Transactions. 71 



with the places. Besides these common enough names there are 

 some very pecuhar ones, such as Painted Effie, Fardenwilham 

 (fard, well-favoured), Jeannie's Lea, Grizzlerig, Kitty Brewster, 

 Tambowie, Bessiewalla, Peterculter, &c. These individuals whose 

 names are thus handed down to us in names of places were doubt- 

 less at one time locally well-known characters who, or what they 

 were famed for, have in most cases long been forgotten, their 

 names, as associated with place names, being the only recard of 

 their existence. So with some particular acts of individuals which 

 doubtless made an impression on the inhabitants of the locality at 

 the time, but are now only known from names of places in the 

 Directory, such as Cross-ma-loof, Cleick-him-in (Sir Walter Scott 

 has made use of this name in " St. Ronan's Well "), Look-about ye, 

 Standalane, Standstill, Dinna muck, Blaw plain, Dar fash, &c. 

 Some of these names are suggestive of the characters of the 

 persons whomsoever they have been. We have also brought 

 before us the personal appearance and peculiarities of people long 

 since forgotten, such as Black tongue. Red head, Bad head, 

 Bushell head, Cockspow, Skirling, Butchercoat, Contentibus (this 

 name must have been given by an easy-going soul), and many 

 other names of a similar kind are to be found. As might be ex- 

 pected, names of places derived from farming and crops are very 

 common, as Greencornhill, Fallowheat, Quhytewoollen (wooin ? — 

 i.e., plenty wheat), Fouracres, Monyacres, &c. Somewhat in con- 

 nection with these names we have Scabcleuch (evidently a place 

 where sheep did not thrive), Horse-up-cleuch (pointing to a place 

 where some horse had strayed, or was lost), SleepyLillock, 

 Sliddery, Fivestanks (pools), Caird-seat (the resort of some 



travelling tinker), Back o' Hill, o' Moss, o' Loch, Backside, 



Whitelums, Goat-milk, Honey-barrel, Road-meetings, Axletree- 

 w^ell, and many other names of this kind. What at first must have 

 been rather objectionable localities, one would imagine, but which, 

 it is to be hoped, have improved since the names were first 

 attached to them, are indicated by Dustyriggs, Hungreyhill, 

 Mouldy Hills {mondie — a mole), Gathercauld, Cauld-hame, Mudhill, 

 Skirts-of-Toadland, Windydoors, Foulsyke, &c. ; while Paradise, 

 Peace and Plenty, and Snowlessfields seem to point to desirable 

 stations. Necessity seems to have been a place where the first 

 settler had but small choice as to where he was. to pitch his tent. 

 \'Vliiskyhall and Claret can hardly be supposed to have been the 



