Introduction / Families / Hourston / David Hourston and Christian Drever

David Hourston and Janet Miller

David Hourston (b. 18th November 1795 in Pharay), the son of David Hourston and Christian Drever, is thought to be the David Hourston who was married and at Wellhouse, Eday with a family by 1841.

This David married Janet Miller (b. 24th April 1798), the daughter of Robert Miller and Ann Spence.

David and Janet had seven children:

• John Hourston, born 22nd April 1819 who married Mary Reid

• Ann Hourston, born about 1822 who married William Reid

• Janet Hourston, born 2nd August 1825 who married James Fraser

• David Hourston, born 28th March 1828 who married Catherine Petrie

• Sarah Hourston, born abt 1829

• Elizabeth (Betsy) Hourston, born 7th July 1831 who married James Cormack

• Christian (Christina) Hourston, born 28th January 1835 who married James Allan

The children were born in Eday and, with the exception of Christina who was then sixteen, had left Wellhouse by 1851. David’s occupation over the censuses is given as farmer and fisherman. The 1851 census indicates that he farmed six acres.

David and Janet moved to Blackbanks, where their daughter Elizabeth stayed with her husband and family, between 1871 and 1881. By this time, they were in their eighties. Janet died there on 16th August 1883.

David died at the age of ninety on 20th March 1886 at Greenfield, Kirkwall, which was the home of their eldest son, John Hourston. Their daughter Elizabeth, with whom they had stayed at Blackbanks, had emigrated to the US during the previous year.