John Mooney papers
- Reference:GB 241 D49
- Dates of Creation:1770-1981
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:1.68 Linear Metres
Scope and Content
Items relating to the family of John Mooney, 1918-1950; Records relating to the firm of R Garden Ltd, including Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1916, 1914-1946; Letters written to John Mooney from friends living away from Orkney or abroad, 1897-1950; Offprints, press cuttings and articles by John Mooney relating to various subjects, c1920-1943; Press cuttings and offprints relating to Orcadians of interest or Orkney history in general, 1886-1950; Letters to John Mooney relating to historical matters, 1925-1949; Photographs of various St Magnus Churches, and of John Mooney and his daughter, Embla Mooney, c1910-1935; Items relating to temperance concerns, 1882-1940; Items relating to the history of Orkney, especially relating to the research for Mooney’s publications, 1770-1950, includes: Notebooks, c1890-1920; c1930 relating to local history.Letters and certificates relating to John Mooney’s work with Kirkwall Town Council and Kirkwall and St Ola School Board, 1897-1911; Papers relating to Rev Harald Mooney’s interests c1955-1981 including material relating to St Magnus Cathedral and to dialect words.
Administrative / Biographical History
John Mooney (1862 - 1950) is remembered mainly for his antiquarian interests and his various publications e.g. St Magnus Earl of Orkney, (1935), Cathedral and Royal Burgh (1947), Eynhallow, the Holy Island of the Orkneys, (1923) and Kirkwall Charters and Records (1949). John Mooney was self-educated, not having had the opportunity of higher education. He left school at an early age and for a time was employed by a seeds merchant in Kirkwall ; he later became a reporter on the 'Orkney and Shetland Telegraph'. As a reporter, he covered the visit to Orkney in 1883, of Gladstone and Tennyson when they received the Freedom of the Burgh of Kirkwall, an honour he himself was to receive in 1945. In 1884 he joined the staff of Messrs R Garden Ltd, Kirkwall where he eventually rose to become secretary and a director. He continued his association with the firm until his death. He served at various times, as a member of Kirkwall and St Ola School Board, Orkney Education Authority and Kirkwall Town Council. He was a deeply religious man, a member of St Magnus Cathedral and also a lay reader of the Church of Scotland. He was also a lifelong supporter of the Good Templar movement.
Access Information
Open