James Fulton
Baptized 21st May 1809 at Kirkoswald, Ayrshire – information from the Old Parish Register (OPR) for Kirkoswald , Index only, therefore unconfirmed. His parents were probably James Fulton and Marion Earl and he had 3 brothers John (1807), Alexander (1811) and Gilbert (1813).
From the OPR Rothesay Marriages 1845 [558/ 398/474]
“James Fulton, Teacher, Rothesay, son of James Fulton, Farmer, Parish of Kirkoswald, and Catherine Macindoe, Parish of Govan, daughter of the late Robert Macindoe, Merchant, Glasgow, booked 18th December and married 25th December 1845.”
The formal registration of deaths in Scotland started in 1855. No death record can be found for James so it is assumed that he died sometime between 1851 – 54.
From the 1851 Census at 19 Archibald Place, Edinburgh [685/ 2/ 63/ 5]
James Fulton (41) Head Married Rector of the Edinburgh Normal School born Ayrshire, Kirkoswald
Catherine Fulton (31) Wife Married Teacher’s Wife b Lanarkshire, Glasgow
James Fulton (4) Son Teacher’s son b Edinburgh, St Cuthbert’s
Henry B Fulton (3) Son Teacher’s son b Edinburgh, St Cuthbert’s
John Fulton (under 8 months) son Teacher’s son b Edinburgh, St Cuthbert’s
James A Craig (23) Boarder unmarried Free Church Student of Theology b Lanarkshire, Glasgow
Alexander Wilson (15) Boarder Student of Chemistry in University b Stirlingshire, Bannockburn
Mary Campbell (23) Servant unmarried Nursery Maid b Aberdeenshire, Fraserburgh
Helen G Heath (20) Servant unmarried House Maid b Midlothian, Edinburgh
From the 1861 Census at 10 Academy Street, Ayr [578/ 12/ 2]
Haidie Robertson (45) Wife Married [no occupation] b Midlothian, Edinburgh
William Robertson (12) Son Scholar b Ayrshire, St Quivox
Jane Robertson (9) Daughter Scholar b Ayrshire, St Quivox
William McCulloch (15) Boarder Scholar b Ayrshire, Calmonell
John McCulloch (13) Boarder Scholar b Ayrshire, Calmonell
James Fulton (14) Boarder Scholar b Edinburgh
Henry Fulton (13) Boarder Scholar b Edinburgh
John Fulton (10) Boarder Scholar b Edinburgh
Charles S Hindley (23) Visitor Preacher Original S[ecession] Church b Dumbartonshire, Kirkintilloch
John Millar (11) Visitor Scholar b Lanarkshire, Auchinairn
Rachel Broadburn (16) Servant unmarried Domestic Servant b Ayrshire, Monktown
Mary Cuthbert (15) Servant unmarried Domestic Servant b Ayrshire, Newton
This residence above seems to have been a ‘school boarding house’ of some sort where James Fulton’s 3 sons were resident in 1861.
The following extracts are taken from a small pamphlet in the Bute Museum archives. It is undated but from some time context references it is thought to have been published c1979. The author A.M.Orr was a former headmaster of Rothesay Primary School and a well regarded local historian but he gives no references for his information.
I have included some references to earlier times to indicate how education at this time was so tied up with religion – starting with the SSPCK (Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge) and moving on to the ‘Disruption’ of 1843 when 450 ministers of the Church of Scotland broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland. Ministers, or the funding from churches, provided most of the teachers.
P14 Summary of 1809 Report
Teacher
Place
Number of pupils
James Sharp
Rothesay
56
Daniel Graham
Rothesay
41
John Mckay
Rothesay
41
John McArthur
Port Bannatyne
31
Daniel Bell
Port Bannatyne
48
Alexander Taylor
Kilmichael
15
Walter Leitch
Shalunt
19
John Fisher
Kerrycroy
39
The last three were ‘fermtoun’ schools servicing the rural farming areas.
Summary of 1812 Report
Teacher
Place
Number of pupils
William Bell
Rothesay
54
James Stevenson
Rothesay
43
Lachlan McLachlan
Rothesay
45
John McKay
Rothesay
34
Archibald Whyte
Rothesay
68
Thomas Laidlaw
Rothesay
74
Archibald Currie
Rothesay
7
John Jamieson
Port Bannatyne
49
Archibald Ferguson
Ballianlay
43
Bryce Stewart
Kingarth
47
Peter Blair
Glecknabae
17
As above, the last three were ‘fermtoun’ schools servicing the rural farming areas.
There is a note regarding Archibald Currie and his 7 pupils –
P15 “Currie’s health deteriorated and in 1812 his roll consisted of 7 pupils; they read one subject only – navigation. He faced serious charges before the presbytery of Dunoon and Rothesay [church authority]. … It is noteworthy that a successor, Daniel Macbeth, was appointed following a recommendation by Professor Young of Glasgow University.”
“Daniel Macbeth. The Kirk session chose Macbeth as session clerk and precentor, but as he had no Gaelic qualification, he was required to recompense his deputy at the Gaelic service. … There were in addition to the burgh school, six private schools taught by men and two by schoolmistresses. Costs were met entirely by pupil’s fees. The proprietor of the cotton mill maintained a school for pupils employed.”
Daniel Macbeth died in 1835 and in 1836, Lord Bute, patron of the Burgh School, appointed James Fulton successor to Macbeth at the Burgh School.
P16 “James Fulton and John Clezy, two contemporary schoolmasters, achieved a high standard in education. Fulton, born in Kirkoswald in 1809, commenced teaching in Fulton’s academy at 101 High Street [a few years before 1836]. He soon had large well disciplined classes and was assisted by his brother Alexander, a young teacher John McCrindle and two monitors. In 1836, Lord Bute, patron of the school [Burgh school], appointed him successor to Macbeth.
His curriculum included reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, Latin, Greek, French, English, mathematics, navigation and book-keeping. Fulton was a licensed preacher, he was appointed session clerk and precentor to the High Kirk congregation.
The school was not large enough to meet demands for enrolment under Fulton. In 1837 Lord Bute added a large apartment. According to the Second Statistical Account dated June 1840, there were fifteen schools in the parish. Fulton employed three assistants. Two of the schools were subsidised by Lord Bute; two had rent free classrooms. There were three ladies’ boarding schools and a school of industry for girls who paid one penny per week. The total roll for the fifteen schools was 921. Latin was studied by 39 pupils; of these 30 attended the burgh school. Burgh [Rothesay] population in 1837 was 4,924; the parish had 6,089 inhabitants.”
P17 DISRUPTION
“Lord Bute, patron of the Kirk and of the burgh school, was Lord High Commissioner in 1843 when the Disruption occurred. He was active in support of religion and education before, and after the Disruption. Rev Robert Craig, minister of the High Kirk, and James Fulton were both, on principle, opposed to patronage.
The Lord High Commissioner had been assured that not more than ten or twelve ministers would leave the Establishment, and was greatly chagrined when over four hundred departed to found the Free Church. In a lengthy minute of town council in 1842, John Gillies, town clerk, has the sentence, “It is a fundamental principle of the Church of Scotland that they have the sole appointment, rule, and control of all her own office bearers and members, and have the right to declare what is the Law of Christ in all matters connected with her as a Church of Christ.”
Rev Robert Craig and his congregation, with very few exceptions, established the East Free Church, now known as Trinity [building now closed, and congregation is part of the Isle of Bute Parish Church]. The following schoolmasters were cited to appear before the establishment :- James McFie, John McFarlane, Dugald McPhail, Charles Fletcher, John Weir, Stewart McAllister, Peter McAllister, Duncan Campbell, George Grant, I Guy, James Heron, James Fulton.
Fulton’s defence was in the following terms:- “I have to state that having signed the Confession of Faith and Formula on my admission to the office of parochial schoolmaster of Rothesay I hereby declare my firm adherence to what I then subscribed and express my conviction that I can only fulfil the obligation under which I came in connection with the free protesting church holding it as I do to be the true Church of Scotland to which by God’s grace I resolve steadfastly to adhere”.
P19 “The East Free Church school opened on 6th May 1844 under a management committee including Rev Robert Craig, James Fulton, John Gillies and James Scougall. … Fees paid quarterly were as follows:- reading, 2/-; reading and writing 2/6; reading, writing and arithmetic, 3/-.
In June 1845 the roll was limited to 100 pupils; they were required to pay fees on enrolment. Vacant places were allotted to children of the congregation recommended by an elder or a deacon. Minimum admission age was six years. James Fulton, who had made the regulations, submitted his last minute to the management committee in 1846. He was appointed Rector of the Free Church Normal School at Moray House, Edinburgh. In 1847 he was appointed a member of the first executive of the Educational Institute of Scotland, and with seven other prominent teachers was a member of the first group to receive the FEIS degree.”
Prepared by Isabel Sharp
Bute Museum
November 2024