Introduction / Families / Harcus

James Harcus and Marion Allan

James Harcus married Marion Allan (baptised 6th August 1770 on Westray), the fifth child and oldest of the two daughters that are known to John Allan and Marion Hercus. They were probably married about 1797 in Westray. Even at that time there were several Harcus families there and James’s parent are not known. He was probably born around 1770.

Marion's death record of 1855 lists all of her children, their ages in 1855 if living, and their ages at death, and the year of death for the two that had predeceased her. James' and Marion's children were:

• Marion (Mary) Harcus, c. 11th Nov 1798 who married John Gullion, her first cousin.

• John Harcus, c. 31st Aug 1800 who married Jane Drummond

• Isabel(la) Harcus, c. 14th Nov 1802 who married John Benston on Eday on 13th Dec 1825. John was born 14th Oct 1801 and baptised three days later on Eday. It is believed that John and Isabel had no children. Isabel died in 1849 at age 48. John, a tailor, was the son of Adam Benston and Mary Sandison and brother of Isabella Benston who married Isabel's brother, William Harcus.

• Elspeth (Elizabeth) Harcus, c. 16th Feb 1806 who married Robert Groat

• William Harcus, b. 3rd Feb 1810 who married Isabella Benston

• James Harcus, b. on Pharay 18th Dec 1813 and baptised 22nd Dec 1813. James died at age 9 about 1822.

Based on the OPR the four oldest children were baptised on Westray and the two youngest in Eday parish where they were born on the island of Pharay. Therefore, between 1806 and 1809-10 the family moved from Westray to Pharay. It could be towards the end of this period, as James Harcus is not recorded as a tenant in the 1810 rental. At the time, such moves were generally "encouraged" or forced by the laird. Based on death records of several of his children and of Marion, James was a farmer.

Data compiled by one of James' descendants, Dorothy Drever, in the 1950s states both James and Marion are buried in the old Eday Kirkyard and gives James' date of death as 11th April 1837 (and his year of birth as 1773). This data was probably obtained from his grave stone which may no longer be legible. In 1841 Marion was living with her son John at Doggerboat, Pharay and in 1851 she was at London, Eday in the household of her widowed son-in-law John Benston. Marion died on 3rd January 1855, at Shoehall, Eday, the first death recorded in the Eday civil register. Her death record indicates she had lived on Eday about 8 years.