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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Buteshire => Topic started by: alys on Monday 23 April 12 10:57 BST (UK)
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The birth record for Mary Hamilton, baptised on July 9th 1765, says her parents were in Buaildhonachie (I think that's the spelling anyway), Kilmory, Buteshire. I can't find it on the old maps. Could someone point me in the right direction?
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Hi haven't found 'buaildhonachie' however if you look on national library for scotland online maps - Kilmory, Isle of Arran - there are quite a few place names which may give you clues. Meal Buidhe, the highest hill above Kilmory, Bennecarrigan Farm, Shannochie, Burican. It may be your place is one of the small sheiling on the hill.
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Thanks for your help. Buidhe looks as if it could have a connection. I'll keep searching!
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Ummm. Bualdhonachie and Ballymeanoch.
'Buaile' is a (sheep)fold or pen.'Donnchadh' is a Gaelic version of Duncan. I think the 'dh' is the genitive of 'Donnchadh', which would make the name 'Buaildhonachie' something like 'Duncan's sheepfold'.
Bally is often from 'baile' meaning a farm or settlement, and 'meanoch' can come from 'meadhonach' meaning 'middle'. So Ballymeanoch could mean 'middle farm' - it's actually a moderately common farm name.
You can get quite a lot of sound shifting in Gaelic, but I don't think you get 'd' and its fellows ('t', 'th') swapping with 'm' and its fellows ('v', 'f'). So I'd be very wary of assuming that 'dhonachie' amd 'meanoch' could be interchangable.
I could, of course, easily be completely wrong ;)
'Buidhe' means yellow, but I don't think it is involved here - the letter L in the middle of the names excludes it.
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Thank you Forfarian. I think I'm a bit further forward. A place called Ballygowmachy, situated close to and east of Aucheleffan, appears on the John Ainslie map on the NLS website In The Book Arran Auchareoch and Balagonachy are both tenanted by John Hamilton. I can't find all 3 places on the same map, but Auchareoch is also close to and east of Aucheleffan. I think that's it. Perhaps "dh" could give the sound "g"? Perhaps Auchreoch took over its neighbour and Buaildhonachie's name was lost.
If anyone has come across a place-name in Kilmory parish like Ballygonachy, I'd be happy to hear what or who you have there.
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Perhaps "dh" could give the sound "g"?
It can give a sound that an anglophone would probably pronounce as 'g' - a voiced glottal fricative (getting very technical!) like the initial 'g' in Dutch.
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I grew up at Aucheleffan and am also curious as to the location of Ballygonochie...I've come across a few mentions of Aucheleffan, Auchereoch and Ballygonnochie at the same time so they existed together...also Auchereoch appears on the very early maps..before Ballygonochie. Have you had any more luck with your research?
https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?reference=RHP6626&
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I think I have located Ballygonnachie...if you would like to get in touch....