John Sharp was born in Mauchline Parish, Ayrshire, on the 10th, and baptised on the 17th of April 1785.
He appears as a coal-miner on the death certificate of his daughter, Agnes Sharp. He was consistently referred to as a collier from Barr (Barr Street?) on all known records associated with him during his lifetime.
John was married to Margaret Steel on the 11th of December 1808, as
recorded in the Galston OPR:
'John Sharp Collier Barr and Margaret Steel at Sornhill Toll both in this Parish were legally proclaimed in order to marriage 11th Dec 1808 and married.'
He seems to have died or otherwise disappeared from the picture at an early age, most probably between 1821 and 1831, but presents a lively presence in the pre-1831 census records.
In 1801, he was entered in the 'First Class - The men between the ages of 17 and 30, unmarried, no children under 10' (note - he was only 16 at this time). He was then a coalier of Barr. One Robert Sharp receives the same description, and may have been his brother, although this is difficult to reconcile with the information given below.
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In 1811, he was again a collier from Barr, entered as neither a merchant nor an agricultural worker, and his household consisted of himself and two females. George Sharp, similarly designated, had a household consisting of five males and three females. He was probably John's father.
In 1821, John's address is not entered, but by this time there were four males and three females.
In 1831, George and James Sharp (George's brothers?) are entered as colliers, but there is no sign of John. Ominously, there is a Margaret Steel, living in Old Manse Close, engaged in trade, whose household consists of three males - none of them over twenty - and three females.
It is therefore surmised that John Sharp died at some time between 1821 and 1831, and that his demise was in some way connected with his work as a coal miner. It is worthy of note that his last known child was born at the end of 1821.
The Sharps of Barr Street operated a knitware factory in Galston around the turn of the 20th century. This is almost certainly an offshoot of the same family that John Sharp belonged to.
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John Sharp's parents were George Sharp and Margaret Parker, who were married at Loudoun on the 12th of January 1776.
Both appear to have originated in Loudoun, but their subsequent movements can be traced through the births of their large family, as detailed below. They began their married life in or near to Loudoun, but by 1785 they had removed to Mauchline, where they remained for at least three years, before settling in Galston. George worked there as a 'coalier', as abundantly attested e.g. on the OPR birth records of various of his children.
There was a Margaret Parker baptised on the 27th of October 1754, at Loudoun. Her father was
Robert Parker. The only piece of additional information provided is that Robert was 'in Heads'.
In 1832, East and West Heads lay a short distance to the north of Newmilns.
John's four brothers and four sisters can be listed as follows. It would appear that he was the third of nine known children.
Janet, christened 1st June 1778 at Loudoun; Robert, christened 25th May 1780 at Loudoun (it would appear that he died in infancy, as his name was used again ten years later); Jean, born 23rd February and christened 1st March 1788 at Mauchline; James and Robert (twins), born 25th and christened 27th June 1790 at Galston; George, born 21st and christened 26th August 1792 at Galston; Agnes, born 30th June and christened on the 5th (or 6th?) July 1795 at Galston; Margaret, born 28th June and christened 3rd July 1797 at Galston.
The Loudoun Parish Register for the first two reads:
1. 'Sharp Janet lawful Daughter of George Sharp & Margaret Parker'
2. 'Robt Lawful Son of George Sharp and Margaret Parker Publickly Baptized'
Unfortunately, which part of Loudoun parish has not been preserved.
The Galston Parish Register for the last five reads:
1. 'James Sharp, lawful son of George Sharp coalier and Margaret Parker in Galston born 25 June and baptized 27th, 1790'
2. 'Robert Sharp, lawful son of George Sharp & Margaret Parker in Galston Born 25 June and Bap. 27th, 1790'
3. 'George Sharp, lawful son of George Sharp and Margaret Parker in Galston was born 21 and bap. 26 August, 1792'
4. 'Agnes Sharp, lawful Daughter of George Sharp Coalier and Margaret Parker in Galston was born 30th June bapd 5 (or 6?) July 1795'
5. 'Margaret Sharp, lawful daughter of George Sharp coalier in Galston and Margaret Parker was born 28 June and baptized July 3 1797'
Jean Sharp married James Paton from the Parish of Riccarton on the 25th of January 1811. George Sharp was married to Ann Mair of Loudoun parish on the 18th of April 1812. At the time of the baptisms of George Sharp's daughter Jean and James Paton's son Robert, both in 1813, both George and James were colliers in Galston. Margaret Sharp married John Brown (not the same John Brown who married Elizabeth Richmond) at Galston in September 1827. James Sharp married Ann Wallace at Galston on the 9th of November 1827. Agnes Sharp married John Young at Galston in December 1833.