Editing Arbroath (section)

===Toponymy===
The earliest recorded name was 'Aberbrothock', referring to the Brothock [[Stream|Burn]] that runs through the town. The prefix ''Aber'' derived either from the Gaelic 'Obair',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beveridge |first=E. |title=The 'Abers' and 'Invers' of Scotland |publisher=W. Brown |year=1923}}</ref> or the earlier Brythonic term ''Aber'' for confluence or river mouth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Price |first=G. |title=Languages in Britain & Ireland |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2000 |location=Oxford |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2PiAUygVGTcC&q=cumbric+caer |access-date=27 January 2009 |isbn=978-0-631-21581-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Watson |first=W.J. |year=1926 |title=The Celtic Placenames of Scotland |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh}}</ref> The name Aberbrothock was spelt numerous ways. The earliest manuscripts available have it as "Abirbrothoke" (in a letter to Edward I confirming the Treaty of Salisbury, which agreed that the [[Queen regnant]], [[Margaret, Maid of Norway]] would marry [[Edward I of England|Edward I]])<ref name="Various 1290">Various authors (1290) [http://www.rps.ac.uk/search.php?action=fc&fn=margaret_ms&id=id47&query=Abirbrothoke&type=ms&variants=Abirbrothoke&google=Abirbrothoke# Letters: confirmation of the treaty of Salisbury] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601005312/http://www.rps.ac.uk/search.php?action=fc&fn=margaret_ms&id=id47&query=Abirbrothoke&type=ms&variants=Abirbrothoke&google=Abirbrothoke |date=1 June 2013}}, www.rps.ac.uk; Retrieved 12 December 2008.</ref><!--This reference seems to use a nonexistent template--> and "Aberbrothok" (in a subsequent letter of consent to the marriage).<ref name="Various 1290"/> In the [[Declaration of Arbroath]], it is seen as "Abirbrothoc".<ref name="doa">Various authors (1320) [http://www.rps.ac.uk/search.php?action=fc&fn=roberti_ms&id=id193&query=Abirbrothoc&type=ms&variants=Abirbrothoc&google=Abirbrothoc# Letters: 'The Declaration of Arbroath'; letter of the barons of Scotland to Pope John XXII] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601050045/http://www.rps.ac.uk/search.php?action=fc&fn=roberti_ms&id=id193&query=Abirbrothoc&type=ms&variants=Abirbrothoc&google=Abirbrothoc |date=1 June 2013}}, www.rps.ac.uk; Retrieved 12 December 2008.</ref> Early maps show a number of variants including Aberbrothock,<ref>T. Pont, c. 1583–1596 [https://archive.today/20120710022552/http://maps.nls.uk/counties/detail.cfm?id=289 Lower Angus and Perthshire east of the Tay], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008</ref><ref>J. Ainslie, 1794 [https://archive.today/20120905022803/http://www.nls.uk/maps/joins/577.html Map of the county of Forfar or Shire of Angus], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref> Aberbrothik,<ref>R. Edward, 1678, [https://archive.today/20120904035231/http://www.nls.uk/maps/counties/detail.cfm?id=200 Angusia Provincia Scotiae, The Shire of Angus], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref> Aberbrothick,<ref>G. Taylor and A. Skinner, 1776 [http://www.nls.uk/maps/atlas/taylor-skinner/detail.cfm?id=1094 Survey and maps of the roads of North Britain or Scotland: Road from Aberbrothick to Brechine.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606041154/http://www.nls.uk/maps/atlas/taylor-skinner/detail.cfm?id=1094 |date=6 June 2009}}, www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref><ref name="Knox">J. Knox, 1850 [https://archive.today/20120904054722/http://www.nls.uk/maps/coasts/chart.cfm?id=842 Map of the Basin of the Tay, including the greater part of Perthshire, Strathmore and the Braes of Angus or Forfar], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref> and Aberbrothwick.<ref>W. Roy, 1747–55, [http://www.nls.uk/maps/roy/index.html Military Survey of Scotland] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818023139/http://www.nls.uk/maps/roy/index.html |date=18 August 2009}}, www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref>

The modern name Arbroath came into common use from the mid-19th century,<ref name="Knox"/> the older name being largely dropped by the time of the first Ordnance Survey edition.<ref>Ordnance Survey (1888) [http://www.nls.uk/maps/os/oneinch_1st_list.html 1 inch to the mile maps of Scotland 1st Edition. Sheet 49] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225111032/http://www.nls.uk/maps/os/oneinch_1st_list.html |date=25 February 2009}}, www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref> However, variants of 'Arbroath' had been used since the 17th century, including 'Arbroth'<ref>R. Gordon, c. 1636-52, [https://archive.today/20120905172853/http://www.nls.uk/maps/counties/detail.cfm?id=29 Anguss], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref> and Aberbreth.<ref>H. Moll, 1732, [https://archive.today/20120909130059/http://www.nls.uk/maps/counties/detail.cfm?id=232 The Shire of Angus or Forfar], www.nls.uk; Retrieved 11 December 2008.</ref>