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Cater Rand (1749 - 1825)

Cater Rand
Born in Lewes, Sussex, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 15 Apr 1775 in St Michaels Church, Lewes, Sussex, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 76 [location unknown]
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Profile last modified | Created 30 Nov 2011
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Contents

Biography

Notables Project
Cater Rand is Notable.

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.

Rand was the leading local surveyor of his time. He directed theworks in 1781 under the Act for "Improving the Navigation of theRiver Ouse between Newhaven and Lewes Bridges.....and for thebetter drainage of the Low lands lying in Lewes and LaughtonLevels. "He also took part in the draining of Pevensey Levels,and was consulted with regard to the discovery of lignite atWaldron and Heathfield in 1801. He also invented a telescope,which was originally constructed for the private use of theRt.Hon. Thomas Pelham, but which the Duke of York interestedhimself in, Rand being introduced to H.R.H. to explain itsworking. The British Museum has a copy of the Description anduse of the Patent Military and Naval Telescope for MeasuringDistances and the Extension of Objects at Sight by means of anew Micrometrical adjustment. Dedicated by permission to theRoyal Highness the Duke of York. The dedication is dated 1799.

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.

Bibliography

  • Tables calculated with great exactness to find the value of any quantity of gold, from one grain to fifty ounces 1775
  • Description and use of the patent military and naval telescope 1799

References

  • A substantial and fascinating study of Cater Rand's career was produced by John Farrant and published 1973 in the journal "Sussex Industrial History", 6: 2-14

External links

Baptism

Baptism: in 1750 at St Michaels Church, Lewes, Sussex

Occupation

Occupation: civil engineer and surveyor of North Street, Lewes

Note

Note: Of Lewes, who came from Essex.

Death

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]

Sources

  1. Marriage: "England Marriages 1538-1973"
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 17 November 2022)
    Cater Rand marriage to Mary Scrace on 21 Apr 1775 in Lewes, Sussex, England.
  2. Marriage: "England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910"
    FamilySearch Record: KFPM-HGJ (accessed 17 November 2022)
    Cater Rand marriage to Mary Scrase on 21 Apr 1775 in St Michael, Lewes, Sussex, England.
  3. Burial: "Sussex Burials"
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 17 November 2022)
    Cater Rand burial (died in 1825 at age 76) on 27 Dec 1825 in Lewes, Sussex, England.
  4. Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
    The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1706
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #610150 (accessed 10 November 2022)
    Will of Cater Rand, granted probate on 31 Dec 1825. Died about 1825 in Lewes, Sussex, England.

"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.

See also:





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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Cater by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Cater:

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Comments: 2

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I have recently found information that the Mary Scrace that Cater Rand married is not the daughter of Henry & Elizabeth Scrace.

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.

posted by John Scrase
Cater Rand of Lewes . Born 9th December 1749. Died 21st December 1825. Buried St Michael's, Lewes. In his own words, "Surveyor to the Ordinance & Civil Engineer", who as a young man man also ran the school in Lewes founded by his grandfather and for a time kept a book shop. A substantial and fascinating study of Cater Rand's career was produced by John Farrant and published 1973 in the journal "Sussex Industrial History", 6: 2-14. Cater Rand married Lewes 15th April 1775 Mary Scrace (born Lewes 11th January 1755, died Lewes 4th March 1783), daughter of Henry Scrace and his wife Elizabeth.

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Categories: Notables