Tuberculosis - "the captain of all the men of death"

Tuberculosis was perhaps one of the greatest single causes of death, particularly in young people, from the early 1800's right up until the 1960's. Bunyan described it as the "captain of all the men of death". 

Tuberculosis is part of the social and economic history of the working people of the towns and cities of Scotland and tells us much about their living and working conditions. It was a disease of overcrowded housing, poverty and malnutrition.

Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active infection cough and sneeze. The classic symptoms of  an active infection are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss (the latter giving rise to term "consumption").

Glasgow had the highest death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis in Britain (25 per 1,000 of population). In 1957 an intensive five week campaign was launched to identify TB carriers in the city. Thirty-seven mobile radiography units manned by volunteers visited housing schemes, offices and factories with the initial aim of X-raying 250,000 people. However, intense media coverage and a weekly prize draw from the names of those who came forward helped raise the number of screenings to nearly 715,000.

The Glasgow campaign led to a significant reduction of the incidence of the disease and became the model for campaigns in other British cities.

Agnes Coulter (1859 - 1881)

Agnes, daughter of Joseph Coulter and Eliza Jane Barron, was born at 4 Newfield Lane, Glasgow on the 9th March 1859. In 1871 she was living with her parents and siblings at 38 St James Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow. In 1881 she was living with her parents and siblings at 32 Tower Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow.  She was employed as a biscuit packer.

She died aged 22 from Pulmonary Tuberculolis (Phthisis) and exhaustion at 32 Tower Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow on the 13th July 1881.

Sources:
Statutory Register of Births GROS Data 644/09/0329
Statutory Register of Deaths GROS Data 646/01 0797
Scottish Census: 1871, 1881

Is there a Coulter tartan?

I got asked this question by an American (by which I mean USA citizen) visitor. My off the cuff answer was - these days there is a tartan for just about anyone who wants one! Continuing with my cynical response I went on to point out (no to rant) that tartan was a comparatively modern day invention by 19th and 20th century weavers and city merchants designed to make a profit from the gullible - that it is the stuff of the imaginings of a romantic writer (Sir Walter Scott), an English King of German descent (King George IV) of shortbread tins and garishly clothed dolls.

When George IV visited Scotland in 1822 Scott persuaded him to take part in a plaided pageantry in which he would star as a Stuart Prince and Jacobite Highlander - and so in July 1822 the bloated monarch placed an order with George Hunter & Co of London & Edinburgh for £1,354 and 18 shillings worth of highland outfit in garish red tartan (later known as Royal Stuart), complete with gold chains and assorted weaponry including a dirk, sword and pistols.

I can say this with certainty - if you are a Coulter, your ancestors were Lowlands Scots or Ulster Scots. They were not of the highland clans (Celts) with whom plaid twill (tartan) is traditionally associated in Scotland. That is not to say that the weavers of the lowland Scotland did not weave simple plaids that were associated with districts - or with Jacobean protest against the Union of Parliaments.

When King George III repealed the Act of Proscription of the Highland Garb in 1782 and made it legal to were tartan again little would he have guessed that he was about to create a Scottish icon. A Scottish humourist once observed that when a Scotsman leaves his homeland his skin immediately becomes tartan. The truth is that for the many thousands of Scots who have left these shores (and there is an estimated 50 to 60 million of us around the globe), tartan represent not just home, but a notion of shared culture and values and pride in being a Scot. In my book there is nothing wrong with that! The fact that tartan, along with whisky, has not only become a great Scottish icon but is worth an estimated £350 million to the Scottish economy makes it worth setting aside my cynical tendancies.

But here is the rub - there is no such thing as a Coulter tartan!

Ok - to contradict myself - there is a Coulter tartan if you really want one - and I confess to having a kilt and all of the bits and bobs that go with it (picture to follow).

If you are a Coulter there are three district tartans you could wear:

Galloway Hunting: This was my choice - I have lived and worked  in Galloway for most of my life - and this plus the fact that it is also my mother (whose maiden name was Heron) tartan, made the choice a "no brainer". The version below with the yellow line changed to white is produced commercially by both Lochcarron and Ingles Buchan (Textiles). The designer, John Hannay, was a chiropodist living in London and said that this 'everyday tartan' was in four shades of green with a yellow and red stripe. It was woven by Cree Mills of Newton-Stewart with only two shades however and the yellow line was replaced with a white.

Galloway - Hunting (Hannay, John pre 1939) ITI No 1467

Galloway Red - Dress Tartan: One of samples in the Scottish Tartan Society's collection (the MacGregor-Hastie Collection) shows this sett with the narrow stripes of green, red, white and blue. The more usual version uses four threads for the green and the yellow (white in this version). This variation in which the yellow line changed to white is produced commercially by Lochcarron, Ingles Buchan and Moffat Woollen Mill.

Galloway - Dress. (Hannay, John 1950)  ITI No 843

County Down - Irish District Tartan: One of a series of Irish District tartans designed by Polly Wittering of the House of Edgar. These are not 'officially sanctioned' District tartans but have apparently proved popular and no doubt in time will be accepted as genuine District rather than Fashion tartans.

County Down - Irish District Tartan. ITI No 2266

It would appear that a Coulter family commissioned D C Dalgliesh of Selkirk to design two "personal" tartans. I guess they wouldn't object to other Coulters wearing these tatans.

Coulter Tartan. ITI No 3585

Coulter - Dress Tartan. ITI No 4142

Thomas Coulter (1856 - ?)

Thomas, son of Joseph Coulter and Eliza Jane Barron, was born at 4 Newfield Lane, Tradeston, Glasgow on the 2nd December 1856.

In 1881 at the age of 24 Thomas was living with his parents at 32 Tower Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow.

Thomas married Margaret Hamilton McCabe, daughter of Thomas McCabe and Margaret Hamilton, at Eastwood Manse, Eastwood, Renfrewshire, Scotland on the 8th April 1885. He was employed as a driller at a shipyard.

Thomas and Margaret had two (?) children: Margaret Hamilton Coulter (1884 - ?), and Mary Coulter (1886 - 1886).

In 1891 Thomas was living with Margaret (29) and his daughter Margaret H (6) at 80 Stanley Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow. He was employed as an Iron Driller. By 1901 the family had moved to 122 Henderson Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow. Thomas was employed as an Iron Buffer and his daughter Margaret, now aged 16, as a rope worker.

Sources:
1. Statutory Register of Births GROS Data 644/09 1314
2. Statutory Register of Marriages GROS Data 562/00 0041
3. Scottish Census: 1881, 1891

Robina Coulter (1868 - 1902)

Robina, daughter of Joseph Coulter and Eliza Jane Barron, was born at Stobos Front Landing, St James Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow on the 6th May 1868. She died aged 33 from Broncho Pneumonia at 77 McLean, Govan, Glasgow on the 12th March 1902.

In 1871 she was living with her parents at 38  St James Street (front landing), Kinning Park, Glasgow. In 1881 Robina was living with her parents at 35 Tower Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow.

Robina married John Smith, son of  John Smith and Margaret Donachie, at 6 Cecil Place, Paisley Road West, Kinning Park, Glasgow on the 9th July 1886. John was born around 1865 in Ireland. His father was a contractors carter.

Robina and John had six children

1. Martha Coulter Smith (1887 - ?)
2. Margaret Coulter Smith (1890 - ?)
3. Emily Smith (1891 - ?)
4. John Smith (1891 - ?)
5. Joseph Coulter Smith (1894 - 1958)
6. Samuel Coulter Smith (1897 - 1898).

Margaret and Emily were born in Sweden.

At the date of her marriage to John Robina was employed as a biscuit packer.

In 1901 Robina was living at 42 Cornwall Street along with John (35), her daughters Martha (13), Emily (10) and sons John (9) and Joseph (6). John Snr was employed as a biscuit baker.

John was alive when Robina died in 1902.

After Robina's death (and presumably also John) Martha, Margaret, John and Joseph lived with their Aunt Martha. The 1911 Census records them living at 72 West Street, Kingston, Glasgow along with their Aunt Martha and her husband Archibald C Buchanan.

Sources:
1. Statutory Register of Births GROS Data 646/01 0377
2. Statutory Register of Marriages GROS Data 646/01 0050
3. Statutory Register of  Deaths GROS Data 646/01 0900
4. Scottish Census: 1901, 1911

Samuel Coulter (1865 - ?)

Samuel, son of Joseph Coulter and Eliza Jane Barron, was born at Stobos Front Landing, St James Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow on the 17th August 1865.

He married Annie Ford, daughter of Michael Ford and Jane Cameron, at 1 Cornwall Sreet, Kinning Park, Glasgow on the 3rd April 1889.

Sources:
1. Statutory Register of Births GROS Data 646/01 0654)
2. Statutory Register of Marriages GROS Data 646/01 0027

Kinning Park & Tradeston - The Streets Where We Lived

Below is a map of Kinning Park showing many of the streets where my family lived.  These are listed below the map. (Many street names in Glasgow have changed over time - particularly when the Burghs of Govan & Kinning Park were incorporated into Glasgow City. A record can be found on line at Glasgow Guide. On line maps can be found at the National Library of Scotland website.

1. Cornwall Street (No's 46,48 and 50)

Located to the east of Kinning Park and running south to north onto Paisley Road West.

2. Eaglesham Street

3. Henderson Street (No 104) (Became Howwood Street)

Shown on the map, but as Howwood Street, it ran south off Scotland Street to the east of Scotland Street School.

4. Lambhill Street (No 133)

Located to the east of Cornwall Street and running south to north onto Paisley Road West.

5. Merryland Street, Govan

6. McLean Street (No 38)

7. Newfield Lane, Tradeston

8. Ritchie Street, Tradeston (No 6)

9. Rutland Crescent

First road west of The Angel between Paisley Road West and Govan Road.

10.  St James Street (Stobos Front Landing) (No 38 front landing)

Now Seaward Street. Runs parallel to Shields Road, crossing Scotland Street north to its junction with Paisley Raod.

11. St James Terrace

Not shown on the map, but was located at the southernmost end of St James Street (Seaward Street) between St James Street and the Harbour Branch of the Caledonian Railway.

12. Stanley Street (Nos 80, 114)

Runs north from Vermont Street, crossing Scotland Street, to its junction with Paisley Road West.

13. Tower Street (No 35)

Off Lambhill Street, south of Milnpark Street.

14. Vermont Street (Nos 32, 34)

To the south of and running parallel with Scotland Street west from Seaward Street.

15. Watt Street

Located east of Shields Road and running south to north between Scotland Street and Paisley Road.

16. West Street (No 72)