GENEALOGY AND BIOGRAPHY.
RIDLANDS OF SANDSTING, SHETLAND.*
Adam Ridland¹ (1), supposed to have been born in Wales and de-
scended from an ancient Norman family, surnamed de Rhuddlan or Rhyd-
lan, sat down first in the Orkney Islands, and is said to have changed the
SHETLAND consists of about one hundred islands, islets, and rocks, twenty-
three of which are now inhabited. These lie between the Atlantic and the North
Sea, about twenty-five leagues northeast from Orkney, and forty-four west of Nor-
way. The largest island, called the mainland, is sixty miles long by ten broad in
the widest part. Lerwick, the capital, is a fine town, with custom-house, law
courts, and other public offices; it has a fine natural harbor. No wood grows in
Shetland. Almost all small tenants practise spade cultivation. Nearly all the houses
are of the same form, these are called "crofters' houses," - being built of stone,
with two small rooms, and covered with thatch. The cooking is done over a fire
built in the centre of the common room, upon a hearth elevated above the floor,
and the kettles are suspended over the fire from chains connected with the roof
above. Sometimes the best room is provided with a rude chimney and fire-place.
Nearly every house has its quern or hand-mill for grinding corn. Carts are not
common, but the ponies numerous and very useful to the Shetlanders; these, with
their fine-wooled sheep, run at large, and have registered ear-marks. The people of
Shetland display many peculiarities which mark their Scandinavian origin and dis-
tinguish them from their Celtic and Saxon fellow-subjects. They are low in stature,
small-featured, unrobust, symmetrically formed, light, sprightly, and almost always
fair-haired. They possess much hardihood and power of physical endurance; and
they are aggregately versatile and lively, fond of alternate excitement and repose.
Their deportment, whether at home or among strangers, is mild, and their mode of
address always modest and respectful. They are fond of music and dancing, and
have many evening parties of pleasure; their songs generally Scottish, and the
violin their instrument. Their dress is of woolen, homespun, their feet clad in
wooden clogs, shoes of untanned leather, or boots of neat-skin. They wear a
worsted head-dress, shaped like the Scottish night-cap, usually of many colors. The
Shetland dialect is a soft and pleasant English, but contains many of the ancient
Norse words. Many of the people eat their fish only wind-dried and slightly tainted.
Oatmeal furnishes a considerable part of their food. Nearly all keep poultry, and
eggs are plenty and cheap. All drink tea. Shetland is noted for its hand-knitted
woolens, which are of great beauty and fineness of workmanship. No people in
the known world can dress wool, and manufacture by hand, goods of equal beauty
and delicacy. The women and girls spend nearly all their time in knitting. If a
party is on their way to town they will be seen knitting as they walk, or ride their
ponies; if they visit a neighbor they knit every step of the way; if they are guid-
ing their ponies as they go to and from the peat-bogs, to bring their winter's fuel,
they will knit on the road as they walk by their side. This note is given space in
this connection, to show how our ancestors and kindred passed their lives in Shet-
land, a country and people of which but little has been written until within a few
years.
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