Town Place Names

[EMDEE]

The thread on Fleming's Land and the background story of Alexander Fleming makes me think that it might be of interest if anyone knows the history and connections of the names of other buildings (or streets) in the town. For example:

Barochan Place (and house)
Mafeking Place
Mopoon Terrace
Springfield Terrace
Gayfield Place
Livingstone Place
Parliament Place
Diamond Vault

These are just some that come to mind, and I have introduced some names of places that have been demolished.

There are lots more places that might have interesting historical reasons behind their names. Anybody have any information on the above, or maybe suggest any other place names?



PS Having made this post, I see there is now a controversy about Fleming's Land:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10799

[glenn]

Mafeking Place dates from 1900 and , I think, it was so-named to commemorate the most famous British action of the 2nd Boer War, the Seige of Mafeking in South Africa (now called Mafikeng ?). The name is a Baralong word meaning "place of stones".

[petewick]

Barochan Place is a variation of barracks in reference to the local militia
barracks that was sited on Argyll Street.

[EMDEE]

I would have thought that Barochan was connected in some way with Barochan near Houston in Renfrewshire.

Why a building in Campbeltown was given this name is the question. What is the connection?

I notice that Barochan House in Renfrewshire was for a long time home to a Fleming family, and wonder if there is any connection here between the naming of Barochan Place in Argyll street and the almost adjacent Fleming's Land in Castlehill? Was the Fleming's Land family a branch of this family? Maybe there is no connection here, and I am just jumping to conclusions. It is possibly purely coincidence.

In the same area of Renfrewshire there is (or was) a Parish of Kilellan, another placename that is replicated in Kintyre.

[EMDEE]

Mafeking Place dates from 1900 and , I think, it was so-named to commemorate the most famous British action of the 2nd Boer War, the Seige of Mafeking in South Africa (now called Mafikeng ?). The name is a Baralong word meaning "place of stones".

A quick Google search reveals that there are quite a number of locations throughout the country with the name "Mafeking Place", presumably dating from the same period.

[Trev]

Union Street was originally Back Street, re-named in 1901 by Campbeltown Council. And Corbett Close was renamed Burnbank Street in 1963.

[glenn]

Wasn't Parliament Place named after the spot where King James held his first court in Campbeltown ?

[glenn]

Reform Square takes its' name from the fervent supporters of the First Reform Bill who lived in that central locality of Campbeltown at that time (1832?) . Reform Square would, I imagine, have been the end of Longrow, before it was extended (as Longrow South) into the junction with Main St.

Royal Avenue was renamed Hall Street c.1899 after the Campbeltown Free Library benefactor James Macalister Hall of Killean & Tangy who footed the £12,000 bill. Same family as Torrisdale Castle estate ?

[Trev]

Longrow South was originally called New Street in 1910 when the road was taken through to make the junction with Main Street.

[bill]

Longrow South was originally called New Street in 1910 when the road was taken through to make the junction with Main Street.

Not according to "The Campbeltown Book"Trev and I quote, "Mr.Fleming had conceived his street as a straight continuation of Longrow,expressly stipulating that it should continue under the same name;but this would entail re-numbering the whole of the rest of Longrow.By a vote of 8-7 the council therefore took advantage of the misalignment hiccup where the new stretch met the old,and salved it's conscience by calling the new stretch Longrow South."

[Trev]

The renumbering of the rest of Longrow should not have been a problem as they paid Galbraith & Cochrane (Est. 1857) the sum of £5 in 1874 to paint all the house numbers in the burgh !

[bill]

Sorry to disagree with you again Trev,but it would have been a problem.Longrow South is at the start of Longrow ,not the end, so it would not have been a continuation of the numbering but a complete re-numbering for all the exsisting premises on Longrow.The easy option was to name it Longrow South.

[Trev]

Sounds like "New St." was a "working title" til they made their mind up "whit tae call it" ! So am gan wi Bill an "Langra Sooth"
FINAL ANSWER !!

[EMDEE]

Prompted by the thread on the old photo at Stewart Road, I remember in my schooldays hearing of the origin of the name of Stewart Road and Stewart Green, and If I remember correctly they were named after an individual. Anybody have any information on this?

[Trev]

Hi EMDEE ! Possibly Duncan Stewart, the Duke of Argyll,s Chamberlain from 1799 to 1829, in which year he was succeeded by his son John Lorne Stewart. The village of Stewarton is named after his family who lived at Knockrioch from 1798.