Introduction / Families / Drever / David Drever and Ann Reid

David Drever and Mary Groat

David Drever, son of David Drever and Ann Reid, was born in Pharay about 1825 and lived at Hammar. He married Mary Groat on 20th March 1851. Mary was the daughter of Robert Groat and Elizabeth Harcus from Lakequoy. David and Mary had eight children:

• Mary Drever, b. 24th Mar 1852 and c. 1st Aug 1852. By 1881 she was a servant in Kirkwall, where she lived the rest of her life. She was a servant on Laing Street in 1881 and on Albert Street in 1891. By 1901 she was keeping a boarding house in Post Office Lane, just off Broad Street. Sadly, Mary died in the Orkney Combination Poorhouse on 6th July 1918.

• Elizabeth (Betsy) Drever, b. 14th Sep 1853, c. 18th Apr 1854 who married James Scott 18th Dec 1879. James was the son of Malcolm Scott and Eliza Irvine, born 21st Dec 1856. They had a son, David Scott, b. 3rd May 1882 who married Margaret Reid of Eday. David was killed in action in WWI on 26th Sep 1916. Betsy died 6th June 1919, Greenha, Eday.

• Ann Drever, b. 7th Aug 1855. Sometime after 1871 she went to Kirkwall where she had two sons: Peter Shearer, b. 1881 and Alfred Drever, b. 1893. Ann died at Walls Close, Victoria Street, 6th Nov 1907.

• Isabella Drever, b. 29th Mar 1857. Isabella does not appear after the 1861 census and it is not known what became of her.

• David Drever, b. 6th Jan 1859 who married his cousin Barbara Groat

• Jane (Jeannie) Drever, b. about 1861 who married James Harcus

• Margaret (Maggie) Drever, b. 29th Dec 1862 who married Thomas Bain

• James Drever, b. 17th Oct 1864 who married a cousin, Catherine Ann Burgar, daughter of Elizabeth Hercus and Robert Burgar (Burgess), in 1890. Catherine died in 1892, and it is not known what became of James.

David and Mary lived at Hammar, where David farmed. Mary died there of tuberculosis on 19th March 1883, age 54. David died on 3rd May 1898 at the Ness, age 75.