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Introduction

Fredericton's Old Burial Ground is located between Brunswick and George streets, on the traditional territory of Wolastoqey People. This Local Historic Place has been recognised as one of the most important cemeteries in New Brunswick. It serves as the final resting place for many individuals who founded New Brunswick, amongst whom are many individuals of Scottish birth.

Since 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of our Society, we are pleased to share with you the stories behind the memorials you will discover within these serene grounds.

Location: 496 George St, Fredericton, NB E3B 1J9, Canada

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Piper Robert Gowan (1800 - 1879)

Prior to 1927 there had always been a Society Piper. The first was Robert Gowan, who joined the Society in 1826.  He arrived in New Brunswick from Ireland in 1818 as a piper in the 74th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, and was garrisoned here from 1819 to 1823. Robert assisted John Baird as a teacher in the Barrack School for children of the regiment, and when his unit departed, stayed in Fredericton and opened a "Painting, Engraving and Writing" shop on the corner of Regent Street. This is where he was hired to engrave the Society's mull horn in 1826. He later became a bookkeeper in the lumbering firm of Robert Rankin & Co. Later, when the Central Bank of New Brunswick was established in 1834, he was appointed bank cashier, and then in 1839 he entered the Crown Land Office. There he kept meticulous accounts of all lands granted in the province (his six-volume leather bound ledgers are preserved in the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick).  Robert Gowan was also a res...
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Scots in the Old Burial Ground

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