Provost James Flett of Kirkwall (1881-1960) had a deep love of Orkney’s history and particularly that of the Royal Burgh, something much shared by his great-nephew Spencer Rosie, who gave a One O’Clock Toast to him at one of the Peedie Kirk lunches in the 2023 Orkney International Science Festival.
Jim Flett was my father’s uncle, my grandmother being his sister. He and I overlapped by just under five years. One of my early memories is visiting him in hospital at Eastbank shortly before he died. I would have loved to have known him as an adult as we had many common interests, notably local politics, the heritage of Orkney and the history of the Royal Burgh of Kirkwall.
Jim was born in the parish of Firth on 15th July 1881. Jim’s grandfather, John Flett, was a farmer living at Netherhouse in Firth. Netherhouse is described as ‘a small farm half a mile to the west of the Breck of Cruan (near Redland), one storey, the roof is thin flags and thatch, the house is in fair repair’ (Orkney OS Name Book, Volume 6, 1879-1880). John Flett was knowledgeable about many of the place names of Firth and was used as an authority for his area for the 1879-80 review of place names found in Orkney which can be found online.
The Orcadian and The Orkney Herald
Jim served a seven-year apprenticeship with The Orcadian as a compositor, before going away to work at the Clydesdale Printing Works Ltd in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, for six years. He returned to Orkney in 1912 and worked at The Orkney Herald for nine years. When that newspaper came under new management, he moved back to The Orcadian where he remained until 1936, the year he bought the stationery business of David Spence (which is now the Daily Scoop). When my father returned from military service overseas at the end of World War II, he went to work for his uncle Jim.
His success in business enabled him to build a substantial town house at 22 Bignold Park, where he and his brother John, along with their nephew Jackie and niece Edith, lived. The house has now been divided into flats.
The Council and the Antiquarian Society
Jim was first elected on to Kirkwall Town Council in 1928, topping the poll at the time. He, however, found work and civic duties a difficult mix, so he did not seek re-election after the three-year period. As well as an interest in local government, the history of his native islands fascinated him, particularly in relation to Kirkwall and St Magnus Cathedral. He was a committee member of Orkney Antiquarian Society and assisted Dr Hugh Marwick in his duties as secretary before becoming secretary in his own right in the years before the Second World War. He contributed a number of articles to the Society’s Proceedings, including a series of articles on the Trade Incorporations of Kirkwall, which are still highly regarded by historians. Dr Ray Fereday, for example, was very complimentary about the quality of his work. He produced a souvenir booklet on St Magnus Cathedral for the Octocentenary celebrations and later had it reprinted as a guidebook in 1947.
Another great interest for Jim Flett was freemasonry, being secretary of Lodge Kirkwall Kilwinning during the First World War and later master of the Lodge as well as substitute Provincial Grand Master of Orkney and Shetland. He carried out extensive research into Kirkwall Lodge which was published a number of years after his death.
The Phoenix and the Mercat Cross
Jim returned to politics in 1940, when he was co-opted onto Kirkwall Town Council following the death of the Provost, J. M. Slater. In three subsequent elections after the War, he topped the poll, such was his popularity. He became Junior Bailie in 1953 and Provost in 1955.
During his term as provost, he officially opened the Phoenix Cinema on the Back Road, oversaw the placing of the 1621 Mercat Cross inside St Magnus Cathedral, along with its replacement on the Kirk Green with a replica, conferred the Freedom of Kirkwall on Dr Hugh Marwick, and accompanied the Queen Mother during her visit to Kirkwall to open the playing fields at Picky.
Saving The Ludging
At a time when Evan MacGillivray was trying to establish an Orkney Archive and save some of Kirkwall’s old historic buildings, he found an ally in Jim Flett. In the 1950s, Orkney County Council wanted to knock down the buildings on Palace Road known as The Ludging and build a new Council office block. Jim had opposed the sale of the old buildings by the Town Council, but pointed out that it was virtually impossible for the Town Council to deny its County counterpart such an important site on merely environmental grounds. Fortunately, sound reasons were found for stopping this gross act of vandalism when MacGillivray and Flett researched previous attempts to develop the site. The Ludging had at one time been acquired by the Postmaster General with the intention of building the Kirkwall Post Office there, but this was stopped by the Ministry of Works – who objected to any modern building being erected next to the Bishop’s Palace. With this information, the County Council’s plans were thwarted and the buildings were eventually restored for social housing, winning a prestigious architectural award in the process.
Another building Jim Flett helped save was Tankerness House, which was bought by the Town Council in 1951 and split into flats for rent. As the buildings deteriorated, there were moves to knock it down and create a car park for the Cathedral. Along with Provost Flett, this was opposed by Stanley Cursiter and of course Evan MacGillivray. Fortunately, they won the argument and, as well as this wonderful building being preserved and restored, it was put to good use as Orkney’s main museum, enabling most archaeological artefacts found in Orkney to remain in the islands.
Remembered today
He retired from politics in 1957 and from work in 1959, when he sold his stationer shop to George Leonard. He had hoped to write more during his retirement but a heart condition cut this short.
By first-hand accounts I would not have relished shaking hands with him as he had a very strong grip, being able to pull himself up by holding the underside of a roof couple.
For those interested in street names, Jim Flett is commemorated in Flett Drive, which is a new development off the Bignold Park Road, not far from the house he had built.
