The Marymass Festival & Irvine Carters Society
 

 

Past Captains, with some photos below

 

Years Name Photo
1775-76 William Malcolm none
1777-78 David Blair none
1779-1781 John Dunlop none
1782-83 Peter Anderson none
1784-86 George Wills none
1787-89 James Wallace none
1790-93 J Watt none
1794-95 J Bruce none
1796-97 Thomas Watt none
1798 John ---(?) none
1799-1800 James Watt none
1805-06 James Smith none
1815-16 Adam Arthur none
1816-39 names illegible none
1840-41 Robert Watt none
1842-45 Thomas McLatchie none
1846-49 Robert Smith none
1850 George Boyd none
1851-52 James Parker none
1853-54 James Longmuir none
1855-60 Alexander McAlpine see below
1861 James Sinclair none
1862-64 Alexander McAlpine see below
1865-68 James Watson none
1869-71 George Dickie none
1872-74 John McCall none
1875-76 Robert Cousar none
1877-78 John McCall none
1879-81 Robert Cousar none
1882-84 William Cousar none
1885-86 Robert Caldwell none
1887-88 David Cousar none
1889 Robert Caldwell none
1890-93 John Cousar none
1894-1900 James Kyle see below
1901-04 George Watt see below
1905-07 Walter Muir see below
1908-10 John Cousar none
1911 John McEwan none
1912-18 John Parker see below
1919-22 Robert Cousar none
1923 Harold Ryrie none
1924-26 James Sloan see below
1928-33 Sam Anderson see below
1934-37 John McDermid see below
1938-39 & 1946 Robert Elliot see below
1947-50 George Donaldson see below
1951-54 James Dunlop see below
1955-59 Tom Parker see below
1960-63 Archibald McAllister see below
1964-67 Alex Burns see below
1968-70 Sam McEwan see below
1971-73 George Donaldson see below
1974-78 Jack Allan see below
1979-82 George Robertson see below
1983-84 Bert Gibson see below
1985-87 Tom Gorman see below
1988-90 Jim Williamson see below
1991-96 Sandy Muir see below
1997-03 Andy Tremble see below
2004 Hugh Kerr see below
2005-07 John Rorison see below
2008-13 Danny Kerr see below
2014 Willie McColl, then (interim) Danny Kerr see below
2015-2021 Danny Kerr see below
2022 Gordon Storrar none yet

 

click a photo to enlarge (and use the Back button to return)

 

Capt McAlpine
1855-60, 1862-64

Capt James Kyle
1894-1900

Capt George Watt
1901-04

Capt. Walter Muir
1905-07, grandfather of Sandy Muir, captain 1991-96

Capt John Parker
1912-18

Capt James Sloan
1924-26; from a photo loaned by his grandson James Sloan Watters of New Jersey, USA

Capt Sam Anderson
1927-33 - one of the longest serving Captains (7 years) - here, in 1928, receiving a dram at one of the Four Ports of the Burgh

Capt John McDermid
1934-36

Capt. Robert Elliott
1938-46

Capt. George Donaldson
1947-50, father of Capt. George Donaldson 1971-73

Capt. James Dunlop
1951-54, father of Jim Dunlop, once of the Marina Inn

Capt. Tom Parker
1955-59; original caption: "One does not know which to admire most - the Captain or the horse"

Capt. Archibald McAllister
1960-63; here pictured in the rain in 1962. In his youth a noted athlete, he had also served the community as a Town Councillor and a member of the Civil Defence services; he died in 1965.

Capt Alex Burns
1964-67; also interim captain Feb.-Aug. 1971. He was the first Captain not to come from a business or farming background; also the first bachelor Captain

Capt Sam McEwan
1968-1970; Sam resumed attending monthly meetings in 1997, contributing a great sense of humour and a directness without messing around; he died in 2000

Capt. George Donaldson
1971-73; magistrate in Irvine 1966-2002, the last one to be appointed by the Royal Burgh; former Deacon Convener of the Trades 1986; a past president of the Rotary Club of Irvine

Capt. Jack Allan
1974-78 - here with 1976 Queen Angela McDaid

Capt. George Robertson
1979-82; see also the next photo (Bert Gibson) from 1984

Capt. Bert Gibson
1983-84; here in a unique Kilwinning photo (from 1984), and showing 4 Captains: from left, Capt.s Robertson (79-82), Gibson, Gorman (85-87), and Williamson (88-90)

Capt Tom Gorman
1985-87; here in 1985 with Queen Pamela Gallacher. See the appreciation at the foot of the page

Capt. Jim Williamson
1988-90; here about to lead the parade off to the Moor after the Crowning Ceremony

Capt. Sandy Muir
1991-96, after many years as Secretary. He compiled much of the information to launch this site in 2002-03.

Capt. Andy Tremble
1997-2003, equalling previous records for the longest-serving captain

Capt. Hugh Kerr
2004

Capt. John Rorison
2005-2007

Capt. Danny Kerr
2008-13, after many years as Secretary of the Carters Society

Capt. Willie McColl
2014, resigned, followed by Interim Capt Danny Kerr

Capt. Danny Kerr
2015-2021

 

 

Past Captain Tom Gorman (1936-2003) joined the Carters Society as a 13-year-old, and gave over half a century of service to the Carters. After Bank Street Primary School and Irvine Royal Academy, he worked with Campbell's Haulage, Ayrshire Metal Products, T&E Docherty, and Campbell Distillers. In the Carters, he was a stickler for discipline and tradition, on one occasion, as Chief Marshall of the Parade, even threatening to throw a bunch of councillors out of the parade because they were drinking on the way back from the Moor. His extensive contacts at flapping tracks in the Borders helped him attract the top horses to Irvine Moor where he took huge pleasure from organising the annual races. The Carters Society was his whole life, and he would even take his annual holiday to coincide with Marymass and be too busy to spend the holiday with his wife Betty. Captain Andy Tremble said, "Tom never failed to give anything less than 100% to the Carters and was fully committed to the traditions of Marymass. He will be sorely missed."

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