ORIGINS IN GREAT BRITAIN
All Coulthart families can trace their origins to the United Kingdom, specifically to the countries of Scotland and England. The Coulthart surname and all of its variations were researched in depth by Alfred Coulthard of Piddletrenthide, Dorset County, England from the early 1920’s to 1999. In 1978 he published a book entitled “A Coulthard! The History of a Surname in Great Britain: One Family’s Seven Hundred Years of Border History”
According to Alfred’s research, the oldest recordings of the surname appear in 1272 exclusively in the valley of the Ure/Ouse River in Yorkshire County in North Central England. By the 1500’s the Coulthart surname had spread north and northwest to the region known as the “Borders” which lies along the border of Scotland and England. In addition to Yorkshire, Coulthart families were now found in the border counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham and Northumberland in northern England and Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Ayr, Lanark, Selkirk, Roxburgh, Berwick, East Lothian and Mid Lothian in southern Scotland. The “Borders” was an area plagued by many wars, as in the 13th century, the English under Edward I. His successors were constantly at battle with the Scots in an effort to subdue them. This ongoing conflict between Scotland and England was waged on and off, mainly in the border areas, until the crowns were eventually united by James VI of Scotland peacefully succeeding to the English throne as James I in 1603 on the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Scotland and England were drawing closer together, as the period of continual strife between them receded in time. The Coulthart families remained in these fourteen counties until the great migrations to the New World and the South Pacific or the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which cause migration from rural areas to the cities as society changed from agricultural to industrial.
Alfred theorizes that the original Coulthart’s may have come from a town called Coudehard in the district of Orne in the province of Normandy, France. The earliest Coulthart families in Great Britain were always found along side the surnames Percy and Lucy who, as lords and barons, were major landowners in Yorkshire and the Borders from 1066 onwards. The Lucy family originated in the town of Luce, only a mile or so from Coudehard and the Percy family came from the town of Percy in the same region of Normandy. During the feudal period, Norman barons usually recruited their household servants from Normandy. Alfred believes it is highly likely that after the Norman Conquest, the Coulthart’s migrated to Great Britain in the service of the Percy and Lucy families. The family then moved north and northwest into the Borders area under the leadership of the Percy’s and Lucy’s during the campaigns of Edward I. All of the early Border recordings of the Coulthart surname were without exception located in strongholds garrisoned by the English army of occupation. This would explain the early distribution of the surname only in areas where Percy and Lucy families owned land.
Further evidence for a Norman origin is the way in which the surname was listed in early records. It was most often recorded as “de Coulthart” which translated from the French means ‘of’ or ‘from Coulthart’ indicating the surname was a reference to a geographical place of French origin.
The Arms of Coulthart of Coulthart and Collyn granted in 1846 to William Coulthart of Collyn, Dumfrieshire, Scotland consists of the three horses the family was allegedly bound to furnish the King in times of war.
JOHN COULTHART
John Coulthart was born on May 12, 1779 in Cummertrees, Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He was the son of John Coulthart (1747-1803) and Margaret Ray (1752-1829).
Around 1799 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Pasley. John and Elizabeth had two children: William (1800-1880) and John (1804-??). Apparently, Elizabeth died shortly after the birth of their second child. She was buried in the Cummertrees Parish kirkyard next to John’s parents and grandparents.
Around 1809 John married his second wife, Mary Carruthers about 1809. Mary was born on November 11, 1790 in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. John was a tenant farmer at Riddingdyke, a farm on the coast of the Solway Firth owned by the Marquis of Queensberry. John and Mary had nine children:
- Elizabeth (1810-??)
- Jane (1812-1892)
- Mary (1813-1829)
- Margaret (1814-aft 1891)
- James (1816-1888)
- Christina (1818-1876)
- Walter (1820-1892)
- Andrew (1822-aft 1871)
- David (1823-aft 1881)
- Sometime between October 1823 and January 1827, John, Mary and the eleven children immigrated to North Lunenburg, Stormont County, Ontario not far from the St. Lawrence River. Three more children were born in Ontario:
- Henrietta (1827-1913)
- Thomas (1828-1899)
- Jonah (1831-1890).
Mary died on January 26, 1835, and John on November 19, 1852. They are buried at the Willis Cemetery in North Lunenberg.
JONAH COULTHART
Jonah Coulthart was born on November 19, 1831. He married Catherine Annie Gillespie, who was born on December 25, 1834 in Augher, County Tyrone, Ireland the daughter of James Gillespie and Frances Swane, both of whom were also born in County Tyrone. Jonah and Catherine remained in the Lunenburg area. They had eight children:
- John Irwin born 1854 died 1871
- Mary Frances born 1856 died 1858
- James Byron born 1857 died 1914, married Marilla E. Tilton in 1876
- Frances Lucinda born 1859
- William Milton born 1861
- Mary Agnes born 1865 died 1915, married George W. Claxton in 1901
- George Jonah born 1868 died 1968, married Lillian A. Hutchins in 1905
- Annie born 1871 died 1832
1871 CENSUS Osnabruck Township, Stormont Co., Ontario, Canada:
Jonah Coulthart, born Ontario, Wesleyan Methodist, carriage maker, given age 39
Catherine A. (Gillespie) Coulthart, born Ireland, given age 37
John Irwin Coulthard age 16
James Byron Coulthart age 13
Lucinda Coulthart age 11
William Milton Coulthart age 9
Mary Agnes Coulthart age 5
George Jonah Coulthart age 3
Annie Coulthart was born in 1871.
Jonah died in March 29, 1890 at the age of 58. Catherine died on September 4, 1922. They are buried at the Waterdown Cemetery, Lunenberg.
Wife of
Jonah Coulthart
Died Sep.4 1922
Aetatis (at the age of) 88 Yrs.
A LETTER FROM JONAH COULTHART TO HIS SISTER JANE
This is a letter that was written in 1883 by Jonah to his sister Jane, who was married to William Hunter, and farmed at Northfield MN. It is transcribed exactly as the original and contains some punctuation with very little capitalization and a number of spelling errors. Comments have been added in brackets where necessary and the sentences have been separated to make it easier to read.
This letter indicates that family members from Ontario visited Minnesota. The people mentioned in the letter are: their sister Margaret – Mrs. Abraham Gardner, a widow from Lunenburg and her son Abraham; their sister Henrietta – Mrs. Ira Moke, also of Lunenburg; Henry Maskel, whose identity and relationship are unknown, may have been the half brother of Jane’s husband William; and Jonah’s children: James Byron, Milton, George and Annie.
Lunenburg April 2/83
Dr Sister
I received yours a few days ago and was pleased to hear you were all well. we are all as well as usual excepting myself I sometimes think I am better than I was a year ago. and than at times I am so very miserable. but on the whole I think I am slightly improved. before I got sick some 2 years ago my weight was from 190-195 in about 9 months I run down to 138 lbs. that was you see a considerable below zero. this winter I weigh about 150 lbs. which shows a little improvement In that direction and I have great reason to be thankfull that I am as well as I am. my whole trouble seems to be indigestion for the last 18 months I have lived principally on porage [porridge] and milk. almost any thing else that I eat seems to distress me. I am usually low spirited. General weekness. It is with great difficulty at times that I can get around to attend to my business. I am in hopes that when spring and summer comes again that I may be better. I have been thinking of going out to see the friends in Minnesota this summer if I think I can stand the journey. I think the trip would do me good after I would get their and I would like to see you all once more in the flesh. Margaret is well at present She was very poorly for a time this winter. She is living alone in her own old house Abraham her son lives next to her about 100 feet distant. Haniretta [Henrietta] and her family are well. the friends in winchester are about as usual. Henry Maskel (Wm’s half brother) is about at the end of his earthly pilgramage. I understand he was settleing up his wordly affairs. on Saturday making his will. So it is with us in this world. we strugle toil and labour a few years here at most and then we pass away and happy for us if to a city that hath habitations whose builder and maker is God. I am still carrying on the carriage business. trying to make out a living (I of course have become superasited [superseded] as far as work is concerned) James Byron our oldest son is living about 6 miles from here he has three children all boys. our 2nd son Milton works in the shop. he does the painting and carriage triming. the 3rd son George Jonah is going to school and our youngest daughter Annie. I have given you a very condensed account of matters which will perhaps answer for the present. If I am spared to get up this next summer I can give you a full and detailed a/c [account] of matters Should I not get up I will then have to give you a more particular a/c of matters & things. no more at present from your brother Jock
J. Coulthart
MARY AGNES (AGGIE) COULTHART
Aggie was born in 1865, the sixth child of Jonah and Catherine Coulthart.
Lake George is in northeastern New York.
Aggie became involved with the Holiness Movement Church which was formed by Ralph C. Horner in the 1890’s, during the midst of the Second Great Awakening in North America. Horner was the uncle of Jack Horner who was a Member of Parliament for the Acadia and later Crowfoot Constituency in Alberta from 1958-79.
Ralph Horner recognized that women were essential in the church’s attempt to proclaim the gospel to the multitudes. As a result of this belief, he commissioned women as evangelists. In the fall of 1897, Agnes Coulthart and Lois Moke left the Cornwall area to go to the Kingston area as circuit riding evangelists. In recognition of their crucial role, they became known as “deaconesses”, which gave them a voice in the leadership of the denomination.
Mary Agnes married George Claxton, an Inverary area farmer, on July 5, 1901 in Kingston. He was born in 1871, the son of John Claxton and Ruth Toland. George’s younger brother Edwin was a minister in the Holiness Movement Church. He was very involved in the leadership of the denomination. It is likely that Edwin played a role in the relationship between Aggie and George, as they named their first daughter “Eva”, which was the name of Edwin’s wife.