14/07/2019
Here's the new wording on Stancro to go into the new edition of the book
'From Quoy to Castle'.
Remains of old Stancro (stone enclosure) are seen in the barn and outhouses and existed prior to 1841. From 1847 and for the next 47 years, the Drever family occupied Stancro (now the barn) when 9 acres were farmed by William Drever, miller of Eday, and wife Barbara (Shearer) together with a second household with son John Drever and wife Jean (Harcus) and two daughters. John Drever, shoemaker, died in 1894.
About 1895 the present building was erected for farmworkers by William P Drever, Laird of Rapness, and a new road from Russland to Stancro constructed. The Leslie family lived there until the mid-1950s, carrying water from the well on the shore throughout WW2. From 1965-77, Donald Bain owned Stancro but lived at Woo, while for the following two years, Bilsborough bought the empty building but did not live there.
In 1979, the Berriman family (with three children) completely restored the building into a two-bedroom cottage with grant aid. From 1984-99, Stancro was owned by Louise Westwater, medical doctor from Edinburgh who worked in Matabeland (Zimbabwe). She added a kitchen and greenhouse to the building which was looked after by Margory Drever of Russland. Midge and David Leather, author of Westray Flagstone (2006), continued using Stancro as a holiday cottage, replacing the old Welsh slate roof with Brazilian slate and from 2017 their son Kevin Leather of Ilkley became the new owner.
Summary of occupants:
From 2017 Kevin Leather (holiday home)
1999-2017 Midge and David Leather (holiday home)
1984-1999 Dr Louise Westwater (holiday home)
1982-1984 Paul and Susan Norris
1979-1982 Harold and Deidre Berriman
1965 to 1979 Stancro stood empty
1955-1965 Mary and Mina Stevenson
c1922-1955 Thomas Leslie and family
1890s to early 1920s William and Elizabeth Mainland
1847-1894 William Drever and descendants
1841 Census: Thomas Pottingar, Tanno Harcus and 12-year old James Angel
William Mainland with daughter Margaret and wife Elizabeth.
David Leather,
Stancro
20th June 2019
