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 The
Orkney Hotel originally dates back to 1670 when local
merchant John Richan built it as a family home. John’s family
made their fortune from a long history of sea life, land ownership
and litstering (dyeing). John’s uncle, Robert Richan, introduced
John into the litster business, which became quite a successful
enterprise. In addition to his status as merchant burgess of
Kirkwall, John also served on the Session Court until his early
death in 1679 at the age of 35. His sons continued the litster
business, however, the family home was eventually sold as became
an inn sometime in the 18th Century.
While sympathetically renovated, the building
has retained most of its original features, including the remnants
of the original entrance way known as Richan’s Arch, which can
be seen to the left of the entrance to the hotel.
JOHN RICHAN
John Richan was born in Kirkwall in 1644
and married Janet Louttit on 21st January 1666. At the age of 26,
he built a large family home - The Orkney Hotel. At the main entrance to the
hotel, you can see a lintel, or rectangular stone marker, on the wall to your
left: IR ♥ IL 1670.
This is John and Janet’s initials - in the 17th
Century, “I” represented “J”. A second lintel can be seen near the entrance
to the hotel’s Royal Bar off Victoria Street. This lintel depicts the family
litster or dyeing business.
John and Janet had eight children, all born in Kirkwall.
When John died in 1679 at the age of 35, his business was left
to his third child and eldest son, John.
At the height of their wealth, the Richan family owned vast
properties and estates mostly on the mainland of Orkney, South
Ronaldsay and Westray; there are Richan tombstones on Rousay.
In the 1970’s, there was a Richan’s Restaurant at 35 Graham
Place in Stromness. Today, descendants of John Richan reside
in Orkney, Scotland, England, the United States, Canada, Australia
and New Zealand.
TOMBSTONE
The tombstones of Kirkwall’s more notable citizens
were given a place of honour in the wall of St. Magnus Cathedral.
John Richan’s tombstone is located on the north wall (to the
left when you enter the cathedral by the large main door). You
can also find John’s uncle, Robert Richan of Caldale and Linklater
as well as John’s brother-in-law, James/Jared Black, the only
tombstone in the cathedral to carry an inscription in Greek.
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