Hugh Coulter (abt. 1828 - 1887)

Born about 1828 in Glasgow Scotland [uncertain]

Husband of Isabella (Yates) Coulter — married 25 Mar 1849 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland

Husband of Mary (Laing) Coulter — married Mar 1863 in Poplar, London

Descendants

Died 5 May 1887 at about age 59 in Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Hugh Coulter was believed to have been born in Glasgow area of Scotland, but one census record had him shown as Irish. It is probable that he was born in Scotland of Irish descent,.

Hugh was married twice. His first wife Isabella Coulter (nee Yates) died in 1862 and 3 of his children, Charles William COULTER, George Inkerman COULTER, and Alice COULTER, died before reaching adulthood.

Hugh then married Mary Laing and had 6 more children. The first of these, Isabella, named after his first wife, also died as a child. Only one of his children from his first marriage survived - William, who was recorded as a Musician in the 1881 Census. Jessie, Hugh, George, Fred and Mary (known as Polly) were the 5 surviving children of his second marriage.

At the time of the 1871 Census, the family were in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and Hugh was listed as a Licensed Victualler, born in Scotland.^[1]

At the time of the 1881 Census, the family was at the Red Lion Inn in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.^[2]

Hugh travelled to Australia with his young son George on board the Chimborazo, arriving in August 1882, as an Unassisted Passenger. ^[3]

Hugh then travelled on to NZ to setup the Milton Pottery Factory, but on his arrival there was a fire which destroyed much of the building.^[4]

Hugh later returned to Australia. His 5 children all were in Australia at that stage. His wife had remained in England, and only came to Australia later on.

A letter written 5th June 1883 by NZ immigration to the Bishop of Dunedin in NZ acknowledging receipt of his letter which indicated that Hugh was separated from his wife for more than 7 years and he wished support for the bringing of his children to NZ. They were 1 child and 4 adults at that time. The Bishop had annotated the letter and sent it back to Hugh asking for the correct number of children.

Hugh had his Eccles & Coulter pottery business in Milton dissolved in 1884, and he took over full ownership.^[5]

Just two years later he was in Court in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia.

"Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 9 September 1886, page 3

SANE OR INSANE.

An illustration of the. the old adage that doctors differ, was afforded at Brunswick Police Court yesterday, when an elderly man named Hugh Coulter was presented before the presiding justices, by Sergeant Brown, on a charge of lunacy. The unfortunate man was taken into custody on the 25th ult., when he was examined by Drs. L. Henry aud Talbot, whose opinions as to his mental condition were at variance, and he was consequently remanded for examination by Dr. Shields at the Mel-bourne Gaol, and the following certi-ficate was forwarded by that gentleman: —"Coulter is very rational, and even in-telligent, but there is one point concerning which, I am inclined to think, that he is probably under a delusion, viz., that his eldest son has formed a conspiracy to get the father's house, as he (the son), intends getting married. Of course, I am unable to say whether there is any truth in the statement and sign attached form conditionally. If the Bench are satisfied from local information of a reliable nature, that there is no such conspiracy, and that Coulter is under a delusion, then I regard him as insane and unsafe to be at large, especially to his eldest son, and perhaps also to his daughter. Hence, if he is under the above de-lusion, use my certificate attached, but not otherwise. A. Shields, M.D." Coulter's son stated his father had been laboring under delusions for some time past, and was in the habit of going about at night. He would go into their bedrooms, dancing and singing, and on one occasion was flourishing a knife. He struck his brother with a stick. No threats had ever been made to turn him out of the house. Sergeant Brown stated that on the 25th July Coulter went to the station in an eccontric manner and reported an outrage at the Moreland road station upon a woman, which he witnessed, but for which there was no foundation. Coulter made a long rambling statement of having come from New Zealand, meeting with reverses, and having been separated from his wlfe for a number of years, but that she was now on her way out in the ship Victory, but he had kept this a secret in order to surprise his family. The Bench again remanded him for fourteen days"^[6]

Hugh Coulter was admitted to Yarra Bend Asylum in September 1886 with dementia and incipient senile paralysis, and died there in 1887 ^[7]b from suffocation during an epileptic fit according to the inquest.^[8][9]

He is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBF6-DGX : 20 January 2022), Hugh Coulter, 1871.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27K-1M6S : 13 December 2017), Hugh Coulter, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 25, Piece/Folio 3431/85, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,000.
3. ↑ https://www.prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/unassisted-passenger-lists
4. ↑ DESTRUCTIVE FIRE., Wanganui Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 4928, 2 December 1882, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WH18821202.2.14
5. ↑ Page 2 Advertisements Column 4, Bruce Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 1578, 22 January 1884, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BH18840122.2.7.4
6. ↑ SANE OR INSANE. (1886, September 9). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241241509
7. ↑ Victorian Deaths, Certificate Family name: COULTER Given name(s): Hugh Event: deaths Mother's name / Spouse's name: <Unknown Family Name> Mother's family name at birth: Father's name: <Unknown Family Name> Place of birth: Place of death: C'TON HILL Spouse at Death: <Unknown Family Name> Age at Death: 59 Reg. year: 1887 Reg. number: 5772/1887
8. ↑ "Australia, Victoria, Inquest Deposition Files, 1840-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24C-YLVV : 28 September 2016), Hugh Coulter, 1887.
9. ↑ http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=7132125859
10. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204436602/hugh-coulter