> I am looking for Sandymoss, which I think is in Duffus area. > I cannot find it on any > map. > My great-great grandfather John Laing 1796 lived or was born > at Sandymoss. I > don't know if this was a place or a farm. I think a farm is also a type of place <g> but there certainly isn't a hamlet or village called Sandymoss. The 1841 census lists Sandy Moss in Enumeration District No 8, and your Laings are the only household at this address (unless Standmoss, a few pages earlier, is the same place with a different version of the name). Other places listed in the same district are *College of Roseisle, *Buthill, *Burntland, Williamsaugh, *Eastertown, Starwood, Woodside, Standmoss, *Longhillock, *Kirkhill, *Inskeil, *Northfield, *Standing Stone, Rosevally, *Wards, and *Newton. All those marked * (with a few spelling variations) are either on the modern 1:25,000 map or listed in the current post code directory. There were two households at Sandymoss in 1881, and the other places listed in 1881 are much the same as in 1841. So it seems clear enough that Sandymoss was somewhere west of the road from Newton to Burghead and south of the road from Roseisle to Kinloss. If the 1841 enumerator listed the addresses is some sort of logical order, which he doesn't seem to have done, it would be closer to Newton. If the 1881 enumerator did so, Sandymoss would have been closer to Buthill and Wards. Either way, you can narrow it down to an area of a few square miles. I had a look on www.old-maps.co.uk but did not find anywhere marked as Sandymoss on the 1873 six-inch map. With just one household in 1841, and two in 1881, it was probably too small to justify being named on the map. LIBINDX at http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp does not list Sandymoss (or Sandy Moss). The only other possible line of investigation I can think of is to see if Sandymoss is listed in a valuation roll in the late 1800s, find out who owned it, and see whether there is an estate archive somewhere which might mention it. Hope this helps. Anne