Old Place Names and Locations - Caithness and Sutherland

[Kingetter]

In the course of research old names frequently pop up and many who use this forum (myself included) are not from Caithness or Sutherland so have problems locating such places. Also, new communities may have been established where old ones existed. Rather than google or whatever independently, would it not be worthwhile to have a list on here (expandable) that can be easily accessed by all who need. It would need to be done as a 'sticky'.
Today I was reading about Schweinsburgh which I think may also be named Castle Swiney.

What do folk think?

James.

[tenabowla]

Aye this sounds like an excellent idea, not sure how it would be best set up or administered.

[Kingetter]

Thanks for the response.

Some smart folk on here would no doubt find ways of adding and displaying the info, but, simply put:

OLD NAME LOCATION NEW NAME LOCATION

might be enough for starters. In time other ideas may surface, modifications can be made then.

You any ideas?

James.

[fred]

In the course of research old names frequently pop up and many who use this forum (myself included) are not from Caithness or Sutherland so have problems locating such places. Also, new communities may have been established where old ones existed. Rather than google or whatever independently, would it not be worthwhile to have a list on here (expandable) that can be easily accessed by all who need. It would need to be done as a 'sticky'.
Today I was reading about Schweinsburgh which I think may also be named Castle Swiney.

What do folk think?

James.

OK I've uploaded an old map I find very useful, it shows a lot of the old places including old houses and the parish boundaries. The url is:

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/thomson.jpg

and the index for it is at:

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/index.jpg

That should give you a start.

[Mamie_2]

We could do it by example lol. Caithness.org would most likely be willing to host it?
Chris Stokes of www.countysutherland.co.uk has such a list for Sutherland. Hers are set up by Parish. So if you want to see if there were any alternates say to Drumbeg in Assynt you click of the parish and the place name list pop up, scroll down and voila you see Drumbeg aka Drumbaik.

Not really sure how she updates it.

I could ask her sometime.

Mamie

[Kingetter]

OK I've uploaded an old map I find very useful, it shows a lot of the old places including old houses and the parish boundaries. The url is:

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/thomson.jpg (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/thomson.jpg)

and the index for it is at:

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/index.jpg (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/index.jpg)

That should give you a start.

Cheers Fred - glad of the help (as usual!).

James.

[Kingetter]

We could do it by example lol. Caithness.org would most likely be willing to host it?
Chris Stokes of www.countysutherland.co.uk (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.countysutherland.co.uk) has such a list for Sutherland. Hers are set up by Parish. So if you want to see if there were any alternates say to Drumbeg in Assynt you click of the parish and the place name list pop up, scroll down and voila you see Drumbeg aka Drumbaik.

Not really sure how she updates it.

I could ask her sometime.

Mamie

M_2, at this stage, all offers of help considered I believe.

James.

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

Fred,

Thanks so much for the wonderful map! In reading the old family letters, I have tried to imagine where some of the locations are and now I can see for myself! What a great genealogical tool as well as just a lovely way to spend an hour or two!

Bonnie

[Stephen]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to Caithness Forums! I followed James here from another forum. Several years ago I read an account about the Third Earl of Caithness an Anglo-Norman made Scot. The account included a bit about the Earl's son who cleared an area of land of wild boars that were rampaging hamlet gardens. It could be just a good story handed down from antiquity but the Earl granted the land to the son to watch over and protect the people living there. The son built a castle (Norman Tower) and it was called Schweinsberg in the native Norse language. The son took the title Schweinsberger for his name. Years later the Schweinsbergs side with the King of Sweden in the Thirty Years War. They found themselves in Hessia with Scottish compatriots protecting the King of Sweden's holdings. Another castle was built and named Schweinsberg and it still stands today. Is it possible that through changes and merges in the vernacular that Schweinsberg was changed to Swiney? After another war (American War for Independence) the Schwiensbergs of Hessia have become the Swansburgs and Swans of Nova Scotia and the Eastern United States. They maintain their Scottish heritage even today.

Oh, I looked at the map referenced in this thread and noticed Swiney is spelled Swinzie in 1822.

/R

Stephen
Washington, DC