Individual Details
ROBERT CARTER
(7 Jun 1784 - )
As of 1999, our earliest written knowledge of Robert Carter and Mariam Kennedy is church birth records of their children being born at the Parish of Rerrick in the County of Kirkcudbright, Scotland. The Parish of Rerrick is situated seven miles south of the town of Kirkcudbright close to the ruins of Dundrennon Abbey, which dates to the year 1142. Many of the Scottish farmhouses of today date back 600 years. A visit to Scotland provides a realization of how young our North American countries are.
When Robert and Mariam's first two children Agnes and Margaret were born, Robert was working as a laborer at Shawhill Farm. When their last five children were born Mary, Allan, May, Isabel and Robert, Robert the father was listed in the birth records as a cottsman at Rascarral Farm. Research reveals that a cottsman was a supervisor of plowmen. This information and some knowledge of that period's history provides insight to the reasons why Robert and Mariam would move to Canada in 1831. We can not confirm Roberts actual birth date but estimate that he was in his forties when the move took place. For a person in the 1800's this would place him in the fall of his life. Imagine Robert and Mariam Carter leaving Scotland for Canada with seven children, on a voyage which could take 1-3 months and the almost certain knowledge that they would never return to their homeland.
History tells us that Scotland's landowners had many tenant farmers on their lands in the early 1800's. The tenant farmers were supposed to raise crops and provide the landowner with a share for rent, as well as provide plowing time to the landowner. When you visit Scotland today most pubs offer a plowman's lunch, reminiscent of these early days.
In the early 1800's there was a growing demand for the wool and mutton. Because raising sheep was more profitable than sharecropping the Scottish landowners wanted to turn their property into sheep farms but there was the problem of how to remove the tenant farmers and their families. But, then came the settling of Canada and the promise of 100 acres of free land - Canada was, of course, part of the British Empire, so the Scottish landowners bought passage for their tenant farmers and their families to Canada. The landowner was happy to free his land for raising sheep and the tenant farmers would never in his life imagine owning 100 acres of land. Imagine the tenant farmers surprise to see the land covered with virgin timber. Like today, Scotland had very few trees in the 1800's and the average tenant farmer had never cut a tree down in his life!
Why then would Robert and Mariam Carter move from Scotland to Canada where Robert was in his forties? It would appear that being a cottsman (supervisor of plowmen) was a dying occupation and they had to take-up residence in the new land and claim their 100 acres of free forest! Why would he choose Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick, Canada? The historical information we find of the village of Kouchibouguac shows that several men were building ships along the Kouchibouguac River. The early settlers to this area were from Scotland - if you visit the Kirkcudbright area cemeteries you find many of the same names - Graham, MacDonald and Tweedie. The history of the village indicates that these ships were taking much needed lumber and fish to Scotland. On the return trip were bringing families back to Canada. This may have been why Robert and Mariam found their way to Kouchibouguac.
Unfortunately we have not been able to find definitive information regarding the parents of Robert Carter and Mariam Kennedy. Passed down stories to our mother Elsie Isabel (Carter) Ryder told us that our immigrants Robert and Mariam came from Kirkcudbright, Scotland and this helped us find their children's birth records in the Parish of Rerrick seven miles out of town. We, however, do not know where Robert and Mariam were born, married or even their parents names. Normally your parent's names appear on documents when you are born, married or die. Since we believe they were born someplace in Scotland and died in or around Kouchibouguac where there was no newspaper and church records have not survived, we do not know if he is buried with his wife Mariam since stone engraving has been omitted. Some passed down stories indicate that Robert had left his farm. This information cannot be substantiated so we do not know the date, place or final resting-place of our immigrant ancestor Robert Carter.
Perhaps, someday someone in the Carter lineage will locate a family Bible belonging to one of Robert and Mariam's children and we might then find Robert and Mariam's parent's names. Should anyone have or find any of this important information please let us know so we can write the rest of the story and possibly locate our distant relatives in Scotland. [Ernest W. Ryder]
References: Ernest W. Ryder, Carter Immigrants Arrive In New Brunswick, Canada; Dana C. Ryder; E. Isabel (Carter) Ryder. .
When Robert and Mariam's first two children Agnes and Margaret were born, Robert was working as a laborer at Shawhill Farm. When their last five children were born Mary, Allan, May, Isabel and Robert, Robert the father was listed in the birth records as a cottsman at Rascarral Farm. Research reveals that a cottsman was a supervisor of plowmen. This information and some knowledge of that period's history provides insight to the reasons why Robert and Mariam would move to Canada in 1831. We can not confirm Roberts actual birth date but estimate that he was in his forties when the move took place. For a person in the 1800's this would place him in the fall of his life. Imagine Robert and Mariam Carter leaving Scotland for Canada with seven children, on a voyage which could take 1-3 months and the almost certain knowledge that they would never return to their homeland.
History tells us that Scotland's landowners had many tenant farmers on their lands in the early 1800's. The tenant farmers were supposed to raise crops and provide the landowner with a share for rent, as well as provide plowing time to the landowner. When you visit Scotland today most pubs offer a plowman's lunch, reminiscent of these early days.
In the early 1800's there was a growing demand for the wool and mutton. Because raising sheep was more profitable than sharecropping the Scottish landowners wanted to turn their property into sheep farms but there was the problem of how to remove the tenant farmers and their families. But, then came the settling of Canada and the promise of 100 acres of free land - Canada was, of course, part of the British Empire, so the Scottish landowners bought passage for their tenant farmers and their families to Canada. The landowner was happy to free his land for raising sheep and the tenant farmers would never in his life imagine owning 100 acres of land. Imagine the tenant farmers surprise to see the land covered with virgin timber. Like today, Scotland had very few trees in the 1800's and the average tenant farmer had never cut a tree down in his life!
Why then would Robert and Mariam Carter move from Scotland to Canada where Robert was in his forties? It would appear that being a cottsman (supervisor of plowmen) was a dying occupation and they had to take-up residence in the new land and claim their 100 acres of free forest! Why would he choose Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick, Canada? The historical information we find of the village of Kouchibouguac shows that several men were building ships along the Kouchibouguac River. The early settlers to this area were from Scotland - if you visit the Kirkcudbright area cemeteries you find many of the same names - Graham, MacDonald and Tweedie. The history of the village indicates that these ships were taking much needed lumber and fish to Scotland. On the return trip were bringing families back to Canada. This may have been why Robert and Mariam found their way to Kouchibouguac.
Unfortunately we have not been able to find definitive information regarding the parents of Robert Carter and Mariam Kennedy. Passed down stories to our mother Elsie Isabel (Carter) Ryder told us that our immigrants Robert and Mariam came from Kirkcudbright, Scotland and this helped us find their children's birth records in the Parish of Rerrick seven miles out of town. We, however, do not know where Robert and Mariam were born, married or even their parents names. Normally your parent's names appear on documents when you are born, married or die. Since we believe they were born someplace in Scotland and died in or around Kouchibouguac where there was no newspaper and church records have not survived, we do not know if he is buried with his wife Mariam since stone engraving has been omitted. Some passed down stories indicate that Robert had left his farm. This information cannot be substantiated so we do not know the date, place or final resting-place of our immigrant ancestor Robert Carter.
Perhaps, someday someone in the Carter lineage will locate a family Bible belonging to one of Robert and Mariam's children and we might then find Robert and Mariam's parent's names. Should anyone have or find any of this important information please let us know so we can write the rest of the story and possibly locate our distant relatives in Scotland. [Ernest W. Ryder]
References: Ernest W. Ryder, Carter Immigrants Arrive In New Brunswick, Canada; Dana C. Ryder; E. Isabel (Carter) Ryder. .
Events
| Birth | 7 Jun 1784 | Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire County, Scotland |  | ||
| Marriage | Bef 1815 | MARIAM KENNEDY | | ||
| Baptism | Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire County, Scotland | |
Families
| Spouse | MARIAM KENNEDY (1793 - 1855) |
| Child | AGNES CARTER (1815 - ) |
| Child | MARGARET MCMINN CARTER (1816 - ) |
| Child | MARY CARTER (1818 - ) |
| Child | ALLAN CARTER (1821 - 1913) |
| Child | JAMES CARTER (1823 - 1903) |
| Child | MAY CARTER (1825 - ) |
| Child | ISABEL CARTER (1828 - ) |
| Child | ROBERT CARTER (1830 - 1923) |
| Child | WALTER WILLIAM CARTER (1834 - 1868) |
| Father | JOHN CARTER ( - 1815) |
| Mother | MARGARET GRACIE ( - ) |
| Sibling | JAMES CARTER (1786 - ) |
| Sibling | MARY CARTER (1788 - ) |
| Sibling | JOHN CARTER (1790 - ) |
| Sibling | AGNES GRACIE CARTER (1792 - ) |
| Sibling | JEAN CARTER (1794 - ) |
| Sibling | ELIZABETH CARTER (1800 - ) |
| Sibling | ELIZABETH CARTER (1803 - ) |
| Sibling | GEORGE CARTER (1803 - 1863) |
Endnotes
1. CARTER/DAY GENEALOGICAL FILES.
2. CARTER/DAY GENEALOGICAL FILES.
3. CARTER/DAY GENEALOGICAL FILES.