Robert Carter

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Anne Speight who notes:
On 19^th May 1853 Robert Carter, aged 40 married Eliza Ackland aged 34. The wedding was one of those listed in the Exeter Flying Post. Eliza had been born at Colaton Raleigh, third daughter of Catherine and Thomas Ackland, farmer. On the 1851 census she was living in Harpford with her uncle, Henry Ackland, of independent means. This was a 'good' marriage for Robert Carter as his wife was from a wealthy family. For a while Robert and Eliza remained in Harpford, living at Podbury's. In a directory of 1857 there is clear reference to Joel Carter as farmer at Harts and Robert Carter as farmer of Podbury and Harts.
Robert Carter was a volunteer in the Royal First Devon Yeomanry Cavalry of which Lord Rolle was once Colonel. I don't know if Robert was involved when on the 21st December 1838, the corps of Royal Devon Yeomanry assembled on Woodbury Common to present to Lord Rolle, a valuable piece of plate. It was a duplicate of an ewer which had been made for the young Queen Victoria. The design of the piece was by Benvenuto Cellini. The militia's original uniform was a scarlet tunic with white breeches and black boots. Before there was a regular police force, the militia was used to keep law and order. Between 1815-1850 it was used many times in the internal security role, for example the Exeter Flying Post reports an incident on 14^th May 1846 when a detachment of yeomanry marched from their barracks to a riot in Exeter. The last time it was so deployed was on 4^th November 1867. Robert Carter rose to the rank of Sergeant Major, and was so described on his gravestone at Harpford.
In 1873, Joel's younger brother, Robert, died aged 60. He suffered from pulmonary and cardiac disease for about a year and also from anasarca (dropsy) for about three months. In Robert Carter's will he is described as of Hayne in Ottery St. Mary. Robert left a legacy of £100 to his brother Joel and a similar sum to his sisters, Martha Ham and Elizabeth Salter. For his sister Anna Chown he left 5/- per week for life and for his brother John 3/- per week for life. The residue of Robert's estate was left to his widow Eliza and this included "all my household goods and furniture, china, linen, household and domestic effects, silver and plate jewellery and ornaments of the person". There was a sizable residue, several thousands of pounds.

Robert married Eliza Ackland, daughter of Thomas Ackland and Catherine, on 18 May 1853 in Exeter, Devon England. (Eliza Ackland was born in 1816 in Colaton Raleigh, Devon England and died in 1891.)