Introduction / Families / Harcus / James Harcus and Marion Allan

John Harcus and Jane Drummond

John Harcus, the first son born to James Harcus and Marion Allan was baptised on Westray on 31st August 1800. John probably moved with his family when they went to Pharay. He married Jane Drummond, also born on Westray about 1800, daughter of William Drummond and Barbara Groat. The Drummond family had also moved to Pharay from Westray and lived at Cott, the farm just north of the Harcuses at Doggerboat. John and Jane had eleven children, all born on Pharay:

• James Harcus, b. 24th Mar 1821, c. the following 23rd Apr. who married Ann Sinclair

• Barbara Harcus, b. 16th Sept 1823 and c. the following 20th Oct. In 1861 Barbara was living at the Ness in Pharay with the family of her sister Isabella and William Drummond. Barbara's occupation was given as dressmaker, but she was probably also helping Isabella, who was in poor health, care for her three young children. Barbara then worked as a servant for the laird of Papa Westray and in 1871, she was at Holland, Papa Westray with her 6 year old niece Mary Drever who had been orphaned. By 1881, Barbara was a domestic living on Albert Street in Kirkwall. In 1891 she was living at 6 Cursiters Close. She died in Kirkwall on 2nd January 1895 at the home of her brother John.

• William Harcus, b. 6th Jan 1826, c. 12th Mar 1826 and married Elizabeth Allan, his second cousin

• Mary Harcus, b. 23rd Feb 1828, c. 16th Mar 1828 who married James Drever

• John Harcus, b. about. 1830 who married Margaret Seater

• Isabella Harcus, b. about 1833 who married William Drummond, her cousin

• Jane Harcus, b. about 1833 who married Charles Reid on 18th December 1856 at Doggerboat. (This was the same day as Jane's sister Margaret married Robert Groat.) Charles was a joiner, the son of Robert Reid and Margaret Harcus. Jane and Charles had one son, Robert Reid, who was born on 2nd January 1858 and died on the following 25th May at Millhouse in Eday. Jane also died there on 13th January 1859 at the age of 24. Charles later married Jean Gray of Brandies in Westray.

• Margaret Harcus, b. about 1834-5 and married her cousin Robert Groat

• Peter Harcus, b. abt 1838 who married, first, Jean Drummond, his cousin, and, second, Margaret Drever

• Gillies Harcus, b. about 1840 who married Mary Chalmers

• Elizabeth Harcus, b. about 1842 who married Robert Burgar or Burgess

Daughters Mary Harcus and Isabella Harcus were married on the same day: 2nd December 1852, on Pharay.

Jean Drummond who married Peter Harcus and William Drummond who married Isabella Harcus were cousins; their fathers were brothers. Jane Drummond, wife of John Harcus, was a sister of their fathers.

John and Jane lived at Doggerboat in roughly the center of Pharay. It has been reported that at his wedding John wore a satin kerchief that was given many years later to a descendant who had moved to Canada, upon his return to Orkney for a visit in 1912. John was a herring fisherman for a man named Gillies Bonneton, a fish curer on Stronsay. It was after his employer whom John named his youngest son. A great -grandchild also reported that when members were meeting on Eday to decide how to raise money to build the church building (Church of Scotland) a deadlock occurred. Eventually Jane stood up and said she would make a contribution, Johnnie would too, and "come away home (to Pharay) for the wind is rising."

Jane died at Doggerboat on 16th September 1882, age 82. John drowned in Lavey Sound on 25th June 1884; he had walked to the Holm at low tide but upon his return the tide was rising quickly. He fell and was swept into deep water and the rescue boat did not each him in time to save him.