Thomas Paton was born c. 1825 - his age is given as 15 on the 1841 census, and 35 on the 1861 census. However, his age is entered as 31 on the birth certificate of his son, also Thomas, on the 22nd of March 1855. 1824 is unlikely, as he had a sister born that year. The last of these sources states that he was born in Galston.

Thomas was married to Lilias Haddow at Loudoun on the 13th of December 1845. (Entered in the Galston parish records on the 14th, and the 31st according to the birth certificates of their children John in 1863, Jean in 1865, and Mary in 1868.)

The entry for Loudoun Parish reads:

'Dec 13, 1845 - Thomas Paton in the Parish of Galston and Lillias Haddow in this Parish gave in their names and were regularly proclaimed and married.'

The entry in the Galston Parish marriage records reads:

'14 December 1845 - Thomas Paton Henrietta Street Galston and Lilias Haddow in the Parish of Loudoun.'

At the time of the 1851 census, the family was resident in Titchfield Street, Galston:

Thomas Paton, head, mar, 26, Flesher, b. Galston
Lilias Paton, wife, mar. 25, b. Loudoun
Lilias Paton, daur, 5, b. Galston
Robert Paton, son, 3, b. Galston
Margaret Paton, daur, 2, Galston
Agnes Paton, daur, under one month, born Galston
Mary Wilkison (?), servant, 16, house servant, b. Lanarkshire, Tollcross

At the time of the 1861 census his family was resident at Polwarth Street, Galston. By this time, the household consisted of Thomas and his wife Lilias Haddow, six sons, two daughters, and a boarder, as follows:

Thomas Paton, head, mar, 35, flesher
Lilias Paton, wife, 34
Lilias Paton, daur, unmarried, 15
Robert Paton, son, unmarried, 14, scholar
Margaret Paton, daur, 12, scholar
Agnes Paton, daur, 10, scholar
Alexander Paton, son, 7, scholar
Thomas Paton, son, 6, scholar
Matthew Paton, son, 4
John Paton, son, 2
Adam, son, 2
William McGill, servant, unm., 19, flesher

All are stated to have been born in Galston, with the exception of William McGill, who place of birth was given as Loudoun.

William McGill is stated to be a 'flesher', so that it is reasonably clear that he worked alongside Thomas Paton in his butcher's shop.

Thomas was a 'flesher (master)'. The family, despite its great size, was probably comfortably off, as indicated by the fact that Robert, aged 14, was still a 'scholar' at the time of the 1861 census.

Thomas Paton died on the 22nd of January 1870, at Polwarth Street, Galston, which, from the birth records of his children, had been the family home for many years. Death resulted from the combined effects of phthisis, from which he had suffered for six months, and chronic gastritis, from which he had suffered for three weeks. The informant was Alexander Paton, his son.

Brothers and Sisters

The 1841 record reveals two sisters, Agnes, born 1824, and Jean, born 3rd October 1827.

Agnes Masterton Paton was born at Loudoun on the 13th of January 1824, shortly before her parents' wedding. She was privately baptised in Loudoun parish, but this event appears not to have occurred until March or April.

The entry in the Loudoun parish register reads:

'Agnes Masterton Paton, Bastard daughter of Robert Paton, Butcher in Kilmarnock and Margaret McLean in Alton was born upon the 13th January 1824 and Baptised privately.'

Jean was born on the 5th and baptised on the 16th of October 1827, at Galston. She apparently married William Gemmill at Galston on the 31st of July 1852.

A brother, Allan, was born at Galston on the 22nd of September 1829 and baptised there on the 30th. He was specifically identified by the OPR as the fourth child of the family. The 1831 census indicates that the household of Robert Paton, flesher, consisted of two males and three females, and this may suggest that Allan had died in infancy. Notice that there is no sign of him in the family home in either 1841 or 1851.