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UMPHRAY OF WHITENESS in the Parish of Walls

  1. MR. WILLIAM UMPHRAY, was minister of Bressay and Burra, in 1581. In the year 1637, on the narrative that he had served “the cure of the ministry of the said Kirks, now by the space of fifty five years or thereby, and through the long vacancies thereof before my entry, in respect of the meanness and want of competent maintenance for serving the cure of the same and otherways”, he mortified for the maintenance of a reader, and other pious uses of the said Kirk of Burra, “All and Hail eight merk udal land eight pennys the merk of my lands of Meall in the Isle of Burra”. The mortification, which is now vested in the Kirk Session of the Parish, has an income of about £6 annually. He was probably the father of,
  2. MR. WILLIAM UMPHRAY, minister of Bressay, 1639, died 1663, having married Janet, daughter of John Umphray of Asta, and had issue:
    1. Mr. Theodore, who graduated at King's College, Aberdeen, in 1651, became minister of Nesting in 1658, and granted dispositions of certain lands in Yell, Unst, and Fetlar in 1661. He acquired the 9 merks land of Garth, and 9 merks land of Collasetter, in Walls, on 27th March 1672, in wadset, from Thomas Cheyne of Vaila, and these lands be made over to his niece Elizabeth Umphray, aftermentioned. In January 1698, he along with five others petitioned the General Assembly that he might be received into Communion, having signed the Solemn League and Covenant to maintain the Presbyterian Government, that it could not be said of him that he had wavered from that under the unhappy Government of the Bishops, that he had never been persuaded to take the canonical oath, that though he was commanded by the Bishop to moderate in Shetland, he had not done so, and never had any hand in setting up Episcopal men. It was found, however, that he had taken the Test, and therefore he had to demit his charge, which was accepted on 6th November 1701. He retired to Leith, where he subsisted on voluntary collections made throughout the Church, and died 9th April 1711, aged 81. He married Janet, daughter of Mr. Thomas Cowper, minister of Montrose.
    2. Mr. Laurence, licensed 3rd June 1647, was admitted minister of Walls, prior to 1655. He acquired the 48 merks land of Whiteness on 22nd November 1666, from Gilbert Hendrie, burgess of Aberdeen, which lands were disponed by his son William, to Barbara Sinclair, relict of John Umphray of Asta, and to Erasmus Mense of Lundie, then her husband, on 8th November 1681. He died before 1674, leaving beside his son William, an only daughter Elizabeth, who married Andrew Mouat of Garth and succeeded her uncle Theodore in the lands of Garth and Collasetter, as before mentioned.
    3. Katherine, died March 1691, aged 69, married Gilbert Neven of Scousburgh
    4. Janet, married Andrew Umphray of Berrie
    5. Barbara
ARMS
MR. THEODORE UMPHRAY, minister of Nesting. Bears, Vert a chevron between three cinquefoils in chief, and a cross crosslet fitched in base argent
Crest, a book expanded proper
Motto “Pax tua Domine est requies mea”
Registered about 1672
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