Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition: T800009-001

Description of the Orkney Islands

Author: Joseph Ben

Background details and bibliographic information

File Description

translated by [unknown]

Electronic edition compiled by Beatrix Färber

Funded by University College Cork, School of History

1. First draft.

Extent of text: 5150 words

Publication

CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork
College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt

(2009)

Distributed by CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.
Text ID Number: T800009-001

Availability [RESTRICTED]

Available with prior consent of the CELT programme for purposes of academic research and teaching only.

Sources

    Manuscript source
  1. [The editor makes reference to a Latin manuscript written by Joseph Ben in 1529. The whereabouts of said MS are unknown to me.]
    Further reading about the Orkneys (all accounts are later than Joseph Ben's)
  1. Robert Monteith of Eglisha and Gairsa, Description of the islands of Orkney and Zetland (...) 1633.
  2. [Timothy Pont], Orcadum et Schetlandiae Insularum accuratissima descriptio, Amstelodami: H. Hondius, [1638]. (Contains a map).
  3. John Smith, The trade & fishing of Great-Britain displayed: with a description of the islands of Orkney and Shotland. (London: printed by William Godbid, to be sold by Nathaniel Webb, 1661).
  4. James Wallace, A description of the isles of Orkney, by Master James Wallace, late minister of Kirkwall, published after his death by his son; To which is added, An essay concerning the Thule of the ancients. (Edinburgh: Printed by John Reid, 1693. Reprinted, with the additions made by the author's son, in the edition of 1700; edited by John Small. Edinburgh: William Brown, 1883).
  5. John Brand, A brief description of Orkney: Zetland, Pightland-Firth & Caithness, wherein, after a short Journal of the Author's Voyage thither, these Northern Places are first more generally Described; then a particular View is given of the several Isles thereto belonging; together with an Account of what is most rare and remarkable therein: with the Author's Observes thereupon (...) (Edinburgh 1701).
  6. Martin Martin, A description of the Western Islands of Scotland: (...) to which is added a brief description of the isles of Orkney and Schetland (London: A. Bell, 1703).
  7. Sir Robert Sibbald, M.D, A collection of several treatises in folio: concerning Scotland, as it was of old, and also in later times: viz. I. Historical inquiries concerning the Roman monuments and antiquities in the north part of Britain called Scotland; with copper plates: II. The history, ancient and modern, of the sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinross, with the descriptions of both; and of the Friths [sic] of Forth and Tay, and the islands in them: III. Conjectures concerning the Roman ports, colonies and forts upon the friths, taken from their vestiges, and the antiquities found near them; with several Copper-plates: IV. The history and description of the sheriffdoms of Linlithgow and Stirling, ancient and modern: V. The description of the Isles of Orknay and Zetland, with the maps of them, done from the accurate observation of the most learned who lived in the isles: VI. An account of the writers ancient and modern, printed, and manuscripts not printed, which treat of the description of North-Britain called Scotland, as it was of old, and is now at present: with a catalogue of the map, prospects and figures, of the ancient monuments thereof, such as have come to my hands, in several languages (...) (Edinburgh 1739).
  8. Murdoch Mackenzie, Orcades: or, a geographic and hydrographic survey of the Orkney and Lewis Islands, in eight maps: Exhibiting the rocks, shoals, soundings, quality of the bottom, diversities of the coast, flowings, setting of the tides, and distant views of the land. Also an account of the Orknney [sic] Islands; the manner of taking the survey; the state of the tides; and a particular description of the rocks, shoals, channels, harbours, anchoring-places, the directions, irregularities, and velocities of the several streams of tide round each island. Interspersed with suitable directions for sailors (London: Printed for the Author, 1750).
  9. Anon., An authentick narration of all the occurrences, in a voyage to Greenland, in the year 1772. In the Volunteer, of Whitby, Mr. W. Coulson, master. Containing a particular account of all that happened (...) Also a description of the Islands of Orkney and Scotland, with several others (...) With a description of Greenland (... ), By a Gentleman, surgeon of the said ship. (Durham: printed by G. Sowler, in New-Elvet, [1773?]).
  10. Henry Edward Leigh Dryden, Description of the church dedicated to Saint Magnus, at Kirkwall in Orkney. (Daventry, 1871).
  11. Samuel Kneeland, An American in Iceland. An account of its scenery (...) With a description of its Millennial Celebration in August, 1874; with notes on the Orkney, Shetland and Faroe Islands, etc. (Boston, Cambridge [Mass.], 1876.)
  12. Mountford John Byrde Baddeley, The northern highlands and islands: containing a full description of Inverness, Loch Maree, and Gairloch, and of the whole mainland north of those places in the counties of Inverness, Ross, Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness: also of the Orkney and Shetland islands, and the district of Forres, Elgin, Nairn, and Spey-side, together with the approaches from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. Maps by Bartholomew. 2nd ed. (London: Dulau, 1884).
  13. Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland, Views in Orkney and on the north eastern coast of Scotland, taken in 1804 and etched 1807 (s.l.; s.n. 1807) [Text 'extracted from Dr. Barry's History and Wallace's and Brand's Descriptions of Orkney'.]
  14. George Anderson, Anderson's guide to Orkney with a description of the ruined churches in Orkney and the bells of St. Magnus, by (...) Henry Dryden. New ed. (Kirkwell: W. R. Mackintosh, [18--]).
  15. George Low, A history of the Orkneys: A description of the islands and their inhabitants; edited by Olaf D. Cuthbert. [Kirkwall]: Orkney Heritage Society, 2001.
  16. Richard James, Description of Shetland, Orkney and the highlands of Scotland; ed., with introduction and notes by E. MacGillivray. (9 pages. Offprint Original appeared in Orkney miscellany, vol. 1, 1953.)
  17. Richard Pococke, Journey round Scotland to the Orkneys, and through parts of England and Ireland, by R. Pococke, Bp. of Ossory, in 1760. Notes of other tours by Pococke in England and from Ireland to Oxford, in 1736. Manuscript. London, British Museum, Add. Mss. 14,256–59.
    The edition used in the digital edition
  1. anon., Description of the Orkney Islands, written in Latin by Joseph Ben, a native, in the year 1529 in Belfast Monthly Magazine, Ed. William Drennan. , Belfast, Smyth & Lyons (1809) volume 2, no. 9page 266–271

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Profile Description

Created: The translation is from 1809. (1809)

Use of language

Language: [EN] The translation is in English. Some dialectal words appear in the appended text, which is not by Joseph Ben, and for which an author is not given.

Revision History