William Watt of Breckness, Merchant in Kirkwall

WILLIAM WATT OF BRECKNESS (1730-1810)

William Watt, here treated, is the son of William Watt, Merchant in Kirkwall, and his wife, Katherine Gibson. He was born on 21 December 1730 and his baptism was registered at Kirkwall on the same day.

WATT
WILLIAM WILLIAM WATT/KATHARINE GIBSON M
21/12/1730 021/ 20 23 Kirkwall

Monumental Inscription

In memory of WILLIAM WATT of Breckness who died 13th Augt 1810 aged 80 years and was interred in this church, and of MARGT GRAHAM of Breckness, his Spouse, who died 18th July 1779 aged 27 years and was interred in the Cathedral of Kirkwall. A tribute by their son WILLIAM GRAHAM WATT [Orkney Family History Society: Memorial Inscriptions in St. Peter's Kirkyard, Sandwick, Inscription 1W/4]

THE WATTS 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