Poll Tax returns of 1693 for North Ronaldsay

Date: 1693 to 1693
Location: North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland This table shows the pollable inhabitants of North Ronaldshay (then spelt "Northranaldsha"), the most northerly of the Orkney Islands, as shown in the returns for 1693. It is based on "The Orkney Poll Taxes of the 1690s" by James M. Irvine, published in 2003. Only those under the age of 16 or in receipt of poor aid were exempt from the tax and therefore they are a useful census substitute for this time period.^[1]

Analysis by surname

The analysis of the people named in the returns is given in the following table. Irvine's study estimates that including minor children and paupers (who were exempt from the tax), the population was around 1.6 x the number listed in the records - in this case around 220.

Surname	Household Heads		Named Inhabitants		Population estimate
	#	%	#	%	#
Tullach	10	25%	35	26%	56
Swannie	8	20%	23	17%	37
Muir	5	13%	14	10%	22
Cutt	3	8%	12	9%	19
Turfisone	1	3%	8	6%	13
Thomson	2	5%	7	5%	11
Mairtain	2	5%	7	5%	11
Foderingham	1	3%	6	4%	10
Wall	2	5%	5	4%	8
Burwick	2	5%	4	3%	6
Kelldally	1	3%	3	2%	5
Hoy	2	5%	2	1%	3
Michell	0	%	2	1%	3
Spence	0	%	2	1%	3
Scott	1	3%	1	1%	2
Scletter	0	%	1	1%	2
Marikirk	0	%	1	1%	2
Mill	0	%	1	1%	2
Scoat	0	%	1	1%	2
Brodie	0	%	1	1%	2
Total	40	100%	136	100%	220

The origins of these surnames are split between Norse origins and Scottish origins. Norse origins include partonymics such as Swannie, from Swaneson (Swein's son) and Turfisone (Thorfinn's son) whilst Scottish names include distinctive place-derived surnames like Tulloch and Muir.

The islands were initially owned by "odallers", small-holders of Norse origin whose families pre-dated the transfer of the Orkneys to Scotland in 1468. A hundred years later, in 1595, North Ronaldsay was granted as a feudal grant to Margaret Bonar, the first feudal lord. The landholdings became tenant farms, held on a short lease from the proprietor on payment of rents mostly in kind and rights of labour. The surname origins of the tenant farmers recorded another hundred years later, in 1693, indicate that the tenant farmers were descended from a mixed stock of part odal families and part Scottish settlers brought in by the new feudal overlords.

Full results

House	Household Head	Wife	Children	Servants	Notes re Descendants
Samback	Andrew Swannie	Jenit Forderingham		Andrew Michall
Ankum	John Muir	Jenit Scletter	Hendrie Muir	Hellen Tullach; John Muir; Andrew Muir; Jenit Kalldaly	Allocated to John Tulloch of Senness in the late 1700s in recognition of his father's war service
Langer	Johm Muir	Hellen Tullach		Robert Tullach; Margarit Tullach
Coat [Cott]	Magnus Muir	Jenit Cutt		Thomas Marikirk; Andrew Turfisone; Hellen Turfisone
Bura [Burray]	William Tullach	Elspit Muire
Nether Leine [Linnay]	Alexander Tullach	Margarit Tullach	Thomas Tullach
Lai...hbreck	John Swannie	Eggedie Mill
Midle [Great] Senis	Thomas Tullach	Elspit Tullach			Descendants remained there until at least 1969 when Jane Tulloch lived there
Taib [Trebb]	John Thomson	Jemit Swannie	Magnus Thomson; Hellen Thomson
Nouster	John Tullach	Margarit Brodie	John Tullach; James Tullach; Thomas Tullach; Edward Tullach; Magnus Tullach	Margarit Mairtain
Leine [Linnay]	Stephen Foderingham	Margarit Tullach	Jenit Foderingham	Robert Mairtain; Thomas Scoat; Jenit Mairtain
Littell Senis	Thomas Tullach	Cristian Thomsone
Hoyand [Holland]	John Thomson	Hellin Tullach	Jenit Thomson
Wastnesse [Westness]	William Tullach	Margarit Turfisone	Magnus Tullach; William Tullach; Robert Tullach	Jenit Turfisone
Disher	Andrew Cutt	Margarit Foderingham		John Turfisone; Margarit Swannie; Margarit More
Greanwall	Magnus Swannie	Jenit Spence	Magnus Swannie; Margarit Swannie; Elsipt Swannie
Hower	William Swannie	Betrich Tullach	Barbra Swannie; Elspit Swannie; Hellen Swannie
Crusbreck	Magnus Turfisone	Jenit Tullach	Thomas Turfisone	Hellen Michell	Descendants held the croft until ca. 1807 when Robert Turfus was evicted
Kirbister	John Tullach	Cristian Spence	Thomas Tullach
Ourland	John Swannie	Cristian Cutt
Stromnesse	David Swannie	Anna Swannie
Antabreck	John Burwick	Margarit Cutt
Coat	Magnus Kelldally	Margarit Muine
Newbigging	John Wall	Margarit Muire	John Wall; Thomas Wall; James Wall	Barbra Kelldally
Ness	Magnus Tullach	Elspit Cutt	Jenit Tullach
Hucking	John Tullach		John Tullach; Hellen Tullach		Allocated to Thomas Tulloch of Senness in the late 1700s in recognition of his father's war service
Nesse	John Cutt	Jenet Foderingham	John Cutt; Jenit Cutt
Peackhole	William Thomson	Jenit Tullach	Alexander Thomson	Eggidie Cutt
Scotigar	Thomas Burwick	Jenit Swanie	John Burwick
Shaltisquoy	Steaven Tullach	Jenit Muir	John Tullach
Conglabist	John Muir	Cristian Foderingham
Garback [Gerbo]	Robert Scott	Elspeth Martaine
How [Howatoft?]	Andrew Martaine	Jenit Thomson	Thomas Martaine	Margarit Swannie; Margarit More
Grenspot	Andrew Cutt	Barbra Swannie	John Swannie	Jenit Cutt
(not given - "coatter")	William Wals	Cristian Swannie
(not given - "coatter")	David Martaine
(not given - "coatter")	Hendrie Hoy	Jenit Cutt
(not given - "coatter")	Andrew Hoy	Margarit Tullach
(not given - "coatter")	David Swannie	Maragit Turfisone
(not given - "wever")	Thomas Swannie	Jenite Burwicke
(not given - "wever")	Walter More	Elspit Swannie