# General > Genealogy >  Help re place names in Latheron

## adamsk1

Wondered if anyone could help me with a couple of place names in Latheron?  I have a Dochandery and a Davachindirie.  I think they are one and the same place.  Taken off great granddad's siblings baptism records on FreeReg.  Rest of family born in Uag area, if that helps.  This was 1830's.  Would be grateful if anyone can enlighten me as to their whereabouts!  Thanks.

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## pandadasher

I also need help locating this place. On the Latheron baptism record I have, it appears to be spelled Davschendearie instead of Davachindirie.

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## Rosemary Skea

> Wondered if anyone could help me with a couple of place names in Latheron?  I have a Dochandery and a Davachindirie.  I think they are one and the same place.  Taken off great granddad's siblings baptism records on FreeReg.  Rest of family born in Uag area, if that helps.  This was 1830's.  Would be grateful if anyone can enlighten me as to their whereabouts!  Thanks.


Can you give me the date of the record and the person's name and I will see if I can help.  Neither of these place names appear in the Latheron list which I seen. Often the writing of the scribe in the registers is hard to read and sometimes his spelling was not that good either ! 

Rosemary

Caithness co-ordinator FREEREG

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## pandadasher

[QUOTE=Rosemary Skea;1110440]Can you give me the date of the record and the person's name and I will see if I can help.  Neither of these place names appear in the Latheron list which I seen. Often the writing of the scribe in the registers is hard to read and sometimes his spelling was not that good either ! 

After looking at it again, I think it may be "davoehendearie"
30/06/1830 McKay, Betty. Born June 15 & baptized June 30 (daughter of Angus & Margaret McKay). Here is a link to the image of the document:

http://i.imgur.com/8TwVdkX.jpg

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## Rosemary Skea

[QUOTE=pandadasher;1110470]


> Can you give me the date of the record and the person's name and I will see if I can help.  Neither of these place names appear in the Latheron list which I seen. Often the writing of the scribe in the registers is hard to read and sometimes his spelling was not that good either ! 
> 
> After looking at it again, I think it may be "davoehendearie"
> 30/06/1830 McKay, Betty. Born June 15 & baptized June 30 (daughter of Angus & Margaret McKay). Here is a link to the image of the document:
> 
> http://i.imgur.com/8TwVdkX.jpg


The writing is very clear and I would say it is Davochendearie.  I have searched Latheron place names and can find nothing which even slightly resembles this place. It was not uncommon for place names just to disappear through the years. Have you followed the family through the census on FREECEN ?  From 1851 onwards, you will find place of birth noted and that will narrow down the search. 

Rosemary

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## spittalhill

In the 1851 census, there is an Elizabeth McKay, aged 19, living with her widowed mother, Margaret and a sister, at Smerral. Could this be her? I cannot see anything resembling Davochendearie on any of the old maps of that area. "Davoch" is an old  Scots(Gaelic) name for an area of land, so could Davochendearie be Gaelic for a piece of land at the end of somewhere?

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## Rosemary Skea

> In the 1851 census, there is an Elizabeth McKay, aged 19, living with her widowed mother, Margaret and a sister, at Smerral. Could this be her? I cannot see anything resembling Davochendearie on any of the old maps of that area. "Davoch" is an old  Scots(Gaelic) name for an area of land, so could Davochendearie be Gaelic for a piece of land at the end of somewhere?


I have come up with blanks at every line of enquiry. There is only one entry in the OPR for Hugh McKay and Margaret Mackay and I couldn't find them in the 1841 census either. You may be correct about the the gaelic.  Keep looking !!!!

Rosemary

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## pandadasher

Sinclair of Freswick Papers GD136/282:
Alexander Falconer - 'in Uag', Alexander MacKay - 'in Dalmore', Hugh Gow - 'there', William Keith -'in Dalvaich', Alexander Keith -'there', William Gunn -'in Achnaclay', William Sutherland -'in Inshag', Donald Campbell - 'in Almines', Robert Gunn, Marcus Gunn, Donald Gunn, Hugh Grant, Donald Forbes -'in Buoltovian', Barbara Sutherland -'in Fliontich'
-‘'all tenants, possessors or cottagers in the *davoch in dhirie of the before mentioned lands and barony of Dunbeath*'

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## spittalhill

Pandabasher's reply suggests that my earlier suggestion of the location as Smerral may be correct. Smerral is inland between Latheron and Dunbeath. I am not a Gaelic speaker but I think "dhirie" is the Gaelic name for "oak tree".

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## adamsk1

Hi,

I have an answer to my original query from my brother!

From the early 1800 records in the Sinclair of Freswick Papers it appears that the Dunbeath estate was divided for administrative purposes into seven davachs - the old Scottish land measurement.  These were listed as (and spelling was variable) Achivrol, Balnabroich, Balnatink, Inver, Leodibust, Ramscraigs and the Davach Adery.

The Davach Adery, which has a range of spellings in records, contained all the townships up valley from Leodebest, including Bouilach, Dalvaich, Uag, Achnacly, Breakachy, Dalemore and Culvid.

It appears the bmd records for the early 1800s were mostly township specific, but occasionally only used the wider Davach unit.  If some children in the family were born, say at Uag and others Dochandery, the likelihood is that they were all specifically at Uag. If the only records available are for Davach Adery (or any variant of that name), then the family were in one of the townships in the Dunbeath Strath upstream from Leodebest/Tout na Goul cemetery.

Thank you, Sandy!

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## pra

Place names usually mean something. 
What does VIGAS mean in Cnoc Vigas  a low hill in upper Latheron at grid ref ND 219 413 ?

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