Day 2 in Shetland

How Exciting? After looking round the Shetland museum (including a Wright's Biscuit tin labelled as imported goods) and lunch my visit to the Shetland Family
History office opened new avenues of research.

1st more information of 2 great uncles both 'lost at sea' during 1st World War. Then being shown published details and photographs of them in Shetland's Roll of Honour.

These were the first photographs I had ever seen of my Grandfather's Shetland Family and even though they only shared a father I could immediately see a resemblance, not only to him but to my immediate family.

The evening brought more revelations and even more photos.

Because David had already established a network of relations here in the Lerwick area, Catherine had a arranged a get together in a local hall " for a cup of tea and a yarn"! To add to this she used her vast local knowledge, contacts and a few phone calls to invite one of my relatives. Even at such short notice a very pleasant lady and her husband arrived bearing a clutch of amazing photos, including a very clear studio portrait of my Great Grand Parents. It became a very enjoyable but emotional night.

But even more revelations followed.

Back in Finlay and Catherine's house we started to delve deeper in the Bayanne website which has an amazing function to explore possible relationships between individuals. Hey Presto! Catherine and I are 7th cousins, twice over, and at about the same distance I am related in 4 separate descents to her daughter in law!

1st day in Shetland

Beautiful sea crossing from Aberdeen to Shetland. We left in full sunshine which lasted through dinner looking out to a flat sea.

David Grey

Woke this morning in Lerwick in one piece despite falling while trying to negotiate bunk side and ladder in the middle of the night. No prizes for guessing why I had to get up!!

We were met in Lerwick by Finlay and Catherine, David's cousin and our hosts for the stay. They very kindly drove around Lerwick pointing out places of interest and on the drive out towards their house we passed the church where my Great Grandparents were married in 1894.

The place names along the way were an immediate source of amusement!!

 Finlay falling over laughing

A New Adventure - Ancestor Hunting in the Shetland Isles!!

Tomorrow I set off to Shetland, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to visit my Grandfather's ancestral home.

The trip there will be a small adventure in itself - train to Aberdeen and then overnight ferry to Lerwick. We leave Newcastle at 8:42 on Saturday and will finally arrive in Lerwick at about 7 on Sunday morning, almost 24 hours and still in the UK but closer to Norway than Newcastle!!