St Clair Cottage, Castletown

[Rosemary Skea]

My gg grandfather James Budge died at St Clair Cottage Olrig November 1867.

In his will he states below the land which he owned in Castletown.

“All and whole that lot or area of ground in the village of Castletown, opposite the parish church of Olrig which lies immediately to the west and adjoins the ground occupied by the parochial school and school masters house of Olrig which lot or area of ground measures in front along Turnpike Road one hundred and twenty six feet ten inches or thereby in breadth from the said Turnpike Road backwards along the west or north west side two hundred and thirty one feet seven inches or thereby and in breadth backward along the east or south east side two hundred and twenty nine feet or thereby and in length along the back or south or south west side thereof two hundred and five feet three inches or thereby and is bounded as follows viz ON the north or north east by the public Turnpike Road, on the east or south east by the grounds occupied by the parochial school and school masters house of Olrig on the south or the south west by that parts of the lands of Castlehill called Coghills Park or Coghills Town and on the west or north west by the lot of ground feued to Mr James Calder together with the buildings erected thereon being within the parish of Olrig and sherrifdom of Caithness with all right title and interest which I have” .

In the 1871 census, his widow, Margaret Robson and her unmarried daughter Margaret were living there and next door was “Mrs Budge’s cottages”, occupied by Hugh Calder and family and John MacKenzie and family.

Margaret died at St Clair Cottage in March 1919. As far as I know, she was the sole remaining child of James and Margaret Budge. Her nearest relatives would have been her nephew James Budge at Bigton Farm in Shetland. Margaret had 7 brothers and 2 sisters. Isabella married William Iverach and went to New Zealand where she died in 1881, Catherine married Robert Crowe and died at Castletown in 1897. Brothers Alexander and John went to Australia in 1852 and Alexander died in 1858. Brother George married Marion Dickson in Shetland in 1864 and then emigrated to New Zealand where he died in 1883. William and David also went to New Zealand, William around 1862 ( and probably David at the same time). William died in 1878. The remaining brother Donald has escaped me for the moment, but I think that he went to Canada. Her eldest brother James, took over the farm at Bigton Shetland from his father James and died there in 1899.

I am looking to find out what happened to St Clair’s Cottage after Margaret’s death? Is the building still there? If so, is it still occupied?

Another query. Re buildings in Castletown. The informant on Margaret’s death certificate was Annie Swanson, a neighbour (but also a cousin of Margaret’s) and her address was given as Budges Buildings, Castletown. Can anyone tell me about them?

[fred]

I am looking to find out what happened to St Clair’s Cottage after Margaret’s death? Is the building still there? If so, is it still occupied?

Hi Rosemary

St Clair Cottage is marked on the 1877 Ordnance Survey map.



There is a building on exactly the same spot in the corrent OS map.



I'll take a look next time I'm passing that way and see if I can see it.

[Rosemary Skea]

Thank you for that Fred. Will look forward to hearing from you.

[fred]

Thank you for that Fred. Will look forward to hearing from you.

Well I passed today and here it is looking at it from the road. I would say that the part nearest the road is quite recent but the main building behind it looks like an original old Caithness cottage to me, chimney to the left as you go through the door.

[Rosemary Skea]

Thank you very much, Fred, for the photo.

Rosemary