Introduction / Families / Hourston / David Hourston and Christian Drever / Jean Hourston and George Leslie

Thomas Leslie and Barbara Kent

Thomas Leslie (c. 1st July 1821) was the oldest of the children of George Leslie and Jean Hourston and had moved with his parents from Grimbust to Airy in Westray by the time that he married Barbara Kent on 22nd November 1851.

Barbara was born on 8th September 1820 and was a daughter of Thomas Kent and Betsy Mackay.

They were to continue to live at Airy for the rest of their lives. They had seven children:

• Elizabeth (Betsy) Leslie, born 19th June 1852 who married Archibald Reid

• Margaret Leslie, born 5th August 1853 who married John Mainland Drever

• George Leslie, born 28th March 1856 and died at Airy on 2nd June 1874

• Thomas Leslie, born 15th November 1858 who married Mary Pottinger

• David Leslie, born 19th January 1860 and died there on 6th May 1860

• David Leslie, born 22nd May 1862 (twin) and died on 21st August 1862

• Barbara Leslie, born 22nd May 1862 (twin) who married Robert Sinclair

Thomas was a farmer, farming 15 acres according to the 1861 census and 20 acres according to that in 1871.

In 1861, Thomas’s sister Christina formed another household at Airy with her husband. In 1871, it was younger sister Isabella who formed a separate household with her husband.

Thomas died at Airy on 11th March 1898 and Barbara at Bigging on 13th September 1910. This was the home of her eldest daughter, Betsy.