James Grierson
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
Reverend James Grierson took his degree at the University of Edinburgh on April 7th 1696. He was the first minister of Tingwall Kirk in the Parish of Tingwall after the disjunction of Lerwick from it in to a seperate parish, having been appointed on September 18th 1706. He held the position until his death at around 71 years of age on August 3rd 1747.
He was married three times, his first marriage was to Barbara Scott, born after 1693, the eldest child of nine, of John Scott of the Scott of Scottshall family and Margaret Bruce of the Bruce of Muness family, took place before 1709 and produced four descendants:
- Helen Grierson. Born or Baptised June 28th 1709 (The available records are in dispute).
- James Grierson. Born after 1710
- Andrew Grierson. Born or Baptised August 31st 1712. (The available records are in dispute).
- William Grierson. Born after 1713
His second marriage on January 18th 1731 or 1732 (the available records are in dispute) was to Elizabeth Greig, born about 1695 and died before 1739, daughter of Andrew Greig, merchant in Scalloway, and his wife Barbara, and produced a at least a further four descendants:
- John Grierson. Born or Baptised April 14th 1733. (The available records are in dispute).
- Andrew John Grierson. Born March 21st 1734. Baptised April 25th 1734.
- George Grierson. Born August 20th 1735.
- Janet Grierson. Born September 10th 1736. Married James Malcolmson, Sheriff Clerk, February 12th 1756.
James Grierson is recorded as having fathered a further two children, however the records are ambigious as to whether their mother was his second wife Elizabeth Greig, or his third wife Agnes Greig. They were:
His third marriage was on either January or May 9th 1739 (the available records are in dispute) to Agnes Greig, born about 1700, daughter of William Greig of the Greig of Vassa family, and Barbara Sinclair, of the Sinclair of Bullister family, their second child of five. It is unclear from the records if there were any descendants from this marriage, please see above. She survived him by around two years, dying his widow on December 9th 1749.
