Niven, North Ronaldsay
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Location: North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland
Neven (previously Niven) is a house on the island of North Ronaldsay in East North Yard townland, 100m southweat of Conglabist. The name of the croft may come from the Scottish surname, Niven or McNiven, which derives from the gaelic Mac Naoimhín, from naomh ("holy" or "saint").[1]
The house did not feature in the Poll Tax returns of 1693.
A bronze age cist was found containing burnt bone and ashes, which Mr P.K. Thomson described in 1970 as being discovered by his "grandfather" (possibly Thomas Muir) when drain-digging.[2] There is also nearby a "shapeless mound 20m by 8m; probably a tell associated with the farmstead"[3]
Originally, the house did not include any land and the occupant was a tailor. However, during the mid 1800s it took over the land of Conglabist, when that croft fell into disuse.
The croft was mentioned in the following records:
| Year | Source | Person |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | Census | Henry Muir (working as a Taylor), his wife Sibella, daughter Mary and son John. John and Mary were both baptised at Burray, suggesting they moved to Niven around 1840. |
| 1841 | Baptism record | William Muir, son of Henry & Sibella |
| 1844 | Baptism record | Henry Muir, son of Henry & Sibella |
| 1848 | Baptism record | Thomas Muir, son of Henry & Sibella |
| 1851 | Census | Henry Muir (working as a Taylor), his wife Sibella, daughter Mary and sons William, Henry and Thomas |
| 1852 | Baptism record | Janet Muir, dau of Henry & Sibella |
| 1893 | Sheep Apportionment | Thomas Muir; 5 sheep[4] |
References
- ↑ Niven, Wikipedia
- ↑ Archaeology Notes, Canmore
- ↑ Archaeology Notes, Canmore
- ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch, p98
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