Looking for places my family lived in the Rathven area

[Craig1985taylor]

Hello ive recently been looking at where some of my ancestors (James Taylor & Ann Clark) were living in Rathven from there childrens baptism records & noticed that they seemed to move about abit. Im wondering if anyone knows if there is anyway I can find out where these abodes are or were?

Elspet Taylor 1790 Abode is listed as Rathven
Margaret Taylor 1793 Abode is listed at Kirktown of Rathven
James Taylor 1795 Abode is listed as Knowhead
Hellen Taylor 1796 Abode is listed as Sketraw
Alexander Taylor 1798 Abode is listed as Geesehilllock
William Taylor 1800 Abode is listed as Rannachy
They were all baptized at Rathven Kirk so I guess that they would all be in or near Rathven?

Thanks for any help you can give Craig

[Forfarian]

Hmmm.

If the baptisms are recorded in Rathven, then it implies that they took place in Rathven. Don't assume, however, that the babies were actually baptised in the kirk. It wasn't unusual for the minister to go to the parents' home and baptise the child there.

Rathven is a biggish parish, and the name of a village within the parish, sited round the kirk. See
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4465 - this is the kirktown, so I think this would be where the family lived in 1793 and probably 1790.

Rannachy is just a mile or so south of Rathven kirk. http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4464

Know(e)head is a bit further east. Look at http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4566 - Knowehead is the three little pink squares, each representing a house, above and to the left of the number 53. If you click on the map you will get a larger version with Knowehead named on it.

I'll need to have a further think about Geesehillock (probably Goosehillock) and Sketraw (I can think of places called Skateraw, but not one in Rathven).

[JMStrachan]

At that time, moving about a bit within a sort of ten mile radius implies the father was a farm servant. A farm servant would take a six month fee at the feeing market, and sometimes move farm every six months, or stay longer if the farmer asked them to and they thought he was an okay employer. Married farm servants would take a fee that came with a farm cottage so often stayed put for longer, but still moved fairly regularly. So the most likely explanation is the different places were farms or what were then known as "farm touns".

An old map might show the place names. You could try looking at the old maps at http://maps.nls.uk

[GDub71]

It might just be a coincidence, but I went to Primary School in Findochty and there were Taylor's there who had a farm not far from Knowhead!

[Forfarian]

I've had a good rake round, and the latest record I have found of Goosehillock is in the 1841 census, when it was listed in the same enumeration district as Letterfourie, Rannachy, Rannas and various other farms, in other words south-west of the crossroads where the A942 joins the A98 in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4364

The oldest detailed map I could find is the 1871 six-inch Ordnance Survey map, which does not show Goosehillock.

It is not listed in the 1851 census among the same farms, which suggests that it either disappeared or had its name changed between 1841 and 1851.

In the 1841 census it is listed after Bogend and before Bogside, both of which are on the current maps.
Bogend is in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4463 and Bogside is in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4564
Assuming that the enumerator listed the places in some sort of logical order, then my best guess is that Goosehillock was in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ446 between Bogend and Bogside. It may perhaps have been demolished to make way for the quarry, or it might have been on the land now covered in forest.

Hope this helps.

However I have drawn a complete blank on Sketraw.

[Craig1985taylor]

Hmmm.

If the baptisms are recorded in Rathven, then it implies that they took place in Rathven. Don't assume, however, that the babies were actually baptised in the kirk. It wasn't unusual for the minister to go to the parents' home and baptise the child there.

Rathven is a biggish parish, and the name of a village within the parish, sited round the kirk. See
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4465 - this is the kirktown, so I think this would be where the family lived in 1793 and probably 1790.

Rannachy is just a mile or so south of Rathven kirk. http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4464

Know(e)head is a bit further east. Look at http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4566 - Knowehead is the three little pink squares, each representing a house, above and to the left of the number 53. If you click on the map you will get a larger version with Knowehead named on it.

I'll need to have a further think about Geesehillock (probably Goosehillock) and Sketraw (I can think of places called Skateraw, but not one in Rathven).

Thank you so much, this is great! I had tried googling the names before but couldn't find them. I also never realized that the kids might of been baptized at the home!!! Just assumed it would of been the kirk. Thanks again a really appreciate it!

[Craig1985taylor]

At that time, moving about a bit within a sort of ten mile radius implies the father was a farm servant. A farm servant would take a six month fee at the feeing market, and sometimes move farm every six months, or stay longer if the farmer asked them to and they thought he was an okay employer. Married farm servants would take a fee that came with a farm cottage so often stayed put for longer, but still moved fairly regularly. So the most likely explanation is the different places were farms or what were then known as "farm touns".

An old map might show the place names. You could try looking at the old maps at http://maps.nls.uk

Thank you this is really interesting I did think that they must of been farm workers & moved from farm to farm. So from what you've said I now think that most likely.

[Craig1985taylor]

It might just be a coincidence, but I went to Primary School in Findochty and there were Taylor's there who had a farm not far from Knowhead!

Thats interesting to hear maybe they are distant cousins of mine! My personal line moved away from findochty to Lossimouth, Aberdeen & eventually down to Worcestershire in the 1950's. Maybe ill follow one of James & Ann's kids to the knowhead farm eventually?

[Craig1985taylor]

I've had a good rake round, and the latest record I have found of Goosehillock is in the 1841 census, when it was listed in the same enumeration district as Letterfourie, Rannachy, Rannas and various other farms, in other words south-west of the crossroads where the A942 joins the A98 in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4364

The oldest detailed map I could find is the 1871 six-inch Ordnance Survey map, which does not show Goosehillock.

It is not listed in the 1851 census among the same farms, which suggests that it either disappeared or had its name changed between 1841 and 1851.

In the 1841 census it is listed after Bogend and before Bogside, both of which are on the current maps.
Bogend is in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4463 and Bogside is in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ4564
Assuming that the enumerator listed the places in some sort of logical order, then my best guess is that Goosehillock was in http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ446 between Bogend and Bogside. It may perhaps have been demolished to make way for the quarry, or it might have been on the land now covered in forest.

Hope this helps.

However I have drawn a complete blank on Sketraw.

Thats ok thank you so much for taking the time to look! You found more then I expected to find out its really appreciated Craig