Fredericton's Old Burial Ground - Seann Chladh

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 1818 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...

In 1853 the Society erected a memorial in the Old Burial Ground on Brunswick Street for Piper John Richard Allan (1835 – 1853). Robert Gowan was instrumental in this activity. Piper Allan had been a native of Paisley in Renfrewshire Scotland, and was serving with the 72nd Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders in Fredericton, when he died tragically on January 6th 1853. He was only 18 years of age.  Acting on behalf of the Society, Robert Gowan made arrangements with the Regimental Commander to have Piper Allan’s grave marked with a stone that featured a deer’s head (crest of the Regiment), along with a broken chanter, broad sword, plaid, and a thistle in full flower - as was reported to the Society membership in 1853: The forthwith appointed at the last quarterly meeting to procure a tombstone to be placed at the grave of John Allan a Piper in the 72nd Highlanders, have attended to that duty and beg to report that they have made arrangements with Mr. Peter Cormack of Portland (St John) ...