Introduction / Families / Hourston / David Hourston and Christian Drever / Barbara Hourston and Edward Spence

Barbara Spence and David Thomson

Barbara Spence (b. 4th October 1846) was the youngest daughter of Edward Spence and Barbara Hourston.

Barbara married David Thomson (b. abt. 1848, Westray) on 20th November 1873 at Crowbar, Eday. David was the son of John Thomson and Margaret Rendall who had come to Eday from Westray in the late 1850s. His parents stayed at Greenhall, subsequently Greenfield in Eday.

Barbara and David were in Kirkwall with their family at 11 St Catherine’s Place, Kirkwall in 1881 when David’s occupation was bricklayer’s labourer.

They had four children:

• David Thomson, born 5th October 1874, Eday

• John Thomson, born 1877, Kirkwall

• James Thomson, born 1879, Kirkwall

• Edward Thomson, born 27th May 1882, Kirkwall and died later that year

Barbara died at St Catherine’s Place on 2nd June 1883. She was thirty six.

David returned to Eday and Greenfield where he was in 1891 and 1901.

He remarried on 22nd January 1901. His second wife was Isabella Drever from Windywa, Pharay.