There are a number of references to Feas in Birsay, Orkney.   While it is likely that these trace back to the Feas in the North Isles of Stronsay and Sanday, the connection is not known.

There are two lines of Feas which have been traced back to Feas in Birsay: the descendants of James Fea of Boardhouse,  who has a son, Robert Fea (b. 1710), and those of Peter Fea (b. 6th September 1764) and Ann Medd. Links between these Birsay Feas and to other Birsay Feas for which there are references have not been confirmed.   There is a possibility that Peter Fea is descended from James Fea of Boardhouse and his wife, Janet Nisbet.

These Fea families are quite early and there is only one reference to the family in the census.  That is in 1841:

There are a few Birsay Feas births in the IGI:

• To James Fea - Katherin Fea (b. 26th November 1700), James Fea (b. February 1704) and Margaret Fea (b. 31st January 1719).  It has not been established if these Feas are siblings of Robert Fea (b. 1710) mentioned above as a son of James Fea and Janet Nisbet.

• To William Fea - Elizabeth Fea (b. 28th February 1736) and John Fea (9th April 1739)

• To John Fea and Margaret Taylor - Janet Fea (b. 16th June 1771), Margaret Fea (b. 16th July 1777) and probably Ann Fea (b. 11th November 1780).  There was a Margaret in Stromness, Orkney as can be seen in  the early census of 1821.  This would be around the time of the birth of Peter Fea (b. 1764) mentioned above.

 

1821 No 354, Stromness
James Flett Margaret Fea Ann Flett Margaret Flett  James Flett John Flett  Eliz Flett Jannet Flett Peter Flett	44 years 44 16 10 11 9 7 5 2

This may well be the Margaret Fea born in Birsay.  James Flett and Margaret Fea married in 1804 and like many, had a large family.  The following births can be found in the IGI:

• Ann Flett  b. 2nd July 1804
• Margaret Flett b. 22nd May 1806
• James Flett  b. 18th February 1810
• John Flett  b. 12th December 1811
• Betty Flett  b. 12th February 1814
• Jannet Flett  b. 20th December  1815
• Peter Flett  b. 24th February 1819

No further research has been done on this Fea \ Flett line although it is  known that Jannet Flett married James Moar (b. 1817) in 1845 and they emigrated to Australia.