Workbook on Digital Private Papers > NCA Rules
Constructing place names using NCA Rules
A place name is a term which allows the accurate identification of a geographical entity and which distinguishes between such entities with the same name. Place names may be composed of:
- Place
- Civil parish/township
- Town/city/urban or rural district/riding/other local administrative unit
- County, borough, or other wider administrative unit
- Country
Place
The chief form of a place name will generally be that found in the primary documentary evidence. If possible the name should then be verified in a standard work of reference, e.g. Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britiain (London, 1989). For England, Wales and Scotland, OS National Grid references should be used for all current place names and, wherever possible, for non-current place names. Places outside of the British Isles should be identified by latitude and longitude.
Use as many components as required to accurately identify a place, distinguishing it from those bearing the same name. The elements should be relevant to the country of origin. There are specific rules for the construction of indexing place terms for English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and foreign names. See sections 3.3.1, 3.4.2, 3.5.1, 3.6.1, 3.7.1 of the NCA rules for specific guidance.
Civil parish/township
For English place names F A Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England (London, Royal Historical Society, 2 vols, 1981, 1991) provides an authoritative list for civil parishes. See the relevant sections of the Rules for advice on Scottish, Welsh and Irish parishes.
Town/city/urban or rural district/riding/other local administrative unit
Town/city/urban or rural district/riding or other local administrative unit can be used as place names in their own right or act as qualifiers. Names contemporary with the primary sources should be used.
County/county borough/other wider administrative unit
Again a County/county borough/other wider administrative unit may be a place in its own right, or may act as an addition or qualifier to identify other places. The name which is contemporary with the primary sources should be used.
Country
In the case of overseas place names, the name of the country to which the place belonged should be supplied within square brackets, if not stated in the original document. The form of name contemporary with the document should be used. Examples:
- St Petersburg, Russia
- Leningrad, [USSR]
Examples
- Grimsby| Lincolnshire| TA 2709
- Kingston upon Hull
X Hull
Examples encoded in <ead>:
