Introduction / Families / Groat / Robert Groat and Janet Guthrie / John Groat and Margaret Bain

James Clouston Groat and Betsy Peace

James Clouston Groat (c. 28th February 1830) was the oldest of the six children of John Groat and Margaret Bain. He was born in Westray and with the family at North Tuan in 1841 and a farm labourer with the Stevensons at Rusland in 1851.

He married Betsy Peace from Stronsay in Kirkwall on 22nd December 1857. She was the daughter of William Peace and Margaret Brown. James and Betsy were subsequently to live at Windbrake in Stronsay.

They had eight children who were all born in Stronsay:

• James Groat b. 18 September 1858. He died on 26th January 1885 at the age of twenty six

• Margaret Groat b. 1860 who married William Addie on 8th January 1885 in Strichen, Aberdeen. He as a mason and the son of William Addie and Ann Mather. Margaret died in South Leith in 1924 at the age of sixty four.

• Ann Twatt Groat b. 21 December 1861 who married Richard Caithness

• Betsy Groat b. 12th June 1865 who married William Scott b. abt 1847 of Springvalley, Stronsay on 5th September 1889. William was the son of William Scott and Jane Brodie of Sowiehall. Betsy died in 1933.

• William Groat b. 30th December 1866 who married Betsy Stevenson b. 24th March 1870, in Stronsay on 23rd March 1887. They lived in Leith and had a family of thirteen children. William died in Stronsay on 4th February 1945 and Betsy on 16th January 1948.

• John Groat b. 8th June 1869 who married (1) Annie Croy and (2) Janet Shearer

• Jemima Groat b. 14th February 1871 who married William Maxwell, the son of William Maxwell and Mary Miller in 1901. She died at Sunnyside in Stronsay on 17th March 1949. William died on 14th November 1957. He was eighty four.

• Jessie Stewart Groat b. 6th October 1874 and died six months later on 10th April 1875

James died on 18th August 1904 and Betsy four years later on 18th May 1908.