Introduction / Families / Drever / Thomas Drever and Christian Drever / John Drever and Mary Peace

Jessie Drever and John Drever

Jessie Drever (b. 5th February 1852) was the oldest of the eleven children of John Drever and Mary Peace and was a nine year old with the family at Southhouse in Eday at the time of the 1861 census. It is not clear whether the family were in Pharay or Eday when she was born.

She married John Drever from Shapinsay at South Panhouse, Eday on 15th June 1876. John was the son of builder John Drever and Janet Shearer. Jessie was working as a domestic servant on Stronsay at that time.

They lived in Balfour Village in Shapinsay where John was a stonemason. John and Jessie are known to have had seven of a family:

• John Drever b. about 1877

• Janet Drever b. 12th March 1879 and died 29th August 1886

• William Drever b. about 1882 and died 11th May 1900 of tuberculoses. He was a solicitor’s clerk.

• James S Drever b. about 1884

• Peter Drever b. about 1886

• George Drever b. about 1888

• Thomas Drever b. about 1897

John Drever died on 11th May 1900, the same day as his son, William. The remaining family were by the “Big Tree” at 59 Albert St in Kirkwall by the time of the 1901 census, close to Jessie’s sister Christina Drever who was at No 58.

1901
59 Albert St, Kirkwall

Name	Relation	Status	Age	Occupation	Born
Jessie Drever	Head	Widow	49 years	Laundress	Eday
James Drever	Son	Single	16 years	Apprentice Mason	Shapinsay
Peter Drever	Son	Single	14 years	Apprentice Ironmonger	Shapinsay
George Drever	Son		12 years	Scholar	Shapinsay
Thomas Drever	Son		3 years		Shapinsay

Jessie Drever died in Kirkwall on 25th November 1921. She was sixty nine.