Introduction / Families / Drever / William Drever and Barbara Shearer

James Drever and Isabella Bews

James Drever (c. 16th November 1821) was the second youngest of the eight children of William Drever and Barbara Shearer and born after the family moved to Westray. He was with the family at Whitlet at the time of the 1841 census but had married and was at Mount Pleasant by 1851. He was to remain there for the rest of his life.

He married Isabella Bews (c. 12th Januaray 1823) on 16th December 1847. Isabella was the daughter of George Bews and Mary Pottinger.

James had Isabella had four children who were brought up at Mount Pleasant:

• Mary Drever b. 12th August 1849 who married sailor Jeremiah Couper (b. 23rd December 1843) on 9th January 1868 and left Westray. He was a son of Thomas Couper and Euphemia Bews.

• Isabella Drever b. 1st November 1852. She died on 15th December 1868 at the age of sixteen.

• William Drever b. 5th June 1857 who married Margaret Drever

• Jemima Drever b. 29th November 1859. She was unmarried and living with her widowed father at Mount Pleasant in 1901. Her occupation was given as agricultural labourer and domestic servant. She died at on Mt. Pleasant 2nd February 1938.

James spent his life farming. The 1881 census indicates him as a farmer of 21 acres.

Isabella died at Mount Pleasant on 3rd June 1898. James died there on 17th March 1909. He was eighty seven.