Lesliebrae

[smuckerooney]

Hi Folks,
            Thought I would take a wander from Kent up here.

I have a friend in the States whose family emigrated from Orkney, circa 1880.  Their surname is LESLIE.  I know it's not an uncommon name but I have had some difficulty in locating any map with the geographical area called 'Lesliebrae' thereon.
He has a copy in his possession but I've not been able to assist him any further.  Has anyone any advice on the matter?

Many thanks

Rog
Glasgow

[Jones the Search]

Hi Rog.

Westray (lesliebrae), Orkney
Have a look on www.familysearch.org
 under Leslie. Lots listed


Patricia

[smuckerooney]

Wow....many thanks.

I'll wing this right now.

Rog

[Jones the Search]

Hi, Me again.

Try this link to familysearch.com
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm#PageTitle

Try this and find the batch numbers for Westray. Dozens of Leslies.
This is so much easier than trawling through the usual list. Download as gedcoms to your own family history programme.

They do provide a reader if your family history program won't take gedcoms

Patricia

[smuckerooney]

Patricia,
            Thanks so much.  I'll do it right now.

Rog

[corinne]

If they are from Westray and you can find out the name of their house, PM me and I'll email you a picture and map details.   If from other areas of Orkney, then I can't do pictures, but might still be able to locate the house on a map if you know its name, and the area.

[corinne]

Forgot to say, I can't see a house called Lesliebrae on Westray (though might have missed it).    Do you actually have a copy of the map with Lesliebrae on it?  If you could email it to me, I might be able to identify other places named on it, and then locate it for you.  PM me to get my email address.

[ADP]

Lesliebrae can be found on the 1890s parish map at http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/map/early/os_scotland_2nd_ed_list.html if you select sheet 121 - Westray. On that map, click on Westray, the island parish coloured pink. Click on the the R of Westray until the placenames become legible. Lesliebrae is just below the R and A of Westray.

ADP

[corinne]

I've just been comparing that old map to the current one, and seeing if I can identify Lesliebrae.  I also have a copy of "Fae Quoy to Castle" which is a photographic record of buildings (and building remnants) of Westray in 2003.  Unfortunately Lesliebrae no longer seems to exist, even as a ruin.  I have a horrible feeling that it stood about where the current telephone exchange is, so all traces of it might have been removed when that was built.  On the current Explorer 464 Ordnance Survey map  Swanson and Swanson Cottage look to be fairly close to where Lesliebrae was, but I don't think either of these houses has been owned by Leslies.  Swansons previous occupants are Sandison, Gullion and Wilson; Swanson Cottage was built as a poorhouse (occupied by Drever, Rendall, Paterson, Foulis) and East Swanson was occupied by Barbara Drever (1881 to 1901 census).  Not much help really, I'm sorry, but if you find other houses occupied by this family, then I can look those up for you.