Old maps of UK with easy access!

[thomo7]

I was wondering if anyone has a facility where you can search an old town name and then search and mark with drop pins other locations nearby? I'm grasping at straws but a little like a historical google map!

I am not familiar with a lot of geography in the UK and I have family from Durham and Kilsyth and another branch between Argyllshire, Dumbartonshire, Midlothian, Renfrewshire and also Donegal, Ireland.

When following a trail it would be amazingly helpful to be able to check out which towns are nearby and therefore, be more likely to be the relative I'm after.

For example, I'm looking for a birth of James RALSTON somewhere around 1788 (on census records 1841, 51 & 61 his age is NOT consistent at all, parents are William R and Janet Young).
When I search for all Ralstons born between 1770 and 1795 in Scotland, I get 36 references but because I don't know the geographical location of parishes, towns etc, I can't begin to presume which ones may be closer and therefore more likely options.

I have checked out the NLS maps but it's a very slow process, any help would be appreciated

[Ruskie]

The larger towns and cities are generally still in the same places in as they were centuries ago, though smaller outlying villages have often been swallowed up by the larger cities. You could therefore just use Google maps.

I find NLS maps quite easy to use once you get used to it.

The search can become tricky when records such as births for example, refer to small villages or farmsteads which no longer exist. In instances such as this you can get lucky by searching contemporary maps. Google searches can often help, eg something along the lines of …. 1770s map of Scotland …..

I find that you often have to flip between a modern map and old maps to find places. There are some maps with overlays though I’m not sure if they extend as far as Scotland. I will see if I can find anything.*

Re your Ralston example, a close location doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve found the right person - people used to travel far and wide centuries ago - and there are gaps and omissions in records due to a number of factors. 

Although you say you are not familiar with the geography of the UK, there is only one way to remedy that. 

If you need help with searching for a specific place, please ask here on rootschat. There is usually someone who is able to narrow down most locations.

*added - and example of a map with overlay of Kilsyth (though I’m not sure which Kilsyth you have ancestors from - there appears to be more than one): https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.04114847529498&lat=55.98068&lon=-4.06601&layers=4&b=1

[PaulineJ]

Suggestion(s)

https://www.curiousfox.com/

https://www.archiuk.com/archi/archi_maps.htm

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Gazetteer

[KGarrad]

A simpler solution:
Just use Google Search with place name and county.

It's what I do when faced with a place name I haven't heard of before.

[thomo7]

Hi Ruskie, PaulineJ and KGarrad,
Thanks so much for the ideas and information! I'll be checking out all of them!
And was planning a visit to the UK prior to the dratted plague! So will be hoping that in the next few years I'll still get the chance 

I have used NLS maps with an overlay for Kilsyth, Stirlingshire but I get a bit lost when I search in 'any' county and get a list of district names I've never heard of.

Also I believe that Kilsyth, Stirlingshire,  prior to 1840 is in another county but not sure about that.

"Re your Ralston example, a close location doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve found the right person - people used to travel far and wide centuries ago - and there are gaps and omissions in records due to a number of factors.  "  (sorry, haven't worked out how to insert your quote here!!)

The family line I am following at the moment are Tailors and Cotton Weavers, I understand that many travelled a specific route to Glasgow from Kilsyth so if anyone has more information about this that would be great too!!

Thanks so much for your help.
Cheers JT

Another question I have is

[KGarrad]

Another thought!

GenUKI often, on it's county pages, has a "Where is it in xxx (County name)".
E.G. the page for Stirlingshire has a "Where is it in Stiringshire?" page.

See: https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/STI
and scroll down to Stirlingshire Towns and Parishes.
Also a link to Kilsyth parish.

[KGarrad]

Also I believe that Kilsyth, Stirlingshire,  prior to 1840 is in another county but not sure about that.

Kilsyth was historically part of Stirlingshire.
Since 1995 Kilsyth has been part of North Lanarkshire.

The arms of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council featured an open Bible and the shuttle and miner's lamp. These symbols were taken from the earlier arms of Kilsyth. However the open Bible and the miner's lamp were the only symbols which were carried on to the North Lanarkshire coat of arms.

[arthurk]

There are a number of projects based on the mapping provided by the National Library of Scotland - see https://maps.nls.uk/projects/index.html

The one I thought of when you mentioned old place names was the GB1900 place name project. Its own website (www.gb1900.org) seems not to be working any more, but you can access at least some of the data on a page hosted by NLS - https://geo.nls.uk/maps/gb1900/

Another site which might help is Vision of Britain (https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/), which has a lot of detail on administrative units, boundary changes etc. It also hosts the raw data files from GB1900 - https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data/#tabgb1900

[Maiden Stone]

 and also Donegal, Ireland.

Shane Wilson's website swilson.info has finding aids for places, civil and ecclesiastical parishes, links to registers of R.C. parishes, maps of registration districts.