Person:James Cutt (2)

Jamie Cutt lived in the croft "Disher" in North Ronaldshay with his brother Robert and sister-in-law. It's said that the wife of the landlord's Baillie, Charles Thomson of Howar, wanted to evict the Cutts from Disher so that they could expand the farm at Howar. She therefore introduced a new rule that said "two brothers could not live at one house" and "warned them out" of their house. Robert and Mary Cutt moved back to Senness, whilst Jamie and his wife were told to build a new house from half of the land at Stenabreck. They built "Bridesness", but the tenant of Stenabreck was said to have been so heartbroken to lose half his land that he died of a broken heart. ^[2][3].

Jamie's wife went to Howar and "prayed afore their face, aun teuk aff her rivlins aun stockings aun crept on her livs aun knees aun cursed them at their ain hearth-stane. Aun as sheu prayed sae gaed they oot o' Howar. Aul Charlie's coffin's no paid for yet! Young Charlie was clever but weekid, aun Howar gaed tae nauthin - gaed tae nauthin - gaed tae nauthin! Young Charlie said there was nae gaed to be made oot o' Howar, for the land was cursed"

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Gravestone.

   Erected by JAMES CUTT in memory of his father JAMES CUTT who died at Bridsness 30.1.1908 aged 93 years.

2. ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch, 1974, Appendix 4
3. ↑ Island Saga, The Story of North Ronaldsay, Mary Scott, page 84