NEW online records are giving a glimpse into Scotland, and this area, in the mid-19th century.
When the Ordnance Survey created its first six-inch to the mile maps, its surveyors travelled the country to collect place-names and their spellings. They would use existing publications and local people as sources. It took them almost 40 years to gather all the information.
The result was arguably the first comprehensive gazetteer of Scotland. The Ordnance Survey name books detail just about every geographical feature from the most northly part of Shetland, to the Mull of Galloway, the most southerly part of Scotland.
The books date from between 1845 and 1880. They contain around 300,000 place entries and include everything from famous castles to small local landmarks.
The Ordnance Survey name books were also the first systematic attempt at recording Gaelic place-names. The books offer a snapshot in time, capturing the country as it was in Victorian times.
Archivist Jessica Evershed said: “The Ordnance Survey used the name books to inform the spelling of places on their first edition six-inch maps of Scotland. They could be considered the first comprehensive gazetteer of places in Scotland.
“These records will be fascinating to local and family historians, hoping to understand the evolution of the Scottish landscape and of the places their ancestors worked and lived. They can offer explanations of the origins of place-names from local people, including stories of how place-names came about. Sadly, some of these stories are now forgotten with the passage of time.
“You can search for a favourite historic building or landmark and compare the historical entry with how it looks today.”
- The records are available at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
