Distribution of Charity Bread & Meal - Shetland 1804

Because of poor harvests in Shetland the population were on very short rations, and help had to be sent from other parts of the UK. The authorities in Shetland petitioned the House of Commons for help.

29th March 1804
A House of Commons committee delivered a report on a petition received from Shetland. When examined, John Scott of Valey told them that the harvests and fishing of 1802 and 1803 had been poor and required the import of £30,000 in meal and bere from Berwick and the North Country in the prior year. Many cattle had been sold off to pay it. The inhabitants relied on oatmeal, milk and fish and these were all in scarce supply, one person having died of want. Relief was urgently requested in order to have barley, bere and potatoes to sow and meal to tide them over.

In Dunrossness

3,149 people in Dunrossness received food. This included the Burgar families below.

Surname	First Name	Place	No. in Family	Children	Landlord

BURGAR	ADAM	LUD & GORD	6		Quendale
BURGAR	CHARLES	BREAK	8		Quendale
BURGAR	DAVID	Break or Quendale	6	1799 & 1806	Quendale
BURGAR	GEORGE	BREAK	7	s.of Adam h.of	Quendale
BURGAR	JOHN	HILLWALL	6		Quendale
BURGAR	MAGNUS	HILLWALL	5		Quendale
BURGAR	ROBERT	Hillwell	3	1804	Quendale
BURGAR	LAURENCE	Garth	6	1771	Quendale
BURGAR	ROBERT	SCORD	7		Quendale
BURGAR	JOHN	MAILS & VOES	6		Sumburgh

Who are the above Burgar?

1. Adam Burgar in Lud & Gord with a family of 6 is believed to be either:

Adam Burgar (born about 1735) & his wife Margaret Bairnson

plus their son Adam (born 1778 in Gord) and his wife Martha Smith + their 2 daughters (born in Gord).

Adam (born 1778 in Gord) and his wife Martha Smith + their 2 daughters (born in Gord) + parents or parents-in-law.

2. Charles Burgar in Break with a family of 8 is:

Charles Burgher (born 1760 in Break and his wife Catherine Arcus + their 5 children born prior to 1802 + another person (maybe a parent?).

Charles was the son of Robert Burgar and Mary Fea who had many children born in Break from 1754 to 1769.

3. David Burgar in Break with a family of 6 persons is:

David Burgar (born 1754 in Break) with his second wife Grizelda Flaws + maybe 4 of their 5 children born before 1804 mostly in Break.

David was the son of Robert Burgar and Mary Fea who had many children born in Break from 1754 to 1769.

4. George Burgar in Break with a family of 7 persons is either:

George Burgar (born 1769) and his wife Barbara Irvine + their 5 children born before 1804).

George was the son of Adam Burgar (born about 1735) and Margaret Bairnson. He was living in Break when he married in 1793 and his children were born there.

George ( born about 1745) and his wife Helen Leslie had 4 children born at Brake between 1778 and 1792.

Note. It is possible that the two George are the same person. Maybe George Burgar married firstly Helen Leslie and then Barbara Irvine

5. John Burgar in Hillwell with a family of 6 persons

John Burgar (abt 1740) and Margaret Halcrow had children born in Hillwell in the 1780s, accounts for the numbers.

6. Magnus Burgar in Hillwell with a family of 5 persons

Magnus Burgar (born 1746) married Margaret Burgar and had 4 children between 1780 and 1792 in Hillwell.

7. Robert Burgar in Hillwell with a family of 3 persons

This may be either

Robert (born 1774 at Bacsetter), son of John Burgar and Margaret Bairnson who was married with one son at the time.

Robert (born 1781), the son of John Burgar and Margaret Halcrow His siblings were born in Hillwell and he was living there when he married and had a daughter in 1804 in Hillwell.

8. Laurence Burgar in Garth with a family of 6 persons

Laurence Burgar and Barbara Mainland plus 2 children (born in Garth between 1771 and 1780). One son, James Burgar, was married in 1802 to Margaret Mouat, so may have been living with his parents.

9. Robert Burgar in Scord with a family of 7 persons

Possibly Robert Burgar (born abt. 1760) who married Agnes Aitkin and had 6 children (1793-1805) so 5 children pre 1804.

Not sure where Scord is, but it is possibly Gord or Cour. Robert was born in Gord and was living there when he married in 1793.

10. John Burgar in Mail & Voes with a family of 6 persons

John Burgar (born 1748) married first to Barbara Black and then Katherine Young had 6 children born at Voe between 1775 and 1793. In 1804, 2 of these children were married, so it is possible that the remaining 4 children were with him.

In Lerwick

Lerwick Town had 12,000 shares of food allotted to 1812 people

GEORGE 2 shares February

GEORGE ‘S WIFE 1 share May

ROBERT's Wife 3 shares February

ROBERT’s MOTHER 1 share May

In Yell

CATHERINE Burgar 7# shares

LAURENCE Burgar & DAUGHTER 2# shares

NANG Burgar (a poor child) # share

# means ‘extra ration’

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