Balgove
Balgove SSL S NO483171 1 363 35m
Balgoua 1141 x 1150 St A. Lib. 190 [David I’s confirmation charter of the foundation of St Andrews Priory; not mentioned (probably omitted by mistake) in Bp Robert’s charter (ibid. 123); the date is from Duncan 2005, 23]
Balgoua 1156 St A. Lib. 51
Balgoua 1160 x 1162 St A. Lib. 131 [‘with salt-pan’ (cum salina)]
Balgo<u>e 1163 St A. Lib. 54 [printed Balgone; ‘with salt-pan’ (cum salina)]
Balegoua 1165 x 1169 RRS ii no. 28 [o.c.; ‘with salt-pan’ (cum salina)]
Balgoue c.1220 Terrier C [17/18th c. copy; part of Boar’s Raik]
Balg<o>fe 1452 x 1480 RMS ii no. 1444 col. 2 [printed Balgrife; St Andrews Church land]
Balgo<f>e 1471 RMS ii no. 1039 col. 3 [printed Balgose; followed by Saltcotis]
Balgoiff 1587 Assumption, 12 [rental of Holy Trinity Kirk (Ecclesia Trinitatis), St Andrews; leased for 4 bolls wheat; 6 bolls bere; 1 chalder 8 bolls oats]
Balgoif 1593 RMS v no. 2273 [among St Andrews Priory lands]
Balgoif 1625 Retours (Fife) no. 364
Balgoiffe 1628 Retours (Fife) no. 400 [to David Beaton, in barony of Creich]
Balgove 1654 Blaeu (Pont) East Fife
Balgove 1753 Roy sheet 19, 5
Balgove 1775 Ainslie/Fife
Balgove Cottown 1775 Ainslie/Fife
Balgove Links 1855 OS 6 inch 1st edn [refers to a house]
G baile + gobha
‘Smith farm’. OIr gobha ‘smith’ is a nasal stem, which means that it has final n in all cases, sing. and pl., except the nom. sing. This has developed by analogical extension in various ways in modern Scottish and Irish Gaelic, with gen. sing. gobha (or gabha) in many Irish dialects, while in many Scottish dialects the nom. sing. is gobha(i)nn. Balgove, as well as Balgove BMO, show a gen. form analogically extended from the nom. This contrasts with Balgonie ADN and MAI, which clearly show the gen. n-ending.
The lands of Balgove had access to the Eden Estuary, where there was salt-making activity from an early date, first explicitly mentioned 1160 × 1162 (St A. Lib. 131). This gave rise to the Sc name *Saltcotes SSL (q.v.) on the coast here. There was very probably a direct link between the eponymous smith of Balgove and this early salt industry, which would have required the making and repairing of the metal salt-pans.
OS Pathf. also shows Balgove Links.
/balˈgov/ or /bəlˈgov/.
This place-name appeared in printed volume 3