OS1/23/12/68

Continued entries/extra info

Kirkwall Continued
..before the foundation, had a church appropriate to the Town in the parish of St Ola, which is well known stood in Bridge Street Lane, near to Kirkwall bay. It is thus supposed that Kirkwall derived its name. Kirkiovog Bay - a name afterwards corrupted or converted into Kirkwall. The body of the people residing in Kirkwall is composed of tradesmen, boatmen, servants, and day laborers.
Peace in his Hand Book says"This the chief town of the County is most conveniently situated almost in the centre of the islands, at the head of a fine land locked bay, which forms an excellent harbour for vessels of the largest tonnage. "Kirkevagg" signifying Church Bay, was derived from a church which at one time stood there. The time when the town was first founded has not been ascertained; but it undoubtedly is a place of great antiquity, and probably enjoyed burghal privileges under the Norse rule, when possibly the population numbered only a few hundreds. This much is certain that King James the III of Scotland in 1476, granted it a Royal Charter which was confirmed when he visited the islands in 1536 by Charles II and the [continued on next page]