Shetland

On a more peaceful note George Burgar was a witness in a land dispute between the Minister and the Laird. This report is taken from the printed book 'Presbytery Records - Appendix 1756, pages 152-153.⁵⁵ (It is likely, that the transcriber of the document changed George's surname to Burgess, since the Burgess surname was not common until the 1850s).

GEORGE BURGESS, aged seventy-six years, married, purged of malice and partial counsel, solemnly sworn and interrogate depones as follows :

Primo.

As to the Boundaries of Skelberry within the old Dykes. That said Dykes run from the mouth of the Burn called Hogard to the Sandy Slap ¹northward, and from thence north east, and from thence north west across the Burn to the house of Durigarth, and then north east to the Burn again, including all the land lying betwixt said Dyke and said Burn called old Durigarth. Being asked whether or not he ever heard or knew of anybody that ever laboured said ground betwixt said Dyke and Burn besides the people of Skelberry? answered negatively. Depones also that the said old Dykes run from the Burn at the Water Slap eastward, including Reswick and Collapund, to the ruins of an old house sometime possessed by Charles Williamson, and from thence to the southward including that piece of ground commonly called the North Meadow, where it joins the east Burn, and runs down said Burn to the place called the hole of Clowell where it crosses said Burn eastward, and Meioses that piece of ground called Voesgarth, and from thence westward inclosing the south meadow and new pund until it join the Dyke at the mouth of the Burn Hogard mentioned above at the north side of the Loch.

Secundo.

As to the boundaries of the Scattald of Skelberry, Outvoe and Boddam, Depones that they run from the west water Slap along the old mark of the Burn northward through the town of Bremer, and from the upper Dyke of said town at a place a little to the westward of that, where the Burn presently enters, which seems to be the old entry of said Burn, to two Standing Stones in a line to the stone by east the Bleat, as he hears, and from thence eastward to the north Stony Pund to two tuicks² on the height by east the Loch of Wadslay' to a march stone near the Dyke of John Shewan's pond to another march stone at the old Mill of 'Troswick within said Fund, and from thence southward and along the old Dykes of Troswick to the Law Dyke, and along said Law Dyke through the town of Dalsetter till you come to the Burn running eastward of the town of Outvoe to the sea immediately to the westward of Keotha's pund, and that the Scattald runs along the Dykes of Outvoe, Boddom, and the old Dykes of Sumragarth to the joining of Brew's Dyke to the westward till it ends at the mouth of the Burn of Hogard.
Tertio.

Being asked if he knew of any punds taken off the above Scattald ? answered that John Shewan's pund was taken off, and Robert Marshall's pund, and the potatoe pond of Sumragarth, Andrew Charleson's mind, and John Shewan's pund commonly called Fografield Causa scientim petit, that he has lived in the neighbourhood all his days, Declares he cannot write, and that is truth, as he shall answer to God.

It is not necessary to continue the depositions of other witnesses, which are much to the same effect. One of them, Robert Marshall, states that 'laboured Old Durigarth, and brought in the proportion of the crop thereof' to the Rev.

¹Slap : a breach in a dyke to admit of persons passing through. (Effectively a form of a stile?).

²Apparently a variation of the Shetland term Toog, a small hillock with a tuft of grass: a diminutive of Danish me, a hillock (Edmondston).

Summary

George Burgess was 76 years old in 1756, meaning that he was born in 1680; he was married and had lived all his life in the area, and was unable to write. George Burgess appears in other records as Burgher and Burgar.