Post from: WELL, in THIS House... A Mom Blog
Equivalents of Modern and Historical Locations for Genealogical Research
It can be very frustrating to research your family tree when you run up against names of places that just don’t seem right. Sometimes it’s because the same town was known by four or five different names over the centuries. Sometimes it’s because a county that used to exist was dissolved and dispersed among neighboring counties when the lines were redrawn. Sometimes it’s because you find the name of a castle or manor house but don’t have the name of the town it’s in. And sometimes…it’s because some researcher along the way recorded something that was completely wrong, and every other researcher since then saved the data and propagated the false information as sharing their own family trees.
So I’ve made myself a list – something I will be updating as I continue my research – that allows me an easy reference to identify a locality without having to Google it and map it every single time. Other researchers, please feel free to use this information to correct your own family trees. I would be very pleased if you cited me (Christina Gleason @ WELLinTHIShouse.com) as your source.
More precisely, I have two lists here. The first is a list of place names that are recognized by Family Tree Maker as valid, and they are plotted properly on the world map. The second list, if you scroll down, is a list of locations that Family Tree Maker does not recognize as valid. There are two types of places on this second list: historical place names that no longer exist but do not have satisfactory modern equivalents, or modern location names that do appear on the map but are still not recognized by FTM for some unknown reason. When possible, I’ve input the GPS coordinates for the latter locations in my FTM entries.
To help myself and others, a list of equivalent location names found in my genealogical research:
Barnstaple, Devon, England | also known as St. Mary Magdalen, Barnstaple Totnes, Devonshire, England
Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as Varenne, Seine Inferieure, Normandy, France
Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, England | also known as Stortford, Hertfordshire, England
Brome-Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada | formerly known as Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada
Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | formerly known as Venoix, Calvados, Normandy, France
Crépy, Oise, Picardie, France | formerly known as Valois, France
Davie, North Carolina, USA | formerly known as Rowan, North Carolina, USA
Épernon, Eure-et-Loir, Centre, France | wrongly known as St Thomas, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Great Hormead, Hertfordshire, England | also known as Saunford, Hertfordshire, England
Grestain, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France | wrongly known as St Grestain, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
Hempsted, Gloucestershire, England | also known as Llanthony Priory, Gloucestershire, England
Holy Island, Durham, England | also known as Lindisfarne, Northumbria, England
Iznik, Bursa, Turkey | formerly known as Nicaea , Bithynia, Turkey
La Visitation-de-l’Île-Dupas, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada | also known as L’Île-Dupas, Quebec, Canada or L’Ile-Dupas, Quebec, Canada
Laois, Ireland | formerly known as Leix, Ireland
Lesvos, Greece | also known as Lesbos, Greece
Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales | also known as Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, Wales or Dynevor Castle, Wales or Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Midhurst, Sussex, England | also known as Riverbank House, Cowdray Park, Sussex, England
Møre og Romsdal, Norway | also known as Raumsdal, Telemark, Norway
Niagara Falls, Niagara, Ontario, Canada | formerly known as Lundys Lane, Bridgewater, Ontario, Canada
Nitra, Nitriansky, Slovakia | formerly known as Nyitra, Solvakia
North Scarle, Lincolnshire, England | wrongly known as No Searles, Lincolnshire, England
Northumberland, England | formerly known as Northumbria, England
Ráth Bhile, Carlow, Ireland | also known as Rathvilly, Carlow, Ireland
Reichpolds, Zwettl, Niederösterreich, Austria | formerly known as Reichpoldesberge, Germany
Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Jouin Sur Mer, La Havre, Normandie, France
Sainte-Famille, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada | also known as Ste-Famille, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada
Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada | also known as Ste-Genevieve-de-Berthier, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada
Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada | formerly known as St Jean, Canada East, Canada
Schwarzen, Regen, Bayern, Germany | wrongly known as Schwartsenen, Germany
Sinsheim, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | also known as Rohrback, Kris, Sensheim, Germany
Southwark, Surrey, England | formerly known as St George the Martyr, Surrey, England
Sporle, Norfolk, England| formerly known as Little Pagrave, Norfolk, England or Little Palgrave, Norfolk, England
St Jean, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France | also known as St Jean, Diocese Coulaine, France
St Jean, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Jean, Mortagne, Perche, France
Steinsfurt, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | wrongly known as Steinsfurt, Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Staindrop, Durham, England | the location of Raby Castle, Durham, England
Thuxton, Norfolk, England | wrongly known as Thruxton, Norfolk, England
Tintern, Monmouthshire, Wales | wrongly known as Tintern Abbey, Pembrokes, Wales
Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Aubin, Tourouvre, Perche, France
Valognes, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | wrongly known as Valoines, Contentin, France
Velikiy Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia | also known as Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia
Historical locations with no satisfactory modern equivalent, or other locations not recognized by Family Tree Maker as legitimate:
Affligem, Belgium
Aghadown, Cork, Ireland
Altyre, Moray, Scotland
Apulia, Italy
Arklow, Wicklow, Ireland
Aupois (Chalpaida), Austrasia
Austrasia
Badenoch, Invernesshire, Scotland
Beaumont-le-Roger, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France
Berestove, Kiev, Ukraine
Bernicia, England
Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, Oise, Picardie, France
Bigorre, Gascony, France
Billunger Mark, Sachsen, Germany
Bodfeld, Harz, Germany
Bois-Guillaume, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
Bothganowan, Moray, Scotland
Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Cappadocia, Nev?ehir, Turkey
Carrickfergus, Antrim, Ireland
Château-du-Loir, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
Château-Landon, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France
Château-Thierry, Aisne, Picardie, France
Comminges, France
Conflent, Pyrenees-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Connacht, Ireland
Couserans, France
Damerham, Hampshire, England | also known as South Damerham Manor & Estate, Damerham, Fordingbridge, Hampshire
Deheubarth, Wales
Dyfed, Wales
East Anglia, England
Ewyas Lacy, Herefordshire, England | also known as Lacy, Herefordshire, England
Eyjafjordur, Iceland
Ferns, Wexford, Ireland
Fézensac, France
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Franconia, Germany
Galloway, Scotland
Gascony, France
Gâtinais, Loiret, Centre, France
Glendalough, Wicklow, Ireland
Hedingham Castle, Essex, England
Hesbaye, Belgium
Kvenland
L’Île-Bouchard, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France | also known as L’Ile-Bouchard, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France
La Charité-sur-Loire, Nièvre, Bourgogne, France
La Ferté-Alais, Essonne, Île-de-France, France
Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, Oise, Picardie, France | also known as St Croix, St Ouen, France
Le Gué-d’Alleré, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France
Leinster, Ireland
Logudoro, Sardegna, Italy | also known as Logudoro, Sardinia, Italy
Luxembourg
Maasgau, Belgium
Maere, Nord-Trondelag, Norway
Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA
Menallan, York, Pennsylvania, USA | wrongly known as Manallen, York, Pennsylvania, USA
Mercia, England
Montferrat, Italy
Munster, Ireland
Murderkill Hundred, Kent, Delaware, USA
Neustria
Nordgau, Bavaria
Normandy, France
Ossory, Ireland
Ossossane, Huronia, Ontario, Canada
Ostmark, Germany
Palestine
Pannonia, Hungary
Perche, France
Pont-Audemer, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France
Prote, Turkey
Provence, France
Ribagorza, Huesca, Aragon, Spain
Saint-André-sur-Sèvre, Deux-Sèvres, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as St-Andre, Deux-Sevres, Poitou-Charentes, France
Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Germain de Montgomery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France or St Germain, Montgomery, Normandy, France
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Île-de-France, France | also known as St Germain Laux, Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Saint-Gilles, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France | also known as St Gilles, Languedoc, France
Saint-Jean-d’Angély, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as Saint Jean d’Angely, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France
Saint-Jean-d’Aubrigoux, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France
Saint-Jouin-Bruneval, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Jouin de Bruneval, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Barrière, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as St Laurent, Barriere, Saintonge, France
Saint-Maclou, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Maclou, Normandie, France
Saint-Martin-d’Aubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Martin d Aubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France or St Martin Daubigney, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France or St Martin Daubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Picardie, France
Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, Drôme, Rhône-Alpes, France | also known as St Rambert d’Albon, Isere, Rhone-Alpes, France
Saint-Riquier, Somme, Picardie, France
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Sauveur, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as Saint Valéry, Normandie, France or St Valery En Caux, Normandy, France or St Valery sur Somme, Somme, Picardie, France
Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Foy de Montgomery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
Sant Feliu de Buixalleu, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Scandinavia
Speyergau, Franconia | also known as Speyergau, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Swabia, Germany
Tegeingl, Flintshire, Wales
Transylvania, Romania
Tynedale, Northumberland, England | wrongly known as Tynedale, Moray, Scotland
Tyre, Lebanon
Ufenau, Schwyz, Switzerland
Västergötland, Gotland, Sweden
Vatican City
Vermandois, France
Vexin, France
Vimbodí i Poblet, Catalonia, Spain
Vitry-le-François, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France
Warren, Sussex, England
Wessex, England
Westerburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
Wigton Magna, Leicestershire, England
Tags: ancestry