by Roberta McGee
Jane, known as Jean, McGlashan was born in Old Cumnock in 1798, the daughter of Alexander McGlashan and Abigail Patrick. When she was 20 years old she found herself pregnant, the father of her child being Hilbert Van Cooten, and she appeared before the Kirk Session on 23rd April 1818.
Kirk Session Minutes
Cumnock 23 April 1818
Constituted with prayer
Present - The Moderator and all the Elders
When Jean McGlashan in the village appeared voluntarily confessing she had brought forth a Child in fornication and accusing Hilbert Van Cooten lately in Cumnock now a medical student in Glasgow as the father of it from whom a letter of acknowledgement to the session was produced. The Session having considered the same agree to take her on discipline according to her request and she was therefore rebuked admonished to repentance and having paid a Guinea to the poor was absolved from the scandal. Concluded with prayer.
The child, who was born 5th March 1818 in Old Cumnock to Jean McGlashan and Hilbert Van Cooten, was named Jean Van Cooten. Jean and Hilbert eventually married nearly three years later on 8th January 1821 at Gorbals, Glasgow.
Perhaps the reason that Hilbert was in Cumnock was that he met Jean's older brother Gilbert McGlashan who was a medical student at the same time. Gilbert was studying at Edinburgh and Hilbert at Glasgow.
(Thanks to Kay for finding this information)
So who was this medical student Hilbert Van Cooten who arrived in Cumnock and captured Jean McGlashan's heart?
