Parish of Kirkwall & St. Ola in 1841

Kirkwall

The person appointed by the Provost to divide the Parish was James Craig a schoolmaster living at Main Street, Kirkwall in Enumeration District 1. The Minister of the Parish was William Logie living at Daisybank in Enumeration District 8.
12 persons were listed as sleeping outside or in boats, barns etc.

Enumeration District 1 containing 62 houses with Enumerator James Craig is described as:
Commencing at the south end of the town - Bounded on the west by the Piery Sea - on the south and east by the boundaries of the ancient Royalty of the Burgh - and on the north by a straight line running from east to west drawn on the south side of the Houses possessed by Mr James Shearer Merchant and Mr John Hepburn Cattle dealer.
James Craig as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
In the Column "Inhabited houses" there are inserted entire houses and not flats. The two lines are drawn at the end of the names of the inmates of each family and the number of distinct families is marked at the bottom of each page - some of the Enumerators rather than divide the names of a family have occasionally left some lines blank at the bottom of the page. In other instances they have repeated a surname instead of writing "do"
Only two persons have left the Burgh for foreign parts within the last six months.
Before giving a comparative view of the population of the Burgh in 1831 and 1841 it will be necessary to state that in 1831 the permanent population only was taken, whereas in 1841 the exact number of those who slept in the Burgh on the night of 6th June has been taken and in order to reconcile the one mode of computation to the other it will be requisite to show what number of persons were absent for a short time on the night of 6th June and also what strangers and visitors were in the place at the same time, the difference between which ammounting to 67 has been added to the present population in the following statement
For the continuation of this vide Schedule No 2
Remarks of Provost
From the want of employment of late years a considerable number of artisans have emigrated to the United States and to the larger Towns on Scotland. The ease and facility of leaving Orkney by Steam Navigation has also induced a great many chiefly female servants to remove to Edinburgh and Glasgow which causes united with those stated by Mr Craig sufficiently account for the decrease of population in Kirkwall since the Census of 1831. I cannot ascertain the exact number of any class who have left Kirkwall of late years.
Ja Baikie  Provost of Kirkwall

Enumeration District 2 containing 55 houses with Enumerator J Sinclair is described as:
Bounded on the south by the Houses in No 1 and the line running from east to west drawn on the south side of the houses possessed by Mr James Shearer and John Hepburn - On the west by the Piery Sea On the east by the boundaries of the ancient Royalty of the Burgh - and on the north by a straight line on the south side of the Post Office and the south side of the House occupied by John Halcrow Baker.
James Craig as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
continued from Schedule No 1

Population of the Burgh in 1831 was ------------------ 3065
Population of the Burgh & Parliamentary
Bounds (as fixed by the Commissioners under the
Reform Act) on 7th June 1841 --------------------------- 3034
But as the Parliamentary Bounds extend
beyond what was in 1831 called the Burgh
the number of inhabitants in these extended
bounds ammounting to 107 will fall to be
deducted from the above -------------------------------- 107
2927
Number of persons absent for a short
time on the night of 6th June 1841 --------------------123
Number of strangers and visitors present
not forming part of the resident population --------56 67
2994
Showing a real decrease in the Burgh since 1831 of 71

Between 1821 and 1831 the population of the Burgh increased 475. Between 1831 and 1841 it has decreased 71. The increase during the former period was ascribed to Kirkwall being the Metropolis of the islands and drawing to it the surplus population as also to the decay of the kelp trade and the increasing size of Farms. The decrease or non progressive state of the population between 1831 and 1841 is chiefly owing to the fact that there is no flourishing trade or manufactories in Kirkwall to give full employment to an increasing population.
For the continuation vide Schedule No 3

Enumeration District 3 containing 57 houses with Enumerator W Craig is described as:
Bounded on the south by district No 2 and by the straight line on the south side of the Post Office and the south side of the House occupied by John Halcrow Baker - on the west by the Piery Sea - on the east by the ancient Royalty of the Burgh - and on the north by lines drawn on the south of the Houses occupied by Mr Heddle of Malsetter and Mrs Margaret Dinnison.
James Craig as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
The decrease may also be ascribed in part to the fact that the rural population now find, in their different localities, more lucrative employment in the increasing herring and cod fisheries than they could as labourers or handicraftsmen in and about Kirkwall. In the present depressed state of trade and employment for labourers and mechanics in Kirkwall it is apprehended that an increase of population would only be an increase of Pauperism; indeed, many of the labourers presently residing in Kirkwall are only partially employed, especially during the winter months, and those engaged in Strawplaiting barely earn a subsistence upon the humblest fare - Although in the Enumerators' schedules few persons are classed as Paupers, yet very many depend on charity for part of their living - This truth has been established most clearly by Charles Shirreff Esq Sheriff Substitute of the County, who, during the last and present years took a most minute and laborious census of the state of the poor in Kirkwall & ascertained that there are no fewer than 400 persons (old and young) suffering more or less under the pressure of want or whose food was scant and precarious. The average rate of mortality in the parish of Kirkwall & St Ola during the last 10 years was 64.7 or about 1.74 percent on a combined estimate of the population in 1831 and 1841 - The lowest rate was in the year 1832 - the deaths during that year having been 41 - The highest in the year 1834 - the deaths during that year having been 127 - this high rate of mortality was occasioned by the prevalence of Erysipelas, pleuresy & other inflammatory maladies Cholera never visited Kirkwall nor indeed any part of the County of Orkney.
James Craig  Schoolmaster of Kirkwall
Having examined this and the other ten Schedules containing a List of the population of Kirkwall & St Ola, I believe them correct in the particulars required.
William Logie  Minister

Enumeration District 4 containing 44 houses with Enumerator Ralph Fotheringham is described as:
Bounded on the south by district No 3 and by the lines drawn on the south of the Houses occupied by Mr Heddle of Malsetter and Mrs Margaret Dinnison on the west by the Piery Sea - on the east by the Road separating the ancient Royalty from the lands of Papdale and on the north by lines drawn south of the dwelling house occupied by Mr George McBeath Merchant and thence along St Olas Burn until it falls into the Piery Sea

Enumeration District 5 containing 48 houses with Enumerator J Petrie is described as:
Bounded on the south by district No 4 and by the lines drawn south of the dwelling house occupied by Mr George McBeath Merchant and the House occupied by Mr John Spence Merchant and thence along St Olas Burn until it falls into the Piery Sea, on the west by the Piery Sea, on the east bt the ancient boundaries of the Royalty - and on the north by a line drawn to the south of Pipers House occupied by Mr David Scott and others and to the south of the House and Shop occupied by Mr John Scott Merchant and a diagonal line drawn from the east end of Pipers House to the north corner of Lower St Catherines Quay.

Enumeration District 6 containing 55 houses with Enumerator William Scott is described as:
Comprehending the remainder of the Royalty of the Burgh - bounded on the south by district No 5 and by the line drawn to the south of Pipers House occupied by David Scott and others and to the south of the House and Shop occupied by Mr John Scott Merchant and by a diagonal line drawn from the east end of Pipers House to the north corner of Lower St Catherines Quay - on the west by the aire - on the east by the Mount and property of Weyland - and on the north by the Bay of Kirkwall

Enumeration District 7 containing 55 houses with Enumerator Andrew Garrioch is described as:
So much of the parish of Kirkwall and St Ola as lies between the Parliamentary Boundary line as fixed under the Reform Act on the south - and the said Boundary line and the ancient Royalty of the Burgh on the west - and a line drawn on the north from the head of the Strynd past the south corner of the Grammar School, and prolonged in the direction of the Milldam of Papdale till it meets the Parliamentary Boundary line, and the said line on the east - lying within the Parliamentary Boundary of Kirkwall Burgh.

Enumeration District 8 containing 58 houses with Enumerator William Smith is described as:
So much of the parish of Kirkwall and St Ola as lies between a line drawn on the south from the head of the Strynd past the south corner of the Grammar School and prolonged in the direction of the Milldam of Papdale till it meets the Parliamentary Boundary line and the ancient Royalty of the Burgh on the west, and the Bay of Kirkwall on the north and the Parliamentary Boundary line on the east - lying within the Parliamentary Boundary of Kirkwall Burgh

St. Ola

The person appointed by the Sheriff to divide the Parish was the same James Craig as divided Kirkwall, and the Minister of the Parish was the same William Logie.
6 persons were listed as sleeping outside or in boats, barns etc.

Enumeration District 1 containing 16 houses with Enumerator Chas Shirreff is described as:
So much of the parish of Kirkwall and St Ola as lies between the road from Kirkwall to Saint Andrews on the south, and the Parliamentary boundary line and the Bay of Kirkwall on the west and the Frith called the string on the north and Inganess Bay on the east being without the Parliamentary boundary.
James Craig as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:

The population of the Landward part of the parish of Kirkwall
and St Ola in 1831656
Population of ditto in 1841540
Apparent decrease 116

But in order to exhibit a comparative view of the population in 1831 and 1841 it must be remembered that the Parliamentary Burgh comprehends a part of what was Landward in 1831 and the present population of that part consisting of 107 persons falls to be added to the population of the present Landward part. Also in 1831 the resident population only was taken whereas in 1841 all that slept during the night of 6th June were numbered.
The following vidimus drawn up in accordance with these observations will show the real difference in the amount of the population at the two different periods.
For the vidimus referred to see Schedule No 2
James Craig  Schoolmaster

Enumeration District 2 containing 35 houses with Enumerator J Craig Jnr is described as:
So much of the parish of Kirkwall and St Ola as lies between the road from Kirkwall to Saint Andrews and the Parliamentary boundary line on the north and the parishes of Holm ans Saint Andrews on the east; and the parish of Holm and Scapa Bay on the south, and the road from Kirkwall to Scapa on the west being without the Parliamentary boundary.
James Craig as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:

Population of Landward part of the Parish in 1831 656
Population of ditto minus the Parliamentary
bounds now added to the Burgh in 1841 -------------------------- 540
Add the population of the Parliamentary
bounds taken from it & added to the Burgh 107
647
Number of strangers & visitors registered 7th June
though not forming part of the resident population ------------12
Number of persons from home on that day1
The difference between these two numbers falls to be deducted 11636
Leaving a real decrease of the Landward part since 1831 of 20

The difference between the population at the two periods is really so small that it would be needless to attempt any speculation as to its cause.
James Craig  Schoolmaster
Having examined this and the other two Schedules containing a List of the Population of Kirkwall & St Ola, I believe them to be correct in the particulars required.
William Logie  Minister

Enumeration District 3 containing 43 houses with Enumerator Thomas MacKenzie is described as:
So much of the parish of Kirkwall and St Ola as lies between the Parliamentary boundary line and the road from Kirkwall to Scapa on the east, and Scapa Bay on the south, and the parishes of Firth and Orphir on the west and by Kirkwall Bay and Damsay Sound on the north being without the Parliamentary Boundary

Remarks of Sheriff
Approved
Chas Shirreff

Kirkwall Gaol

I CERTIFY and declare that the Account contained in this Schedule, has been truly and faithfully taken by me, and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the same is correct, so far as may be known.
Witness my hand, this Seventh day of June 1841.
James Clark , Keeper of Kirkwall Prison
William Logie , Chaplain of the Prison