Feas of Clestrain \ James I \ James II \ James III \ James IV \ James V \ James VI \ Pundlar Process

Meeting on 8th April 1743

Sir James Steuart of Burray was not present at the meeting called by Andrew Ross as he dealt with the Earl of Morton and his officials only through the courts following a dispute at Graemeshall in 1739.

James Fea VI of Clestrain was appointed chairman and William Spence, the Clerk of Kirkwall, kept the minutes.  William Spence was a brother in law of James, being married to his sister, Margaret Fea.

The weights were handed over at the meeting by Thomas Aitken, the assayer and Deacon of the Wrights to the Dean of Guild who listed them and showed them to the meeting.  Of the ten items displayed in 1743, eight matched a listing made in 1686.

The smallest of the weights, the mark, was a boar's tusk into which lead had been added.  The rest, apart from an iron steelyard and a brass weight were all stones which represented multiples of the mark.  There was apparently some laughter when the broken stones were produced.  John Fea, James's brother, and the minister from Shapinsay, Alexander Nisbet, weighed the iron standard, which Thomas Aitken had been using. It should perhaps be pointed out that the minister was from an island largely controlled by James Fea and relied on his goodwill.

At the close of the meeting, James Fea dictated an outline report of their findings. This was approved and a committee was appointed to put the Report into Form.  No changes were made to the draft in any essential way and the following day the report was signed by all those present.  This denounced the standards and alleged that the weights had been increased over the years.