1857
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- Due to its remoteness Zetland County was exempted from the 1857 'General Police Act'. Zetland County got its own police force in 1883, the Burgh of Lerwick had its own force from 1892.
January
- 14th
An unidentified vessel, registered in Scotland, Captain Robert Leslie of Exnaboe, and operating as a packet boat wrecked on the Clumlie Baa, Dunrossness, with the loss of nine lives.
The vessel had been hired to collect a load of wood from Lerwick and several people took advantage of the trip to visit the town, including two couples who intended to be married and who went to purchase wedding clothes.
By the time the boat had been loaded and was ready for the southbound return trip, the wind had increased considerably, so the two women and one other man, who had not completed his business in Lerwick, stayed in the town, intending to walk home the following day.
Those who lost their lives in the wreck were Captain Leslie, aged 48, intended grooms Peter Shewan, aged 27, and Laurence Omand, aged 36, from Exnaboe. Also lost were brothers Alexander Cheyne, aged 31, from Scousburgh and Charles Cheyne, aged 22, from Exnaboe, John Harper, aged 58, from Toab, William Goodlad, aged 35, from Mails, John Anderson, aged 22, from Garth, and a boy, James Mail, aged 6, from Scatness. - 19th
The Arthur Anderson (1857), a sloop, drove from anchor, beached on Bressay and filled with water. She was refloated within a few days, but her subsequent fate is not recorded.
May
- 1st
At meetings held by the Commissioners of Supply concerning the maintenance of roads, the main lines were reckoned to amount to 118 miles:- Lerwick to Mossbank, 29 miles
- Lerwick to Dunrossness Terminus, 24 miles
- Vimgarth to Vaila Sound, 20 miles
- Olnafirth to Hillswick, 17 miles
- Laxo Junction, 3 1/4 miles
- Fitch Junction, 1 3/4 miles
- Hollanderk-know to Scalloway, 3 miles
- Road through Yell, 20 miles
- The committee discussed lobbying Parliament for dispensation to do away with tenants' 4-days of statute labour for road repairs in favor of more equitable assessments on rental values, to be shared by heritors and tenants. The Valuation Rolls were said to amount to:
- Mainland, £15,936,
- Yell (less Hascussay) £1,946
- Unst, £2,960
- Fetlar, £686
- Whalsay, £486
- Bressay, £684
- Foula, £117
- All other islands, viz., Papa, Burra, Vemintry, Vaila, Trondra, Mousa, Hoscacy, etc. (excepting Fair Isle), £1,386
- 4th
The nameboard of a vessel, bearing the word Oulton reported washed ashore at Cullingsburgh, Bressay. It is not known whether this was the name or part name of the vessel, or the name or part name of the home port of the vessel concerned. Also part of a ship's figurehead, the bust of a female, wearing earings and beads, and painted red and white reported recovered near Wadbister, Bressay. The fate of the vessel or vessels to which these items belonged is unknown. This is presumed to be the date of reporting, rather than the date of discovery.
August
- 14th
The Illustrated Times (London) reported on 29 August 1857 under the heading SCOTLAND -
SALE OF WHALES. - On the 14th inst. there was a public auction of forty-one whales, which had been stranded the day previous at Minn, in Burra Isle, N.B.[North Britain?]. The blubber sold at from £16 to nearly 16 guineas put tun [so spelled = per tun (barrel)?]. The heads went at from 30s. to 40s. in lots of five each, varying in size. The crangs or carcasses sold at nearly 4s. for the whole.
