First, thanks for letting me join this forum. I'm not a Shetlander but a fan of Ernest Shackleton, and I have come across your comments and links about his pall bearers. I'm having some difficulty with them! and especially with identifying John Byrne. I note someone asked if he was Ian Byrne's grandfather - well no, because Ian's grandfather was Andrew Byrne died young at Scalloway in a harbour accident in 1890. But it is probable there are other links within that family. Ian's father was John Byrne b 1888: he seems to have been a solid citizen of Lerwick, marrying in 1913 and having children in Lerwick every two years through to 1932. This would make it difficult to see him taking off for the South Atlantic for 1922. I think he mostly worked for his mother's family businesses, the Blances, who had many interests in Lerwick. It may have been one of Ian's sisters, Christina who married into the Carter family also mentioned: was it a Nigel Carter who ran the sweet shop? If this was raised by someone who knows Ian, please can you let me know? Thanks! The only other probability I have found is that it was John Byrne, Ian's great-granduncle b 1858 in Aberdeen but who lived first in Wick but may have been in Lerwick later in life: I don't know to what extent that qualifies him as a Shetlander, but it would have made him 64 in 1922, which sounds old for a whaler. The other pall bearers are even more tricky to work out: any help would be much appreciated. You'd think that a name like Leask would be easy to find!
