Frederick Marland - 19 May 2004
I note on the webpage your interpretation of the surname Markland which directly quotes from the Oxford book - "A Dictionary of Surnames" by P. Hanks and F. Hodges-- page 348:
You correctly quote their interpretation of the origin of the surname of Markland. The authors tell the reader that there is a variant spelling in Martland. They also indicate: "see also Marland and Marsland." This phrase did not mean to include Marland together with Markland as you have done. Please note that the authors are not including the later two names as a variant of Markland. On that same page 348 please look up the name of Marland. For convenience I quote:
Marland English (S. Lanc.): habitation name from a minor place in the parish of Rochdale, so called from OE mere lake, pool + land land. There may also have been some confusion with MARKLAND.
Clearly the authors meant NOT to confuse Marland and Markland in the same origin. So please do not confuse the surnames origins of Markland with Marland using the Oxford book of surnames because they make a distinction in origin. Bardsley in one of his books also clearly makes such a distinction of the two surnames.
Andrew Alston - 17 Aug 2007
The Markland and Martland surnames are pretty much interchangeable. Could you guess which someone was saying? The spelling seemed to remain the same for the duration of the vicar's tenure. In the Bolton area, it stuck as Markland. One of my relatives moved to Ormskirk from there and is thereafter stuck with a T in his name. Markley is only a very slightly different version. Don't you wish that education had been compulsory earlier in history?
A little local knowledge on places:- St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston, despite being the source of the placename, is actually separated by fields from the village which is to its south. It looks today very much as it did to our ancestors. The parish stretched from the boundary with Leyland all the way to the Douglas Chapel close by the river at Parbold - over six miles - taking in the townships of Heskin, Wrightington and Parbold. Quite a few families from Lathom (part of Ormskirk parish) would use Douglas Chapel, and so would travel to Eccleston for marriages. Our ancestors were fitter than we are! (apologies to my Aunt Hilda who is 81 tomorrow, walks MILES and visits the gym twice a week)
Charnock Richard is easy to find on current maps. Charnock Richard services on the M6 are actually at the west end of the township, where it meets Heskin.
Welch Whittle is now treated as part of Charnock Richard. It used to be the area between the A49 and the B5250, but has been bisected by the M6. It is still signposted as the area centred on the Hind's Head at the junction of the A49 and Chorley Lane.
Clenkets Lane is now Clancutt Lane. It is at the north end of Coppull and runs NNW from the B5251 vaguely parallel with the railway. Footpaths from the end lead on to Charnock Richard. In 1861, an engineer living there would probably be working in one of the pits in the Yarrow valley, or at the bleaching and printing mill at Birkacre. This area (my childhood playground) now forms the Yarrow Valley Country Park.
There would be many mills and coal mines where an engineer could be employed. Steam power was the norm.