Samuel Lewis

A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland Comprising the Several Counties, Islands, Cities, Burgh and Market Towns, Parishes and Principal Villages, with ... Engravings of the Seals and Arms of the Di Samuel Lewis

Volume I: from Abbey to Jura. The title of this very comprehensive Gazetteeer, published in two volumes in 1851, illustrates the scope of the Editor's remit. The result is over 1200 pages of densely packed information, utilising the best contemporary sources. It was published at the time when the railways had begun to make their mark on the landscape, and to re-shape the way in which people thought about travel. The first Censuses had been taken, but were still quite modest in the information provided. For the family historian, who is working with this newly mobile population, learning about the particular circumstances of a specific parish can still be a little difficult, especially for the unfamiliar in another part of the country. Why did a family move from their roots to another place? How had agriculture changed in an area? The answer can often be found in the descriptive text which follows the necessary details of population and location.