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PIRATE GOWIn January 1725 a ship called the George arrived in Stromness under command of a Mr. Smith. The ship was in reality the Caroline: a trading vessel which had been sailing from Amsterdam to Genoa when, a few months earlier, its crew had mutinied in Santa Cruz, murdered the officers and set out on a short career of piracy on the renamed Revenge. Their leader was John Gow (c. 1698-1725), brought up in Stromness.
The George remained in Stromness for a few weeks but suspicions grew and Gow launched an attack on the Hall of Clestrain on February 10 1725. This was the predecessor to the present house; probably the ‘Rent Store’ by the shore (above); then in the ownership of Robert Honyman. A week later the ship was captured after running aground off Eday. Gow was tried and hanged at Execution Dock on June 11 1725.
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The ballast from the Caroline/Revenge/George was used in the Construction of Kirkwall’s Groattie Hoose. This underwent relocation and an award-winning restoration with HLF support in 2005.