Help with place name

[nbilldeb]

Trying to figure out if this is a house or what! The birthplace on Daniel McNeil's 1861 birth record is Gordon's Folly, Newton Ayr. The residence of his parents James and Susannah McNeil in the 1861 census is 2 Gordon's Land, Newton-on-Ayr. I can find a Gordon Street and was wondering if the Land and Folly were previously in the same area.

[Falkyrn]

In this context a "Land" is generally a multi storey building or group of buildings named after the land owner or builder .... modern street names do often hark back to previous owners of the land and take the names associated.

[nbilldeb]

thanks so much. I know that a Folly usually means a primarily ornamental building, but I suppose it could also in local reference come to mean a project that was ill-advised. However, I did not know that a Land also meant a building. Either way, it was likely in the same area as the present day street.

[Falkyrn]

Although by 1909 the area is quite built up the earlier map from 1857 ( available at the National Library of Scotland website) shows that the area was open farmland and remote from the nearest main areas of habitation

[nbilldeb]

Yes, you are right, what is now Gordon Street is just wide open land only four years before the census and birth and not near anything so its unlikely anyone would suddenly construct one or more buildings there. The family lived closer to the river and harbour on Peebles, then York St prior to 1861 and after on York Lane and Saltfield Lane so its possible Gordon owned some property closer in and built on that. Also Daniel Senior's occupation was listed as a Labourer (quay) so its more likely they would be living near the harbour. Will check the OS map for that area and see if a Gordon's Land is listed. Noticed on this one there is a Bruce's Land.