Where is Bridge-End Alness?

[brucecumming]

I have been unable to determine where "Bridge-End" or Bridgend is in Alness. I see a Brigend Primary School but cannot find this area on any map new or old. Can someone point this out for me please?

I have relatives in some 1800s census entries with addresses like "S Main St Bridge End"

Thank you.

[Kay99]

I think this may help explain it https://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townhistory572.html  and the parish of Rosekean which is mentioned https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ROC/Rosskeen  So Bridgend is Alness to the east of the river bridge

[AlanBoyd]

This fits with Kay99’s post I think:

This item linked below states that Bridgend is the same place as Obsdale and is in the vicinity of the Dalmore Distillery.

https://www.electricscotland.com/history/easterross/chapter07.htm

This OS map from 1906 has Obsdale marked at the top edge, and the Dalmore distillery is to the south (move the map)

https://maps.nls.uk/view/82902336#zoom=4.3&lat=9679&lon=3760&layers=BT

There are lots of newspaper items about the Bridgend School, from its opening to its sale. It's in that triangular plot on the western edge of the map.

So, it seems that Bridgend is this whole area to the east of Alness. It is strange that it doesn't actually appear on maps.

[Kay99]

This 1826 map may help with Alness to the west of the river and Br. of Alness to the east

https://maps.nls.uk/view/216442902#zoom=7.2&lat=8673&lon=8557&layers=BT

Added - Interesting find re Obsdale

[AlanBoyd]

And that’s a definitive map find! Basically it is Alness east of the river.

[AlanBoyd]

The Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland 1894 ed Francis H Groome

Alness...The village stands on both banks of the river, and on the Highland railway, 10 miles NNE of Dingwall; consists of two parts, Alness proper in Alness parish, and Alness-Bridgend in Rosskeen parish...

[brucecumming]

Thanks for the information and links Kay99 and AlanBoyd - very helpful.

I am left still guessing what is "Main St" from the census info, as I see no street on old or new maps actually called "Main". A couple of 1841 census entries have addresses of "Bridge End N Main St" and "S Main St Bridge End". Not sure if I can infer that the street in question runs N-S (as in south end or north end) or E-W (as in south side or north side)?

The current day High St or Obsdale Rd look like the best bets?

[AlanBoyd]

The following evidence is consistent with Main Street becoming High Street, but certainly doesn't prove it.

Earliest newspaper items found with search term:

"Main Street Alness": 1854 (the only hits are in this year)
"Main Street Bridgend": no hits for Alness (tricky search, lots for Perth)

"High Street Alness": 1882
"High Street Bridgend": 1887 [with evidence that it is in Alness]
"High Street Bridgend Alness": 1904

Also the 1854 items refer to an un-named public house to let. It specifies "the south side of Main Street, Alness (East End)".Looking at maps it sems that there were only two named public houses on the east side, the Commercial Hotel near the Bridge and the Railway Hotel to the east, both on High Street.

[MollyC]

In small places there were often no official street names until required by a Public Health Act.  (1848 in E&W, I don't know about Scotland.)  This is more likely to have originated as the main street (no capitals) which was officially named High Street later.  Other variations are village street, town street (town in an older sense than we use it now).

My own hamlet is a half-mile straggle of houses which was always known officially by the hamlet name until the later 20th cent. when the council decided it must have a "Street Name" so it became Main Street.  But the Royal Mail has not added that to the "correct postal address".  I have found an 18th cent. document which refers to the village street.