Part Eight
Bankruptcy, Inheritance and the Royal First Yeomanry Cavalry

Generally, farmers in the Lower Otter Valley had a hard time of things during the 19th century – they got little money for their corn and with many mouths to feed, people lived frugally.  Joel found it increasingly difficult and eventually faced court proceedings. The Exeter Flying Post mentioned his case on more than one occasion.

Extract from Exeter Flying Post – 5th June 1851

 Exeter Flying Post – subsequent extract.

At the County Court at Honiton, Joel Carter aged 58 years, was declared bankrupt on 16th July 1851.  The London Gazette regularly listed all bankruptcies and Joel was recorded in that newspaper as J.Carter, farmer of Harpford.

Even after the court proceedings, Joel Carter remained at Harts and continued to farm as best he could.

Joel's widowed mother, Mrs. Anna Carter of Podbury’s, died on 15th October 1852.   In her will she noted that to her eldest son Thomas £5 in remembrance, he having already been provided for, and to her son Joel £100. Other children were mentioned as follows, her daughter Elizabeth £140 and the dwelling house on the field called Long Close, her daughter Mary Hare £120, her son Elias £40 and Bells Field, her son John £5 and £3 per half year and part of Spears Cottage, her daughter Anna Chown £140, her daughter Martha Ham £100 and part of Spears Cottage and her son Robert the field known as Long Close and all the remainder of the estate.  Money for her daughters Mrs. Anna Carter left in trust with her nephew Joseph Carter, carpenter/builder of Talaton.

Joel’s siblings who had stayed at home with their elderly mother, married soon after her death.

In 1853 Joel’s sister, Elizabeth Carter aged 49 years married William Salter, a prosperous farmer of Hayne, Tipton St John, in the parish of Ottery St Mary.  Although in a different parish, this farm was only about a mile to the north.  Salter had recently been widowed but remained childless.  Only a couple of years later, on 7th December 1855, William Salter died.  Joseph Carter, carpenter/builder of Talaton was the executer of his will.

On 19th May 1853 Joel’s brother, 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.
Joel’s brother, 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 14th 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 4th November 1867.  Robert Carter rose to the rank of Sergeant Major, and was so described on his gravestone at Harpford.
In 1853 the gallery in the north aisle of the church was removed.  In 1855 new steps and an iron gate were placed at the entrance of the churchyard.  In 1857 a communion table was placed in the sanctuary.  At some point, Robert Carter contributed along with Revd. Gatty and Charles Marwood esq. to the placing of a stained glass window in the chancel of the church.   However the Rural Dean was still unhappy and comments "The tower has not been cleaned out and still requires the same; the orders of last year have not been complied with yet; the vicarage inhabited by the vicar is reputed to be in substantial disrepair; walls need repair; everything is in the usual state; things are in a state of last year."

It was some years after Joel Carter died that full restoration work was carried out on the church.

This is one of a series of related articles. Click forward or back to jump to the next.

Researched by Anne Speight,  © 2009

SOURCE MATERIAL

‘Harpford’.  Revd. H.R. Evans. The Devonshire Association for the  Advancement of Science,
 Literature and Art. Vol 101 (1969) pg 45-81.
‘Harpford Parochial Health Service 1730 – 1830’. Revd. H. R Evans. Devon and Cornwall Notes
 and Queries 29, 7 (963) pg 201-205.
1851 Harpford census
Will of Anna Carter of Harpford, d 1852.
Harpford Parish Registers
Harpford monumental inscriptions
Exeter Flying Post  14-5-1846, 5-6-1851
Royal First Devon Yeomanry Cavalry - website

NP-B-00008 Biography any