Names with Ach-, Auch-, or Bal-

Names with Ach-, Auch-, or Bal-

 

Names beginning with Ach- or Auch- (from gaelic achadh ‘field’) occur in a number of places in Renfrewshire; quite often as farms of some size. Such names are usually held to be a sign of early Gaelic settlement. Names beginning ‘Bal-‘ (from Gaelic baile ‘township’ or ‘fermtoun’), which are thought to be a later development, are very infrequent.

 

Names are given by parish. Following each name is a Grid Reference or Map name such as ‘Pont’ or ‘Roy’ to indicate the source. Documentary sources are given for some names, for instance those that are not mapped at all. See parish tables for further information

 

Inverkip

Auchinfour – a large and important site whereas the four following were not.

Auchneagh NS 2575

Auchmade NS 2375

Auchnearn NS 2475

Auchinfin c. NS 2475?

 

Greenock

Auchendarroch  NS 2975

Auchinmugden NS 2874

 

Kilmacolm

Auchinleck NS 3372/3373

Auchentiber NS 3172

Auchendores NS 3572

Auchenbothie NS 3470

Auchenfoyle NS 3170/3171

 

Eaglesham parish

Auchinhood, 5m AE in GD3/1/10/45/1 1545 Auchinhud. NSA p 392 writes:

Formerly the farms of Netherton, Polehall, Holemuir, and Maulauther, constituted an ancient property named Auchinhood.

 

Kilbarchan parish

Auchincloich NS 3663

Auchinseal NS 3764

Auchans NS 4266/4366

Auchenames NS 3962

Auchinraith. Dodds, ‘Craigends’, p 24, mentions Auchinraith. I do not know where this is.

 

Neilston parish

Auchentiber NS 4757

Auchenback NS 5058

Aucheas, Roy.

 

Lochwinnoch

Auchingown NS 3657

Auchinreoch NS 4260

Achinhean NS 3257

Auchinbothie – a large farm, see Lochwinnoch table for components.

Achinneare – probably Auchinhean. 20s Dundonald (140) 1587 – in the lordship of Glen. However Pont & Blaeu map a similar place-name to E of Lochwinnoch. (Achinern? (Pont), Achinard (Blaeu)).

Auchingrange NS 3757. I have no early references for this name and suspect it may be modern.

 

Paisley

Auchenlodment NS 4362/4461

Auchentorlie NS 4963

 

 

Names possibly from Gaelic baile (fermtoun)

 

Greenock

Balwharly OS (1857) NS 2875. Greenock Place Names p 14 includes Bawhirley amongst the farms round Greenock. I am not sure how old this name is. Compare with Wherlie NS 4166, OS 6” 1^st edition Renfrewshire Sheet VII, 1857, in Houstoun parish.

 

Mearns

?Balgray NS 5156/5056 (Pont). The earliest reference I have found to this place-name is in Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok, Volume I, pp 146-8, No 25, 1413. It concerns a dispute over the lands of Hullirishedhil (probably Hurlet). One of the jurors was ‘Johannes de Camera de Bagraw’ (John Chamber or Chalmer of Bagraw). This source is some 180 years earlier than Pont and adds to my doubt as to whether this is a name beginning with ‘Bal-‘.

RSS IV (2699) 1554 mentions Alexander Park de Bragraw. There is Balgraystone at NS 5056 which may be a ‘stone’ rather than a ‘toun’.

 

?Bellcraig Quarry just S of Alton, OS 6” 1^st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XVII, 1856.

 

Eaglesham parish

Ballageich Hill NS 5350 (Pont). I am doubtful this is a name from Gaelic baile. Is it from Gaelic bealach, a hill pass?

 

Lochwinnoch

The Paisley Rental gives p lxiv Balrany viz Neder Kers 1460; p lxxxviii Balray viz ye neder Kers >1460, <=1484; = Easter Kers, NS 3355.

Balgreen, NS 3560, Pont.

Balrogear/Barrodger, NS 3556, Pont. Although the first element is now ‘Bar’ it is clear from the Rental of Paisley Abbey, and Pont’s map, that it was formerly ‘Bal’.

 

Neilston/Eastwood

Latin from Fraser, Lennox II, No 2. Alan, son of Walter the Steward, gave etc to Robert Croc:

preterea asingnavi predicto Roberto et heredibus suis, et hominibus eorum de Cuglin, pasturam in foresto meo per has divisas; del Rouateburn desuper del Belalor ex tranverso usque Smallcis, et deinde usque ad torrentem qui est del West del Capilheuid, et secundum illum torrentem usque ad divisas de Cuglin

This is the only reference I know to Belalor. Presumably either on the eastern side of Neilston parish or the western side of Eastwood parish.