18/19th C maps for Caithness villages?

**Bob** · 07-Jan-11, 06:28

Can anyone tell me where I can get maps for the late 18th C through the 19th C for Caithness villages?

My Caithness family research for Mowat, Donaldson and Bain leads me to Wick villages such as Ulbster, Winless, Sarclet, Keiss, among others. And also to Wick itself and Pulteneytown. Villages around Thurso are also referenced. My 1990 AA Road Altas shows the location of the village within Caithness and Google Maps can also help. Where I can find Census information it can show an address. I'm looking to fill in this detail on a map.

In the next couple of years we hope to get to Caithness and see these locations.

Thanks in anticipation.

Bob

**Torvaig** · 07-Jan-11, 11:17

http://www.nls.uk/maps/index.html
Try the National Library of Scotland; some wonderful old maps available and zoomable etc!

**Peterd500** · 08-Jan-11, 03:44

The Counties Gazetteer at the Old Maps website of the Ordnance Survey used to be the place to go to download sizeable portions of 6 inch mile 19th century maps covering England scotland and Wales when it was free but now it is more commercial.
http://www.old-maps.co.uk

However it still has useful free features. Can load an enlarged map and then make it go screen size.

**Oddquine** · 08-Jan-11, 05:55

Originally Posted by Bob

Can anyone tell me where I can get maps for the late 18th C through the 19th C for Caithness villages?

My Caithness family research for Mowat, Donaldson and Bain leads me to Wick villages such as Ulbster, Winless, Sarclet, Keiss, among others. And also to Wick itself and Pulteneytown. Villages around Thurso are also referenced. My 1990 AA Road Altas shows the location of the village within Caithness and Google Maps can also help. Where I can find Census information it can show an address. I'm looking to fill in this detail on a map.

In the next couple of years we hope to get to Caithness and see these locations.

Thanks in anticipation.

Bob

Try http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl for census info. They have Wick from 1841 to 1871 and certainly in 1841, you should find all your villages there..though I can't speak for after that. Problem is in 1841 everything comes under Wick....it is only later that you get the division into parish and burgh so there is less to look through. I've got the 1881 Census disks.

**grandmabear** · 08-Jan-11, 09:42

Hi wondering if you have connections to Mouat/ Mowat in Winless. My interest is Jessie mouat/Mowat parents were Andrew Mouat farmer and Elizabeth nee Reid
Jessie married William Campbell 18 July 1890 at Winless. William Campbell was my grt Grandmothers brother and I know next to nothing about them as a family
Thanks jan

**Bob** · 08-Jan-11, 14:41

Originally Posted by grandmabear

Hi wondering if you have connections to Mouat/ Mowat in Winless. My interest is Jessie mouat/Mowat parents were Andrew Mouat farmer and Elizabeth nee Reid
Jessie married William Campbell 18 July 1890 at Winless. William Campbell was my grt Grandmothers brother and I know next to nothing about them as a family
Thanks jan

Hi Jan, I think the short answer is yes. I believe your Andrew was the brother of my wife's gg-grandfather John Mowat who, in 1857, arrived in Maryborough Victoria. The boy's parents were John Mowat and Barbara McKay. I have their marriage in 1830(?) at Ulbster. The C1841 records shows them still living in Ulbster, then Winless at C1851. I have later Census records so could find your Jessie.

I'll need to dig out my paper work to confirm all of the above.

Talk soon.

Regards

**Bob** · 09-Jan-11, 01:09

Thanks to all for comments regarding maps. I'll nned to find the time to start exploring.

Cheers

**Bob** · 10-Jan-11, 05:53

Originally Posted by Bob

Hi Jan, I think the short answer is yes. I believe your Andrew was the brother of my wife's gg-grandfather John Mowat who, in 1857, arrived in Maryborough Victoria. The boy's parents were John Mowat and Barbara McKay. I have their marriage in 1830(?) at Ulbster. The C1841 records shows them still living in Ulbster, then Winless at C1851. I have later Census records so could find your Jessie.

I'll need to dig out my paper work to confirm all of the above.

Talk soon.

Regards

Hi Jan,

I'm of the view the long answer is also YES. Your Andrew Mowat and our John Mowat were brothers.

Parents shown in Marriage and Death records are the same and, from my scan of ScotlandsPeople, the only John Mowat and Barbara McKay / MacKay married in Caithness between 01.01.1800 and 31.12.1854. John and Barbara's family (including Andrew and John) shown in Ulbster at C41, align with family in Winless at C51. So, our John Mowat is Jessie's uncle.

I cannot throw any light on why John Mowat and family moved from Ulbster to Winless sometime between C41 date and C51 date.
Barbara's mother Janet Sinclair is recorded (as Farmer's wife, Widow and Blind) with them at C51. I've yet to find the death of Barbara's father John McKay, I suspect it is pre 1841. Events in the McKay family may have triggered their move? It was a real change for John from fisherman to farmer.

If I find any more information on the Mowat family in Winless - or earlier - it'll be passed on.

Also, please contact me if there are any other ways I might be able to help.

Regards.

**sandy37** · 22-Jul-11, 16:30

I am hoping to do a charity walk from the West coast of Sutherland to the East coast of Caithness. I am looking for any reliable old map showing drovers tracks and now disused roads and tracks. Anyone got any thoughts?

**Torvaig** · 22-Jul-11, 17:05

Hi Sandy, have a look at www.andyhowell.info and go to his walking and trekking pages where he recommends a book called "The Drove Roads of Scotland" by A. R. B. Haldane. I think this book will be as helpful as any.....and should be available from Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&k...l_52qerckkek_b