SCOTTISH BOUNDARY CHANGES, 1899-92 — EXPLANATORY NOTES
In 1889-1892 many county and parish boundaries were amended as a result of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1889.
The boundary changes changes are described in the "Boundaries of Counties and Parishes in Scotland as Settled By
the Boundary Commissioners Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1889" by Hay Shennan, which was
published by William Green and Sons, Edinburgh. The changes
affected the boundaries of most Scottish counties, parishes, and burghs.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
1. The counties are arranged in the order as in the Census returns, "such that a zig-zag line beginning at the north of Scotland and carried to the south passes successively through every County". The counties have the same numbers as in the Census returns.
2. The subjects transferred are enumerated under the head of the County or Parish to which they are transferred. Thus when an area has been transferred from County A to County B, the subjects affected are enumerated under County B, and a cross reference is given under County A.
3. The names of subjects are those contained in the Valuation Rolls. In the description of subjects the term "farm" includes the farm-house and servants' houses, and the term "croft" includes the house. But where any of the servants' houses on the farm have distinctive names, such houses are detailed separately. "House" includes "cottage", and "land" includes gardens, yards &c.
4. The names of proprietors are in almost all cases those given in The Valuation Rolls of 1890-91. It is therefore to be borne in mind that those who are described as proprietors may be limited owners only, such as liferenters or leaseholders.
5. Where villages or towns are affected, the names of the subjects and proprietors are not usually given. The description of the area transferred is in such cases quite sufficient to show whatever and to what extent any subject in the village or town has been affected by the Order.
6. The Ordnance Survey maps referred to are those published by the Ordnance Survey Department on the scale of one inch to the mile. Those published down to this date (1891), show the Counties and Parishes as they were before the Order of the Commissioners came into operation. It is expected that, when the work of the Commissioners is completed, revised maps will be issued to show the altered boundaries, but the sheets of the revised maps will bear the same numbers as the present maps. The Orders and the explanations can be followed readily on the maps as published at present.
7. An ampersand (&) has been used wherever a County or a Parish has a double name, e.g. "Ross & Cromarty" or "Fetlar & North Yell".
8. In most cases it is necessary to read the text of the order along with the explanation, because the full descriptions contained in the Orders are, as a rule, not repeated in the explanation.
