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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Carole A on Friday 23 November 12 23:02 GMT (UK)

Title: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Carole A on Friday 23 November 12 23:02 GMT (UK)
Can anyone help me with the current spelling and location for these two names on a marriage in 1733  - the general location is Bowden, near Melrose in Roxburgh. Is it Lesenden and Fliestone??
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Winslass on Friday 23 November 12 23:43 GMT (UK)
Hi Carole A,
Could it be Johnstone?

Winslass
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Dalum on Friday 23 November 12 23:58 GMT (UK)
I found a book on Google Books, Caledonia, Or an Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain from the Most Ancient to the Present Times, Volume 2 (1810) which says

"Saint Boswells, or Lessenden Parish bears a double name. The former is the proper appellation of the church, and the latter is merely the name of the principal hamlet."

It has more to say about its derivation.

A map of 1859 at http://www.old-maps.co.uk calls it Lessudden which may be the spelling in your document.

There is a street in modern Saint Boswells called 'Lessudden Park'.
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Carole A on Saturday 24 November 12 00:02 GMT (UK)
Brilliant, Lessudden makes a lot of sense! Thanks, that narrows it down for me.
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Rena on Saturday 24 November 12 00:03 GMT (UK)
There's a list of Roxburgh villages on this page.  I found Lessudden but couldn't pinpoint the other village/parish.  At a push it could be Thirlstane (Thirlstone)
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Dalum on Saturday 24 November 12 00:20 GMT (UK)
I don't know if you mean this page Rena?:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ROX/gazetteer/index.html
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Rena on Saturday 24 November 12 10:57 GMT (UK)
Quote from: Dalum on Saturday 24 November 12 00:20 GMT (UK)
I don't know if you mean this page Rena?:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ROX/gazetteer/index.html

Hi there,
Yes that's the page and I apologise for absent mindedly not leaving the link.   I did click on a few links such as H, I,  J, and T(h) trying to find the other place name but gave in.

Initially I looked at the names of the parishes on this other page but didn't recognise anything:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ROX/#ChurchHistory

Good Luck,
Rena

Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: Carole A on Wednesday 16 January 13 08:52 GMT (UK)
My thanks for this resource, Rena, and apologies for not checking the thread again. Carole
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: shanghaipanda on Wednesday 16 January 13 09:50 GMT (UK)
There is also this place ....
Thirstone. 3 km from Crawfordjohn, South Lanarkshire, Great Britain. Thirstone. Thirstone, a small farm near Crawfordjohn. Creative Commons ...
Title: Re: Decipher and locate Borders placenames
Post by: veeblevort on Wednesday 16 January 13 15:51 GMT (UK)
A long shot, but is Iliestone a possibilty?
The modern-day Earlston is not far away from Melrose.

vv.