Introduction / Families / Harcus / William Harcus (Hercus) and Janet Groat / William Harcus (Hercus) and Barbara Swordie

John Harcus and Margaret Scott

John Harcus (b. abt. 1843) was the youngest of the six children of William Harcus and Barbara Swordie of Wantonbrae, Eday.

The family had moved from Wantonbrae to St Andrews sometime after 1861 and John married Margaret Scott (b. 7th July 1841, Kirkwall) there on 26th October 1865. Margaret was the daughter of Oliver Scott and Mary Marwick. Oliver, as a widower, was to marry John’s elder sister, Jessie Harcus, in 1869.

John and Margaret were at Dunkirk in 1871 with the first of their six children:

• Mary Marwick Harcus, born 17th December 1865; died 1938 in Edinburgh

• John Harcus, born 2nd December 1868; died 6th June 1930, Dundee. He was a telegrapher.

• William Harcus, born 16th 1873; died 18th August 1941 in Milton, Glasgow. He was a labourer.

• Oliver Harcus, born 1876; died 1895, Kirkwall

• Robert Harcus, born 1879 died 8th December 1887, Kirkwall

• Maggie Ann Harcus, born 1884 who married Walter Bryden at Temple, Midlothian on 18th February 1921

Their first two children were born in St Andrews.

Also living in Dunkirk, Kirkwall in 1871 was John’s recently widowed sister in law, Jane Harcus, who had been married to his brother, William Harcus.

The family moved to Main St where they were in 1881 and 1891. John was a seaman and not with them in 1881 although the household did include one of Margaret’s sisters, Janet Scott who was unmarried. John was with the family in 1891. His occupation at that time is given as fisherman.

He died in Victoria St on 6th September 1892.

Margaret died in Dundee on 22nd March 1918. The informant was her son, John.