-- History --
The
Norse name "Papey Stjora" meaning the big island of
the Priests, was given to Papa Stour by the Vikings. This suggests
that missionary priests of Celtic origin may have formed an isolated
community here, perhaps as early as the sixth or seventh century.
By
1299 there was a Norwegian royal farm on the island, a fact attested
to by documentary evidence; and the dig carried out at The Biggins
between 1977 and 1982 by Dr. Barbara Crawford of St. Andrews University
uncovered the remains of an early 13th century Norse house. Recent
investigations into land cultivation have also been conducted
at this site.
Until
the 17th century, Papa Stour remained under the rule of the Lords
of Norway despite Shetland having been pledged to Scotland as
a royal dowry payment. The Mowat family became the factors for
these Norwegian aristocrats and until recently their armorial
stone was still visible in a byre wall at North House. By the
18th century two lairds owned the island, Thomas Gifford of Busta
and Arthur Nicolson of Lerwick and they maintained a prosperous
fishing industry known as the Haaf - carried out in the summer
season using six man boats known as sixareens.
In
the 19th century the population of 360 inhabitants was stabilized
by the opening of the Crabbaberry fishing station. Unfortunately
the advent of the steam drifter, which centralised the fish curing
industry in Lerwick, and the lack of peat for household fuel reduced
the population dramatically. By 1940 only 100 people remained
on the island and these only through help supplied by Government
war grants.
After
the war, with the men away at the whaling and the children having
to go to the mainland for secondary education, the population
continued to fall; and by 1970 it had reached a critical stage.
Only sixteen people still remained when, through an advertisement
in the national press, a number of young couples came and settled.
The school was reopened and for the next twenty years the population
remained stable. By 1996, the island was once again in need of
repopulation, the numbers having sunk to less than twenty once
more.
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