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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) => Topic started by: RayK on Tuesday 28 January 20 10:18 GMT (UK)

Title: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: RayK on Tuesday 28 January 20 10:18 GMT (UK)
Hi Everyone,
 I found a very old relative from the eastern Pennines, named Christopher Long, described as a sheepscar. This name is very unusual, archaic and possibly just from Yorkshire. I think they made garments from sheep, possibly what we call sheepskin. Maybe they were what were also called fellmongerers, who stripped and sold skins for leather. There is a Sheepscar district in Leeds that must have some very old connection to this but nothing I can find online. Anyone there who has further knowledge of any of these topics? By the way, one generation later a relative, same name, married Ellen Newby in Topcliffe near Thirsk. He declared himself to be a tailor.

Many thanks,
Ray
Title: Re: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: Claire64 on Tuesday 24 March 20 20:10 GMT (UK)
Sorry, I can't find anything yet, but I've checked the Yorkshire Historical Dictionary ... "over 4,000 historic terms from Yorkshire documents, collected by Dr George Redmonds over his sixty-year career. The words date from 1100 to c.1750 and cover the length and breadth of the historic county of Yorkshire. They include by-names and place names; agricultural, industrial and coal-mining terms; words for landscape features, animals and plants; and the names of domestic objects, clothing and textiles".
I can't find it in the English Dialect Dictionary either, and I've tried under sheep and shep.
I would have thought it would be in there!  I'll keep looking.
Title: Re: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: chempat on Wednesday 25 March 20 07:58 GMT (UK)
Origin from 'sheeps carcases'?
Title: Re: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: arthurk on Wednesday 25 March 20 13:20 GMT (UK)
Can you tell us where you found the word, and if possible provide a snip of it (plus a bit of context) or tell us where it can be seen online?

Since it doesn't seem to be in the most likely dictionaries, it might be necessary to consider whether the original writing, or the context of the word, has been misinterpreted.
Title: Re: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: Claire64 on Wednesday 25 March 20 13:52 GMT (UK)
Can you tell us where you found the word, and if possible provide a snip of it (plus a bit of context) or tell us where it can be seen online?

Since it doesn't seem to be in the most likely dictionaries, it might be necessary to consider whether the original writing, or the context of the word, has been misinterprected.

I was just wondering the same thing Arthurk
Title: Re: sheepscars in West Riding possibly Long family
Post by: libby9 on Friday 27 March 20 05:06 GMT (UK)
Not sure if this helps?

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nug5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA170&lpg=PA170&dq=sheepscar+leeds:+origin+of+the+name&source=bl&ots=ueix2L0hLL&sig=ACfU3U3-NmGnR2fs6Ra66Pk_woZU6x0sxg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA-d2a5rnoAhWPTsAKHaLOBOcQ6AEwEXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=sheepscar%20leeds%3A%20origin%20of%20the%20name&f=false