James Colton
Scottish anarchist (1860–1936)
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James Colton (12 May 1860 – 5 August 1936) was a Scottish anarchist, trade unionist, and coal miner who spent most of his life in Wales. He worked as a baker before becoming a miner in Glanamman in the Amman Valley. He is known for marrying the anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman on 27 June 1925 in a marriage of convenience that enabled her to obtain British citizenship.
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James Colton | |
|---|---|
Colton, c. 1925 | |
| Born | 12 May 1860 Govan, Scotland |
| Died | 5 August 1936 (aged 76) Glanamman, Wales |
| Occupations | |
| Known for | Marriage of convenience with Emma Goldman |
| Spouse |
Emma Goldman (m. 1925) |
| Signature | |
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Biography
Early life and work
Colton was born in Govan, Scotland, on 12 May 1860, the son of Arthur Colton, a stonemason, and Ann Colton (née Mechan).[1][2] He moved to Penarth in Wales as a child.[2]
He worked first as a baker in Upper Boat and later moved to Glanamman in the Amman Valley, where he became a miner at the Gelliceidrim Colliery.[2] Colton was self-educated and identified with libertarian thought.[3]
He first met Emma Goldman during her speaking tour of Edinburgh in 1895.[4]
Marriage to Emma Goldman
After the death of Colton's first wife, and as Goldman sought British citizenship following her deportation from the United States in 1919, Colton proposed a marriage of convenience.[2] They married on 27 June 1925, Goldman's 58th birthday, when he was 65.[2][5] The couple were not close and did not intend to live together.[6] Despite this, they occasionally maintained contact via letters.[2][3] The marriage was reported in The New York Times the following year.[7]
Later years and death
After the death of Goldman's longtime partner Alexander Berkman, Colton, who was ill himself, wrote to Goldman to express his sympathies.[5]
Colton died of cancer on 5 August 1936.[2] He was buried in the Tabernacle cemetery at Glanamman.[8] Goldman's last letter to Colton did not reach him before his death.[2]