RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: castlebob on Wednesday 05 November 25 18:42 GMT (UK)
-
Can anyone tell me where Blakbakheid/Blaikbeckheid is, please?
Cheers,
Bob
-
Can anyone tell me where Blakbakheid/Blaikbeckheid is, please?
According to AI on Google-
Blaikbeckheid appears to be an obsolete or historical place name, likely in the Scottish Borders region. It is not a modern, widely recognized location or personal name.
The term was mentioned in historical records, specifically the Commissariot Record of Dunblane, dated February 22, 1626, in reference to a person, George, who was described as being "in Blaikbeckheid". The structure of the name suggests it refers to a specific locality, possibly a farm, hamlet, or small estate.
Based on Scots and Old English etymology common in the region:
"Blaik" likely relates to "black" or "dark".
"Beck" refers to a stream or brook.
Heid" or "head" often means the source or high ground of something, in this case, likely the source or head of the "black/dark stream".
Without more context from the historical records, the exact location cannot be definitively pinpointed, but it is a historical place name from early modern Scotland
-
Many thanks. Yes, it's Geordie of Blakbakheid (sic) somewhere in Dumfries. It's not essential I find it, but I am very curious. Could be Ewesdale.
Cheers,
Bob
-
I have been searching for this in NLS Maps list of Placenames c1900. All the Black Becks seem to be in Cumberland. In Dumfriesshire there is a Blackburn, a farm name here and a stream named Black Burn, c1960:
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14.0&lat=55.20458&lon=-3.45275&layers=11&b=ESRIWorld&o=100
It rises to the north, in the Hazlebank Plantation, and flows southwards, on the west side of Blackburn, to the River Annan.
1857 survey - the stream name is further south:
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.0&lat=55.21290&lon=-3.45207&layers=6&b=ESRIWorld&o=100
No guarantee this is the correct place.
-
Many thanks, Molly C.
Makes sense.
Cheers,
Bob
-
Thanks for the "somewhere in Dumfries" which I had been focusing on after coming across
https://www.rps.ac.uk/mss/1585/12/38
https://clancarrutherssociety.org/2021/09/22/clan-carruthers-surnames-living-on-the-feudal-lands-of-john-maxwell-the-earl-of-morton-1587/
An "anglicised" version had it as "Blackbackhead"
-
Many thanks for the RPS link. I recall I listed all the Armstrongs found on it some time ago - a labour of love!
Cheers,
Bob