William Watt Graham Watt of Breckness

WILLIAM WATT GRAHAM WATT OF BRECKNESS (1815-76)

is the son of William Graham Watt of Breckness, and his wife, Anne Traill. He was born on 9 December 1815, probably at Skaill House in Sandwick, Orkney, and his baptism was registered at Sandwick in Orkney, Scotland, on 9 January 1816 [Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, index, FamilySearch] https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQQG-3LP He died at Kierfold in Sandwick, Orkney, on 4 March 1876, and was buried in the kirkyard of St. Peter's Church there [Orkney Family Hostory Society: Memorial Inscriptions in St. Peter's Kirkyard, Sandwick, Inscription 1W/3].

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===Monumental Inscription===

Sacred to the memory of WILLIAM W GRAHAM WATT of Breckness born at Skaill 9th December 1815 died at Kierfold 4th March 1876. He lived, beloved and died Lamented by all who knew him. Erected by his sorrowing widow BARBARA LOGIE who died at Kierfold 30th October 1895 and was laid beside him [Orkney Family Hostory Society: Memorial Inscriptions in St. Peter's Kirkyard, Sandwick, Inscription 1W/3]

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===WATT OF BRECKNESS AND SKAILL===

The family of Watt of Breckness and Skaill is descended from William Watt (1700-1777) who was a merchant in Kirkwall: his business was known as William Watt and Co. His son, William Watt junior (1730-1810) founded the firm of William Watt Junior & Company in 1766 together with his father and brothers. The firm traded to ports in Britain, the Low Countries, and Germany, but concentrated on Scandinavia. It exported kelp, hides, meal and butter and imported such goods as tea, coffee, tobacco, wines and spirits as well as timber, slates and coal. It also carried on a trade in Orkney in insurance, stationery, property etc. William Watt junior acquired the estate of Breckness and Skaill from his former brother-in-law, Robert Graham in 1787. He carried out many improvements on the estate which eventually became one of the largest in Orkney. He was succeeded by his eldest son from his second marriage to Margaret Graham (daughter of Robert Graham, 6th of Breckness), William Graham Watt (1776-1866) who carried on his father's work of improvements on the estate. He married Ann Traill (1782-1843), daughter of Thomas Traill of Frotoft, shipowner in Kirkwall, and entered into a trading partnership with his father-in-law. His father-in-law later ran into financial difficulties and his estate was sequestrated around 1820. William Graham Watt discovered Skara Brae, possibly one of Orkney's most important archaeological sites, in 1850. His son, Dr William Watt Graham Watt (1815-1876), inherited the estate in 1866 but died without children in 1876. His nephew, William George Thomas Watt (1849-1909), inherited the estate in 1876 on the death of William Graham Watt [Scottish Archive Netwok] http://195.153.34.9/catalogue/person.aspx?code=NA17653&st=1&