John Carter (abt. 1742 - 1813)

Born about 1742 in Orange, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1813 at about age 71 in Laurens, South Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jason Lee Edwards [send private message]

Biography

John Carter was a Virginia colonist.

It appears that John Carter of Salt Springs, Laurens District, South Carolina, was a son of Benjamin Carter and Margaret (Hollingsworth) Carter in Orange (later Frederick) County, Virginia. On April 15, 1763, “Thomas Carter and John Carter of Frederick in Virginia oldest sons of Benjamin Carter deceased” assigned their right to 400 acres on Abrahams Creek to Robert Rutherford.^[1] On June 6, 1763, John Carter was disowned by the Hopewell Meeting of the Society of Friends, Frederick County, Virginia, because he “hath frequented places of devertion and hath been guilty of Singing and dancing and Subscribed for a dancing School.”^[2]

In 1850, his son Joel Carter reports a birthplace of South Carolina.^[3] As he was born about 1772, if his birthplace is accurate, then John Carter removed from Virginia to South Carolina prior 1772.

According to a biography of his grandson, John Carter served during the Revolutionary War, and his son Joel was accosted by “the Tories (who) came to his father’s house in search of his gun; in order to make the boy tell where the gun was concealed they resorted to the vilest means, and small as he was they hung him three times in order to get the desired information, but every time they would let him down his answer was, ‘I don’t know where father is or his gun.’”^[4]

As there were multiple John Carters in Laurens District, South Carolina, in the late seventeenth century, it is difficult to determine which John Carter is mentioned in which records. He must have been one of the two John Carters enumerated on the 1790 census.^[5][6]

In 1800, his household contained one male over forty-five (John Carter), one female over forty-five (his unknown wife), one male sixteen to twenty-six (probably son Benjamin Carter), one female sixteen to twenty-six (probably daughter Elizabeth Carter), one female ten to sixteen (probably daughter Mary Carter), and one male under ten (perhaps grandson Bailey Carter).^[7]

In 1810, his household contained one male over forty-five (John Carter), one female over forty-five (his unknown wife), one female sixteen to twenty-six (probably Mary Carter), and one male ten to sixteen (perhaps grandson Bailey Carter).^[8]

John Carter of Salt Springs, Laurens County, South Carolina, died in 1813. In his will, he names his children as Margaret Bailey, Ruth Brown, Elizabeth Garner, Mary Nelson, Benjmain Carter, and Joel Carter. He also mentioned a grandson Bailey Carter. His executors were son-in-law Benjamin Garner and Andrew Nelson.^[9]

The wife of John Carter, whose name remains elusive, must have died between the 1810 census and when he made his will in 1813.

Research Notes

John Carter of Salt Springs, Laurens district, South Carolina, is not to be confused with John Carter (1734-1815) of Orange County, North Carolina, and his wife Ann (Whipple) Carter (abt.1738-1824). Despite many unsourced online trees showing otherwise, John Carter of Salt Springs, Laurens District, South Carolina, was not married to Ann (Whipple) Carter (abt.1738-1824) or Courtnay M. Lane (abt.1823-1853). Thus far, the name of his wife remains unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ Robert Rutherford, Land Grant, 10 January 1764, (accessed 15 June 2021); Library of Virginia.
2. ↑ Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, database with images, Hopewell Monthly Meeting, 4 July 1763; citing Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Minutes, 1759-1776; Collection: Baltimore Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: RG2/B/H671 1.2. "Whereas John Carter hath made profession of the Christian Religion as it is believed by the people called Quakers but for want of takeing heed to the Truth he hath for a considerable time neglected to attend our religious meetings and hath frequented places of devertion and hat been guilty of singing and danceing and Subscribed for a danceing School…the said Carter hereby disowning him to be a member of our Society….by order of our monthly meeting of Hopewell held the Sixth day of the Sixth month 1763."
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch, Joel Carter in household of Joel D. Carter, Choctaw County, Alabama, (accessed 4 April 2020); citing family 33, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ History of Washington County, Illinois: With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, 1879, page 61, (accessed 15 June 2021).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch, John Carter, Laurens District, South Carolina, (accessed 15 November 2020); citing page 428, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 11; FHL microfilm 568,151.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch, John Carter, Laurens District, South Carolina, (accessed 15 November 2020); citing page 432, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 11; FHL microfilm 568,151.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch, John Carter, Laurens District, South Carolina, (accessed 15 November 2020); citing page 35, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 50; FHL microfilm 181,425.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch, John Carter, Laurens District, South Carolina, (accessed 15 November 2020); citing page 222, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 61; FHL microfilm 181,420.
9. ↑ "South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977," images, FamilySearch, Will of John Carter, written April 13, 1813, and proved May 27, 1813, (accessed 15 June 2021); citing Laurens County, South Carolina, Will Book D1, page 120, Department of Archives and History, Columbia.