John Hart (1799-1875)

John Hart , son of Malcolm Hart (1774-tbc) and Isabella Campbell Hart (tbc) was born in Paisley in 1799.

John married Elizabeth Speirs on the 20th June 1817 in Paisley and we know that he was a House Painter. The Fowler's Commercial Directory for Paisley in 1838-1839 notes a John Hart - painter, living at 21 School Wynd. John's choice of profession presumably demonstrating that hand-loom weaving no longer offered Paisley men an attractive or viable means of earning a living with a quote from Cobbet in 1832 stating "the weavers of Paisley are covered in rags and half-starved".

	School Wynd in Paisley Centre

John and Elizabeth had a son Malcolm in 1826 reintroducing John's father's name. The couple appear however not to have remained married per the undernoted observations regarding John's later life.

	Fowler's Commercial Directory for Paisley 1838-1839

The death entry for John notes that he married for a second time - to a Christina Kendrick. However, by the 1841 Census, Christina Hart was living alone at 20 New Smith hills in Paisley, site of the old Swan Inn, with her occupation noted as an Inn Keeper. Fowler's Commercial Directory for Paisley 1838-1839 also lists a William Hart at 22 New Smith hills. The Swan Inn survives in Paisley to this day and in the last few years has become known for live music.

	Old Swan Inn in Paisley where Christina Hart was living as the landlady in 1841.

John's first wife Elizabeth may by this time living in Hill Street Glasgow. John passed away aged 76 years on the 13th May 1875, he latterly had resided at the Burgh Poorhouse.

The Paisley Burgh Poorhouse was opened in May 1752 at the West side of Sneddon Street. A lunatic asylum was also incorporated into the site. A report by the Visiting Office from the Board of Supervision in 1856 identified that the Poorhouse provisions, in terms of overall comfort and accommodation, were poor even by the modest standards of the times.

	Paisley Burgh Poorhouse Site Map in 1858.

	Copy of John and Elizabeth's Marriage Proclamation From 20th June 1817.

     Family Tree Summary

Forename	Surname	Born	Died	Cause of Death
John	Hart	1799, Paisley	19/05/1875, Paisley	General Debility