My ancestor John Caldwell was born in St Quivox Parish to Allan Caldwell and Janet Guthrie, the elsdest son apparently and there was a family of seven children - the last born at Old Rome. Allan was a collier and probably originally worked at the mines of Newton on Ayr untilthey were worked out and then probably at Gatesise or the mines near Riccarton. I don't know where John's parents came from, when they were born, when they married or when they died. I have a clue that Janet may have come from Irvine as there is a birth there that is about the right age to a John Guthrie and Janet Brown.

John Caldwell came to Galston before 1799 as he was in the Muster Roll of that date. He married Mary Morton around about that time as their first child was born in 1801. He worked as a papermaker at the Straith mill near Greenholm and their children were born either at Straith or one or other of the Maxwood farms nearby. Mary died and John seem to have moved into Galston and the family must have known the Yeudall family. John married Agnes McClanachan as his second wife and had a total of 13 children by his two wives. Sons who stayed in the district were John from thje first marriage who married Annie Woodburn and David from the second marriage who married Isabella Robertson. There were a share of tragedies and early deaths. The family seems to have gone back into coalmining.

A problem for genealogists in Galston is that there were a number of John Caldwell's. There was the son of William and Elizabeth Breckenridge. John Caldwell of Loudoun Parish with his wife Janet Mair and big brood of sons and "oor" John who married firstly Mary Morton and then Agnes Breckenridge and who had another John.

Mary Morton may well be the daughter of Matthew Morton and Mary Richmond of Gowanbraeheid farm in the upper Irvine valley east of Priestland.

(to be continued)

Tom Caldwell

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