 
| ||||||||
|
Introduction / Houses Lakequoy | |||||||
 |
| Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. |
The 1810 rental has William Hercus as the tenant. There was also a William Hercus as tenant at Bull, who is thought to be the same and most likely the spouse of Janet Groat. The birth of the children of William Hercus and Janet Groat suggest that they were in Pharay in 1810, leaving for Eday sometime between 1817 and 1821.
Lakequoy is generally regarded as a Groat house and there were Groats there at the time of the first census in 1841 although it is quite possible that they could date back another generation to Robert Groat and his wife Janet Guthrie.
By 1841, Robert and Janet’s son Robert Groat and his wife Elizabeth Harcus occupied Lakequoy. Descendents of them maintained the Groat line there until 1928:
- James Groat (son) and Mary Drummond
- James Groat (grandson) and Jane Drever
Two additional houses appear in a few of the censuses during the time of the Groats, distinguished by their location: Roadside (1871) and the Hill (1861 to 1881). These lay to the east side of the road, just a little away from the dwelling of Lakequoy itself.
 |
| Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd and Ordnance Survey. |
After the Groats, a period of more frequent change of tenant followed. Lakequoy was taken over by John Seatter. He was originally from Newark in Westray but had been at Quoy since 1905. John and his family stayed for nine years until 1937 when they returned to Westray.
James Moar from Shetland was then at Lakequoy for the six years to 1943.
It was unlet for a year and for the next three, until the last people left the island, it was let to the Rendall family at Windywa to the south.
