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to bottom of pageThe Burgar/Burgess families in Shetland
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James Burgar in Yell
The earliest Burgar persons that we have found in Shetlands are James Burgar (born about 1550) and living in Yell and Magnus Burgar (also born about 1550) and living in Fetlar.
James is mentioned as being a witness in 1572 in Yell. 53
See James Burgar Court Case 1-1572
This suggests that he is at least about 20 years old and would thus have been born before 1550, possibly decades earlier.
James Burgar next appears in a court case in Yell in 1586 as a witness and an official of the Parish. He is termed 'a Serjeant from Yell'. 66, 65
See James Burgar Court Case 2-1586
He was also a member of a jury in North Yell in 1602 37 and also a witness in 1605 66
James Burgar next appears in a court case in 1615 (along with 20 other tenants) where he is being pursued for non- payment of rent. 38, 37 This could be classed as a mini-revolution against the ruling class landowners.
James Burgar, of Corvasetter, Yell.37 did not pay his rent in 1614 to Marjorie Fermor, relict of James Sinclair, owner of the land. In this Court case in 1615 it states that James rented 1 merk of land, and produced 12 merks butter and 3 cuttels of wadmel.
See James Burgar Court Case 3 -1615
James died in 1624 and his Testament 52,56 leaves his possessions to Mary Nicolson. This Will does not seem to refer to any descendants so it is presumed that James was childless.
See details of Testament Dative of James Burgar 1624
It will be seen that James owned relatively little at his death, (2 horses, 1 ox, 2 cows, 1 sheep) but this was typically the sum total of possessions of most Shetlanders.
He was married to Agnes Erasmusdochter, who died at Colvasetter Yell in March 1615. The Testament Dative was proved in 22nd July 1615 in Collasetter, Yell. 56
(This Testament appears in the Orkney and Shetland Commissary Court - CC17/2/2 - Scottish Record Office)
From the above it is seen that James Burgar lived in Yell from at least 1572 to 1624 when he died.
It is possible that that Magnus Burgar and James Burgar are related since they were probably about the same age.