Peasants to Puddles
My Family History - By Nicky Rowberry

The Coltharts

Jane Johnstone (nee Saddler) was one of my great great grandmothers. She was born in 1844 in Crawfordjohn, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Her baptism entry reads that she is Jane, the daughter of Jean Colthart and that her father was "reputedly" Thomas Saddler. I don't know what happened to Thomas Saddler, I have found no trace of him so far. Her mother Jean Colthart subsequently married James Hoatson in 1848. James & Jane went on to have at least 7 children together, who would have been half brothers and sisters to my Jane Saddler. For more information on the Hoatsons please click on the following link:

However, Jane Saddler may not have been brought up with her mother and siblings. In the 1851 census she is recorded, aged 6, on a different page to the rest of the family. I have not had the chance to look at the original records, so I don't know yet who she was living with. Similarly in 1861 she is recorded separately, although by this time she would probably have been away from home working anyway. Jane married William Johnstone in 1869 in Crawfordjohn. For more information on the Johnstones please click on the following link:

Jane's mother, Jean Colthart, came from a large family, which can be traced more or less definitely back to a marriage in 1705 in Crawfordjohn. There were many descendants of the Coltharts living in and around Crawfordjohn in the late nineteenth century and the churchyard contains many Colthart gravestones. Her brother Thomas and his wife Janet died of smallpox in the same week in 1872, but left many children and grandchildren.

Jean's brother William outlived her by a year and died in 1892. He had been one of the witnesses as his niece Jane Saddler's marriage in 1869. He spent most of his life living at Shuttlefield, Crawfordjohn and raised many children between his two wives.

William & Jean's parents were John Colthart, a farmer in Crawfordjohn, and Jean Gemmell. Unfortunately John Colthart died in 1854 just before the offical death registration came into force in Scotland in 1855. So for the moment I cannot be absolutely certain as to his parentage, which has therefore been shown with a dotted line on the tree below. Jean Gemmell died in 1869 and her death certificate shows her father to be William Gemmell, a lead smelter. The lead mining industry was an important one in the area. The parish of Leadhills is within 5 miles of Crawfordjohn and there is now a museum of lead mining nearby.

The family tree below summarises what I know about the Colthart family. It is hopefully reasonably accurate, but if you spot any errors, or any relatives, please feel free to E-mail me

Please click on one of the red links on the tree to move to a different page.

If any of the above is of further interest, please feel free to contact me at: n.rowberry@btinternet.com

Peasants to Puddles - My Family History. By Nicky Rowberry