Moodie book
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8 The Moodie Book.
nearest of the Orkney Islands to Scrabster, and all but the nearest to Stroma, it
is, if one may so put it, in harmony with the geographical potentialities of the
case to discover that the first lands acquired by the Mooches in Orkney were in
Hoy. To the non-Orcadian reader, however, it is necessary to explain that the
name Hoy, as applying to the whole island, is the perhaps natural, but, albeit,
erroneous assumption of the modern cartographer. Following the old Norse
division of the island into Haey (high island) or Uppland to the north, and
Vagaland (land of voes or bays) to the south, the Orcadians have in all ages
applied the name Hoy to the northern portion of the island only, while the
southern section, including the peninsula or sub-island of South Walls, is known
as the Island of Walls. Bearing this distinction in view, the first lands acquired
by the Moodies in Orkney that can at this date be absolutely vouched for, and
which I am presently to mention, were in Hoy, strictly so called. It is, however,
none the less certain that the family made as early, and, in all probability,
earlier acquisitions in Walls, which lay nearer to Caithness. In a charter of the
age of Queen Mary, the Moodies are, even at that early date, mentioned as
' ancient and native possessors ' of certain lands in Walls, ' beyond the memory of
living man,' and the first residence of the family in Orkney was undoubtedly
Snelsetter Castle in South Walls. This explains the strenuous efforts made by
the family during several generations to acquire an undisputed title to Melsetter,
which was in Walls, and near one of the main ferries to Caithness. Snelsetter
was, as compared with Melsetter, of a more exposed and generally less desirable
situation. It was, however, retained by the Moodies as a second residence for
years after their acquisition of Melsetter.
" There was recently, and no doubt still is, in existence a document which
states the exact connection between the Moodies of Melsetter and the family of
Gilbert Mudie of Caldwell. This was a contemporary letter which mentioned
that one of the Moodies of Melsetter was claiming certain property, as legal
representative of William, Bishop of Caithness, and which, I believe, stated the
relationship on which the claim was based. Most unfortunately, trace of this
interesting and, from the family point of view, important document has, I trust
only for the moment, been lost.
" It is, therefore, matter of conjecture whether Gilbert Moodie himself, or
any Mudie of his generation, acquired any lands in Orkney ; and, consequently,
whether Magister Willielmus Mudie, who, as appears from ' Peterkin's Rentals of
Orkney/ possessed lands in Hoy and in the neighbouring island of Grasmsay in
1503, represents the first or, as I suspect, only the second generation of Orkney
Moodies. Mr William was parson of Hoy, and as the two benefices were at
that date conjoined, that fact implies that he was also Rector of Walls. He
may have been the lyart representative of that William Mudie who, as
nearest of the Orkney Islands to Scrabster, and all but the nearest to Stroma, it
is, if one may so put it, in harmony with the geographical potentialities of the
case to discover that the first lands acquired by the Mooches in Orkney were in
Hoy. To the non-Orcadian reader, however, it is necessary to explain that the
name Hoy, as applying to the whole island, is the perhaps natural, but, albeit,
erroneous assumption of the modern cartographer. Following the old Norse
division of the island into Haey (high island) or Uppland to the north, and
Vagaland (land of voes or bays) to the south, the Orcadians have in all ages
applied the name Hoy to the northern portion of the island only, while the
southern section, including the peninsula or sub-island of South Walls, is known
as the Island of Walls. Bearing this distinction in view, the first lands acquired
by the Moodies in Orkney that can at this date be absolutely vouched for, and
which I am presently to mention, were in Hoy, strictly so called. It is, however,
none the less certain that the family made as early, and, in all probability,
earlier acquisitions in Walls, which lay nearer to Caithness. In a charter of the
age of Queen Mary, the Moodies are, even at that early date, mentioned as
' ancient and native possessors ' of certain lands in Walls, ' beyond the memory of
living man,' and the first residence of the family in Orkney was undoubtedly
Snelsetter Castle in South Walls. This explains the strenuous efforts made by
the family during several generations to acquire an undisputed title to Melsetter,
which was in Walls, and near one of the main ferries to Caithness. Snelsetter
was, as compared with Melsetter, of a more exposed and generally less desirable
situation. It was, however, retained by the Moodies as a second residence for
years after their acquisition of Melsetter.
" There was recently, and no doubt still is, in existence a document which
states the exact connection between the Moodies of Melsetter and the family of
Gilbert Mudie of Caldwell. This was a contemporary letter which mentioned
that one of the Moodies of Melsetter was claiming certain property, as legal
representative of William, Bishop of Caithness, and which, I believe, stated the
relationship on which the claim was based. Most unfortunately, trace of this
interesting and, from the family point of view, important document has, I trust
only for the moment, been lost.
" It is, therefore, matter of conjecture whether Gilbert Moodie himself, or
any Mudie of his generation, acquired any lands in Orkney ; and, consequently,
whether Magister Willielmus Mudie, who, as appears from ' Peterkin's Rentals of
Orkney/ possessed lands in Hoy and in the neighbouring island of Grasmsay in
1503, represents the first or, as I suspect, only the second generation of Orkney
Moodies. Mr William was parson of Hoy, and as the two benefices were at
that date conjoined, that fact implies that he was also Rector of Walls. He
may have been the lyart representative of that William Mudie who, as
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Histories of Scottish families > Moodie book > (24) Page 8 |
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Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/95604773 |
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Description | A selection of almost 400 printed items relating to the history of Scottish families, mostly dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Includes memoirs, genealogies and clan histories, with a few produced by emigrant families. The earliest family history goes back to AD 916. |
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