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Cater Rand (9 December 1749 (Lewes, Sussex in England) - 21 December 1825). His father, Charles Rand ? - 1763 had been born in Colchester, Essex, but relocated as a boy to Sussex in 1714. Cater Rand married 15 April 1775[1][2] to Mary Scrace 1755 - 1783, who would bear him six recorded children.
Biography Something of a polymath, Rand appears to have had at least three successive careers. During his early adulthood his energies were devoted to running the school in Lewes that had been initially founded and operated by his grandfather, Cater Rand 1684 - 1748. The syllabus under Cater Rand jr. seems to have been strongly biased in favour of new (or newly rediscovered) subjects such mathematics and certain technical sciences. In 1779 Rand established himself as a book seller and in 1784 he was declared bankrupt. It seems that he had borrowed twice on the same security without informing his (potentially) competing lenders. The bankruptcy was still undischarged in 1806. These were difficult times, and the southern coast of England would have found itself on the front line in the event that the much feared invasion of England by the imperial forces of Napoleon Buonaparte had materialized. Along the way, in 1799, Rand found time to patent a design for military and naval telescope intended to improve and facilitate range-setting for heavy guns on the battlefield.
From 1790 Rand was giving his occupation as surveyor. The topography of the area around Lewes ensured ample challenges as well as providing practical advantages for a local man with extensive local knowledge. By the end of his career he was apparently acknowledged widely as the local expert in his field. Early on he was involved in at least one railway project. At this time railways were, of course, not yet operated by moving steam engines, but it may be that already Rand and his contemporaries were contemplating these as a future possibility. Rand was also involved in mineral engineering at a time when lignite deposits had recently been discovered locally. Cater Rand's later projects were more preoccupied by the hydrographical challenges involved in managing the estuarial area, in order both to improve access for shipping and to address the problems caused by flooding which then, as subsequently, was a feature of the Lewes area in the event of heavy rain combining with high tides.
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Cater died in 1825 and was buried on 27 December 1825 at St Michael, Lewes, Sussex, England.[3]
Probate granted on 31 December 1825 in London.[4]
"England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFPM-7M8 : 7 December 2017), Cater Rand, 1750.
"England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFPM-HGJ : 7 December 2017), Cater Rand and Mary Scrase, 1775.
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Cater is 23 degrees from Herbert Adair, 18 degrees from Richard Adams, 25 degrees from Mel Blanc, 20 degrees from Dick Bruna, 24 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 29 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 23 degrees from Sam Edwards, 22 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 25 degrees from Marty Krofft, 20 degrees from Junius Matthews, 17 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 24 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
The parish register for marriage of Cater Rand and Mary Scrace shows marriage by licence. I have found a transcription of the marriage licence which states it is with the consent of her father Thomas Scrace.
There were 2 Mary Scrace/Scrase baptisms in Lewes in 1755, one to Henry & Elizabeth the other to Thomas & Sarah.
Further evidence shows Mary Scrase, daughter of Henry & Elizabeth never married she died in 1813 and is buried in Ditchling. Her headstone gives her age as 57 and that she is 2nd daughter of Henry & Elizabeth Scrase late of All Saints parish Lewes.