Introduction / Families / Hourston / David Hourston and Christian Drever / David Hourston and Janet Miller

Elizabeth Hourston and James Cormack

Elizabeth (Betsy) Hourston (b.7th July 1831) was the sixth of the seven children of David Hourston and Janet Miller. She was with the family at Wellhouse, Eday in 1841 and with a Petrie family in Bridge St, Kirkwall in 1851. This is thought to be the family of her sister in law, Catherine Petrie, who married her brother, David Hourston. Her occupation then was dressmaker.

She married James Cormack in Eday on 4th January 1855. James (b. 5th November 1930) was the son of Henry Cormack and Isabella Lennie.

Elizabeth and James lived at Blackbanks in Eday and had four children:

• James Cormack, born 1855 who married Ann Shearer

• David Hourston Cormack, born 8th December 1859 who married his second cousin Jane Cormack

• John Cormack, born 17th September 1863 who died in August 1882

• Isabella May Cormack, born 6th September 1873

The family emigrated to the US in 1885. James appears in a 1910 census for Alameda Co. California along with his son David. James was a widower.