Thanks, Charlie! I am sure it's not 'Waaness'... Swanness/Swaness seems to start showing up about mid-1870s into the turn of the 20th c. I have several maps as well... but I just want to be sure, if possible. Thought someone might know. Right now I am leaning toward it being "Swannies" (my current map). Lisa {> on 9/19/04 9:12 AM <} - Charlie Petersen wrote -- Hi Lisa! I know of a Waaness on Burray -... Cheers - Charlie in Port Townsend

On 19 September 2004 17:26, Lisa Conrad wrote: > Thanks, Charlie! > I am sure it's not 'Waaness'... > > Swanness/Swaness seems to start showing up about mid-1870s > into the turn of the 20th c. It's almost certainly the Swannies shown on current Ordnance Survey maps. The original would have been Swaness - possibly relating to the personal name Sweyn and the Old Norse "nes" - i.e. Sweyn's Headland (now found on the maps as Swannies Point) - or possibly even relates to the ocean swell (pronounced Swaall here). However, the possibility also remains that, if it is a fairly recent building, which your research seems to imply, it might simply have been referred to as the land of the Swanney family i.e. Swanney's. Any idea of the family living there at the first mentions? A classic example of census/mapmaker mis-transcribing an Orcadian placename. -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk