David Carment

David Carment (1772–1856) was a minister of first the Church of Scotland and then the Free Church of Scotland, who was involved in the Disruption of 1843 and in the legal troubles of the aftermath regarding church property ownership.

Life

He was born on 28 September 1772 at Keiss near Wick, the son of James Carment (d.1812) the local schoolteacher, and his wife, Elizabeth Dunnet. He was educated by his father His father was originally from Irongray, west of Dumfries. The family had a strong Calvinist and Covenanting history. His father was baptised in the hills by John Welsh.

In 1785 Carment was sent to the school at Canisbay on the north coast of Aberdeenshire to learn Greek and Latin. In October 1789, at the age of 17, he took on the role of parish schoolmaster in Kincardine on a salary of £5 per year but with free board in a room in the manse. However, he left this in November 1791 when he took up further studies at King's College, Aberdeen. He supplemented his income, to pay for the course, by tutoring the family of George Munro (1743-1832) of South Uist in the summer months. During this period he learned Gaelic which served him well in later life. He graduated MA at Aberdeen in the spring of 1795. He then found a post as schoolmaster of Strath on the Isle of Skye where he remained for four years. He interspersed this with studies at Divinity Hall in Aberdeen and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Skye in April 1799. John Carment LLD SSC (1817-1901), solicitor in Edinburgh David Carment (1819-1839) Isabella (1821-1835) Elizabeth (1823-1873) Samuel (1825-1834) Malcolm (1827-1842) Margaret (1830-1834) Joseph (born 1832) Jane (born 1834)

His wife went to live with John Carment in Edinburgh after David's death, and died at 36 Great King Street in October 1874.

Published works