OS1/1/48/121

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 121

[Left side]
[O.S.O. Ordnance Survey Office ] Inverness
24th Octr 1865

Ph. [Parish] of Kincardine O'Neil
Sent this day trace 4 Plan 9 Sheet 83 on which is shown the
modern St. Yarchard's Well which is described in the name
sheet thus - "A well built pant of masonry surmounted by
a small iron cross, the whole erected A.D. 1858, its
supply of water comes from a powerful spring about 400 Yds.
north east of the Pant and is conveyed to this place by pipes,
the said spring being the Original St. Yarchard's
Well, but as it is now covered in, the Villagers perpetuate
the old name by transferring it to the Modern Pant."
From this it appears that the Spring which formed the Original
St Yarchards Well is now covered in. If this inference be
correct please to shew the Spot on the trace and write to it,
covered spring formerly
St. Yarchards Well. This would be written in German Text
in this case, and St Yarchard's Well would be written in
Stump to the Modern Pant.
But if the well (which does not appear to be covered) now
shewn on the trace N.N.E. [North North East] of the Manse, be the Ancient Spring and
well of St. Yarchard, it will alter the writing thus -
St. Yarchard's Well in German Text to the Ancient Well and
the same name in Stump to the Modern Pant as now shewn
on trace. Therefore which is correct and if the latter
should not the description be altered.
The following names appear on the traces but not
in the Name Sheets please to supply them
[ ] - 10-3 Beltie Burn
[ ] - Burn of Canny
[ ] - 2 - 1 Birk Hills
[ ] - 13 - 4 Mountfur Moss is also required in the N. [Name] Sheets
[ ] . 14. 6 Should not this name be Firmount Moss as originally
written on the trace; it is also written Fir Month to a
hill in the Old Statistical Account of Aboyne & Glentanner. But [Continued on p.122]

Corpl [Corporal] Stewart
R. E. [Royal Engineers]

[Right hand side]

28th Oct 1865

Sir
I shew the site of the original "St Yarchards
Well" & write the name on trace according
to these instructions; but really I don't see
why this name is wanted at all, & these are
my reasons: You are well aware that generally
all names are old, but their origin are lost
this one however tradition has preserved
the same as "Gallow Hill" in the same
trace, but "Gallow Hill" being a natural
feature, its old association did not
entitle it to be written in German text,
in like manner I have a "Gallow Cairn" in
this Parish but it is artificial and therefore
written in "German text", to sum up,
suppose the water of St. Yarchards Well " had
not been conveyed to the Village, but that
the spring had been left open I would
still have written the name in Stump
seeing it had no Artificial [incasing ]
Masonry, but simply was a Natural
Spring - they are all old alike - with
a name the meaning of which tradition
had preserved. From the foregoing you
see I cling to the trace as it is, ignoring
the necessity of writing a name to a
place where there is nothing to be seen
except the remains of last Years hay
crop; but from these remarks you will
easily see what is right.
The small Well referred is a quite
independent spring & therefore the name
is correctly described

All described

Mountfur Moss is quite cor. [correct?]
but I could not get at its
origin; at all events it has
no Connection with the
Fir [Continued p. 122]