Malcolm Hart (1826-1907)

Malcolm Hart , grandfather of George Russell Hart and therefore great great grandfather of site Author Kevin Hart, was born in Paisley in 1826 to John Hart (1799-1875) and Elizabeth Speirs Hart (tbc).

Malcolm lived at 13 Barr Street in Paisley and is known to have married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Cherry (1824-1869) and later to Jeanie Wilson Smith (1838-), who was herself a widow, on the 30th April 1872. Malcolm and Jeanie were married from 72 Causeyside Street in Paisley.

	The Junction of Causeyside Street and Canal Street Where Malcolm and Jeanie Lived in 1872.

Barr Street no longer exists in Paisley although there is a Barr Place off Canal Street which is where Malcolm's son John was married from in 1874. The current housing stock bears no resemblance to the accommodation that would have existed when Malcolm lived in the area.

	Barr Place in Paisley Leading to George Street

At the 1851 Census, Malcolm and Elizabeth were living at Dovesland which was a suburb in Abbey parish on the South side of Paisley with their daughter Elizabeth and 3 sons William, John and James. Paisley's Neilston Road is now on the site of Dovesland although apparently only a single building which is now a chip shop remains from the original area.

The death entry for Malcolm's first wife Elizabeth is not fully legible but we can determine that Elizabeth was found dead at the age of 45 years on the 13th June 1869. It is possible that Elizabeth was found dead in the Paisley Canal.

Malcolm's second wife Jeanie was also to die aged 45 years on the 2nd May 1883 having being confined latterly within the Riccartsbar Asylum. The conditions within this facility were clearly grim as evidenced by a BMA Report from the period. Malcolm was living at 15 Gordon's Lane at this time. This street disapeared from the Paisley landscape over a hundred years ago but we know from the Post Office records from 1838 that Gordon's Lane ran off Causeyside Street.

	A Rare Thatched Cottage in Gordon's Lane - Malcolm's Home in 1883.

	A Damning British Medical Association Report Concerning the Riccartsbar Asylum.

Malcolm himself enjoyed a long life and was to live on until his 82nd year, passing away on the 24th August 1907. The death certificate noted both Malcolm and his father John were housepainters. His son John was the Informant.

     Family Tree Summary

Forename	Surname	Born	Died	Cause of Death
Malcolm	Hart	1826, Paisley	24/08/1907, Paisley	Senile Debility