Carrier in 1791

Occupations and the like.

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trish1
Posts: 1320
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:38 am
Location: australia

Carrier in 1791

Post by trish1 » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:48 pm

Peter Boyd was born in Leslie, Fife, Scotland 25th July 1791. At his baptism, his father (also Peter) was described as a carrier in Leslie.

Any ideas as to what he would be carrying? and using for transport for the carrying?

Trish
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Hibee
Posts: 216
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 3:24 pm

Re: Carrier in 1791

Post by Hibee » Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:30 pm

Hi Trish

Suspect it was another name for a carter.....a man who transported goods on a wheeled cart, either by his own strength or by the use of a horse/donkey/ass etc.

Hibee
www.adams-of-adamsrow.com
Adam(s): Newton, Midlothian
Brock: Orkney/Leith
Bridges: Leith
Sweeney: Ireland/Leith
Brown: Edinburgh/Hamilton
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Currie
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Location: Australia

Re: Carrier in 1791

Post by Currie » Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:07 pm

Hello Trish,

“The Encyclopædia Britannica”, 1797, defines Carrier as “a person that carries goods for others for hire” http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vHh ... J&pg=PA182

“The Justice of the Peace, and Parish Officer etc” published the same year goes a bit further, although it’s probably more to do with the law than common usage.

“All persons carrying goods for hire, as masters and owners of ships, lightermen, stage-coach-men, and the like, come under the denomination of common carriers; and are chargeable on the general custom of the realm, for their faults or miscarriages.”

It then sets out a Carrier’s legal obligations etc.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vZE ... J&pg=PA355

Hope that helps,
Alan
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trish1
Posts: 1320
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:38 am
Location: australia

Re: Carrier in 1791

Post by trish1 » Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:37 am

Hibee - do forgive me for missing your reply earlier - and thanks to you and Alan for the information

Trish
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JB
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Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:08 pm
Location: Edinburgh & Florence

Re: Carrier in 1791

Post by JB » Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:59 pm

Hi there

You may wish to have a look at the Scotland's Places website as it has records of Farm Horse Taxes for the late 1790s which may include your ancestor. The National Archives Scotland also has records for Cart Tax for the 1780s showing names and locations of carters - but I don't think they are available online

http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digit ... p?dv_id=62


Regards

John
Scotland Research - Brown Blair Anderson Berwick Melville Park Scott
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trish1
Posts: 1320
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:38 am
Location: australia

Re: Carrier in 1791

Post by trish1 » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:43 pm

Hi John

Thank you for that amazing link - unfortunately my Peter died in 1794 - so he isn't in the list - but there are some of my family names among the lists so I will be browsing for awhile.

The 1780s list looks interesting, but at the minute the archives seem to be taking forever to answer queries from afar, so I will wait for some response to my latest query before I send any more.

many thanks

Trish

Edit - I just got to Kettle in Fife & there is my 3 x g grandfather with 6 horses costing him 12sh tax. Also many of the family members into which his sons and daughters married (He had 14 children by 3 wives) - so it seems I'll be browsing for a few days
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