margaret Isabella Gilmour in 1909. He was a champion rower, a very good violinist and was manager of the Music Halls of the Corporation of the city of Glasgow. He was the Coal Controller for Glasgow during WWII. He died 19th Sep 1955.

John and Margaret lived for many years at John's family farm of Doggerboat, Pharay where John was a fisherman. By 1881, John and Margaret had moved to Kirkwall, to Young Street, and John was a porter. Only their two younger sons were with them at the time. In 1891, John and Margaret were still on Young Street, now with their daughter Johann and a 2-year old grandson, John Hercus who was born in Glasgow. John was a fisherman. One of John's granddaughters recalled that he was a well-read man who helped his grandchildren with their schoolwork. He learned Latin and French with his grandchildren. He was interested in geography, poetry and Bible history, could write both right and left handed, and had a photographic memory. He was an elder of St. Magnus Cathedral, but would not stand up for singing in church because he did not approve of it.

John and Margaret continued living on Young Street, on a headland north east of the Kirkwall harbour; his home was known as "The Mount." Margaret died 6th June 1910, age 79 and John died the following month, on 9th July, age 80.