a sequence of name poems for wild city, after Jack Gibson and others
(I)
Bogleshaugh
a haunt, a haugh, a hall
speech is a shelter that hovers
by the river
‘Bogle means 'ghost' and haugh is 'a river's flood plane'. In its original form the name refers to haunted ground liable to occasional flooding, the syllable 'haugh' often becoming 'hall'. In a later age the name became ‘Bogleshall’. (Jack Gibson)
(II)
Coustonholm
the coffer of cobhan locked away in the hollow of couston
the hollow of holm concealed under the flooded haugh of holmr
‘The old word couston means the place in the hollow, and the suffixed English word holm means the level ground by the river’, (Jack Gibson). Couston, from cobhan, hollow, coffer (c.f. John Milne). Holm, from ON holmr, an isle projecting from a river, or low lying land liable to flooding.
Jack Gibson: Pollokshaws, a Brief History, and John Milne: Gaelic Place Names of the Lothians
(III)
Cowglen
the lowing of the branches
the soughing of the beasts
‘Cowglen is very old and goes back to the time when the whole area was tree covered, and it may have been that originally the name was 'wood(ed) glen', from 'coille', or 'coit' (a wood) or hazel glen from 'coll' (hazel).’(Jack Gibson)
Jack Gibson: Pollokshaws, a Brief History
(IV)
River Cart
a team of fleet black and white horses : cart
the White Cart joins the Black Cart at Inchinnan, to the north of Paisley, before flowing into the Clyde. The rivers take their name from G., càraid, pair, brace, couple. St. Conval's Chariot is a local name for a base with a socket to support a stone cross
River Cart
One-of-a-pair water
(V)
Pollokshiels
the thread of something wild : bengal
Bengal: web of cloth produced by home loom weavers in Pollokshiels.
(VII)
four shieling
Shieldhall
Summer-pasture Hall
Shieldmuir
Bog Summer-pasture
Wester Shields
Wester Summer-pasture
Pollokshields
Burnbit Summer-pasture
(VIII)
pastoral
Stablegreen Port, Kirkwood St.
Green St., Greendyke St., Greenhead St.
Summertown Rd and Ramshorn
Arcadia St. leading to Silver Grove
ending in Whitefield Rd
from Burnbank to Rosehill via Gowanbank
and on by Beith St. and Trefoil Ave.
to arrive at Oakgrove
from Mavisbank Quay to Larkfield
via Greenfield, or Stonefield, or Greenbank
to arrive at Berryknowe Ave.
from Larchfield Dr. to Elmbank via Shawmoss Rd.
on by Merryflats via Mossheights
to arrive at Dowanhill
from Honeybog to Tit-
wood Rd. via Gartnavel
from Fox St. and Ravenswood Dr.
to arrive at Windyedge
from Blackfauld to Meadowside
via Croftfoot Rd., or from
Bucklaw Terr. to Huntershill
Jack Gibson: Pollokshaws, a Brief History, and John Milne: Gaelic Place Names of the Lothians
drawings: Alec Finlay
photograph: Mhairi Law
The Walking Library (Dee Heddon & Misha Myers)
Supported by Festival 2018 and the University of Glasgow
