Ian Leslie Hewett Carruthers is the Commissioner for Africa, he was appointed by our Chief in August 2020. His ancestry, like many of us, runs back to Dumfrieshire, in this instance to the rural parish of Kirkmahoe which sits north-east of Dumfries itself. The family lived at the Guillyburn Farm, which is still in existance and still farmed, specialising in livestock. It sits nearby to the peak of Rorie Hill, as well as near the forest of Long Wood.
Ian’s family moved to Africa in the mid 1800’s initially to South Africa then north to what was then Rhodesia. He lives, along with his family in Zimbabwe where he works in heavy duty brake management services, specialising in industrial freight.
Below is a small personal bio and the research Ian has carried out on his own family to date, an interesting tale.
A Short Biography from the Clan Commissioner for Africa
As the years pass, I find myself slowing down a little, and the short Zimbabwean winters seem somewhat tougher on the joints than they once did. Nevertheless, life remains full and rewarding. I am married, have two children, and am content with what I have accomplished while continuing to enjoy the many interests and family histories that have occupied my life.
By profession I am a mechanical artisan, but outside of work I have a wide range of interests, including four-wheel driving, fishing and gardening. There never seems to be quite enough time in the day to pursue them all.
I am also involved with the Pioneer & Early Settler Society of Rhodesia and have written several articles for the Society concerning our forebears and their entry into what became Rhodesia and, subsequently, Zimbabwe.
My interest in our Scottish ancestry began many years ago. A few decades ago, I undertook extensive parish and cemetery research, tracing and interlinking numerous families across Dumfriesshire in the hope of breaking through an ancestral brick wall. That research has remained a continuing interest and has ultimately led to the present reexamination of James Carruthers of Guillyburn Farm, Kirkmahoe.
It is a great privilege to have been bestowed the honour of serving as Commissioner for Clan Carruthers Africa. The Carruthers footprint in Africa is relatively sparse, with only a single family represented in my landlocked home country of Zimbabwe and a small number of Carruthers families in South Africa to our south.
James Carruthers of Guillyburn Farm, Kirkmahoe
c. 1791–1848
The Elusive Brick Wall
Not to be confused with Guillyburn, St Mungo
Background and Family Context
I have written an unpublished 340-page book entitled I Walked Rhodesia, concerning our family and its experiences and exploits in Southern Africa. Among other subjects, it includes Jack Carruthers’s connection with Cecil Rhodes, initially as a Dutch interpreter and galloper, and subsequently as an intelligence operative investigating the Dutch treks associated with the wider pursuit of opening the Cape-to-Cairo regions. I have not yet found a suitable publisher, and the manuscript is long overdue for publication. If any member of the Carruthers family is interested in publishing it, I would be open to a discussion and would gladly donate 50% of the income to the Clan Carruthers Society.
Our family trekked by ox wagon to Rhodesia from South Africa in 1891, during the period of the Rinderpest.
My father, Ronald Carruthers, served in Italy during the Second World War with the 1st City Cape Town Highlanders.
His father, Norman Carruthers, served in the Boer War (1902) and was based in the Somerset East area near Grahamstown.
James Carruthers (1835–1916): The South African Branch
Norman’s father, James Carruthers, my great-great-grandfather, was born at Guillyburn Farm, Kirkmahoe, a little north of the village of Duncow, in 1835. He died in Somerset East, South Africa, in 1916. James married Eliza Ann Bobbett (1846–1921), who was born at Millhouse, Shapwick, Somerset, England.
James appears in the 1841 census at Guillyburn Farm. By 1851, he was an apprentice shoemaker to his brother William, who was then living at Park Village, Closeburn. The brothers came to South Africa in 1861 aboard the SS Coldstream. It is possible that they were seeking opportunities away from the influx of inexpensive Irish labour following the potato blight in Ireland; this, however, remains a hypothesis rather than an established fact.
In Grahamstown, during the early 1870s, James established the Eastern Boot Manufacturing Company.
The Earlier James Carruthers (c. 1791–1848)
James’s father was also named James Carruthers. He was born approximately 1791–1796 and died at Quarrelwood, Kirkmahoe, in 1848. Establishing the identity of his parents and birthplace remains the central genealogical problem — the “elusive brick wall”.
Many researchers, including commercial genealogists, have examined the available evidence in an attempt to identify James’s immediate ancestors. At present, it may be necessary to accept the possibility that documentary evidence concerning his immediate forebears has not survived, or has not yet been located. DNA evidence from FTDNA kit 148149 provides a connection to older Carruthers lines, but, on the evidence currently available, it does not establish James’s precise birthplace or identify his fatherPossible Parentage
Two possible parental connections have been considered. James may have been the son of James Carruthers of Raffles, Dalton, baptised in 1772, who married Eliza Tweedie, baptised in 1775. Alternatively, he may have been the son of Thomas Carruthers, baptised in 1773, who married Sarah Hiddlestone in neighbouring Closeburn. These possibilities remain hypotheses and should not be treated as established parentage without supporting documentary evidence.
A fresh examination of the available evidence would therefore be greatly appreciated. In particular, factual suggestions concerning James Carruthers’s parentage or birthplace would be welcomed.
Documentary Evidence and Known Facts
Marriage and Family
James Carruthers married Sarah McDonald. Sarah was born approximately 1794/1795 at Lochrutton, Scotland, and died on 26 October 1864 at Dalswinton, Scotland. The 1851 census of Quarrelwood gives an alternative indication that Sarah may have been born in England; this discrepancy requires further investigation.
In 1851, Sarah was recorded as a carter and was living with her sons John and Robert in the village of Quarrelwood, Kirkmahoe.
Sarah’s parents were John McDonald of Cronie, Urr, Scotland, baptised approximately 1763, and Martha Livingston(e), baptised approximately 1767.
Research Position
The evidence presently establishes a strong documentary connection between James Carruthers, his wife Sarah McDonald, Quarrelwood, and Guillyburn Farm, Kirkmahoe. The unresolved question is the identity of James’s parents and, consequently, his exact birthplace. The proposed parental connections above should therefore be regarded as research leads rather than conclusions.
The purpose of this account is to place the known evidence on record and to invite further research. Any documentary evidence that confirms or disproves the proposed parentage or birthplace would be particularly valuable.
Ian Carruthers
Harare, Zimbabwe
Carruthers are represented all over the world and as such our chief has commissioned Regional Commissioners to act in his stead during official business. Although autonomous to a degree, they are all members of both the Chief’s High Council and the Society itself and as officers of the clan and family, come under the leadership of the Convenor.
