Will of Edward Carter, gent. Misterton, Leicestershire, d. 1673

Question

I am trying to find the parents of Thomas Carter of Lancaster county, Viginia, died 1700 in Lancaster and was born in England about 1630 [he was "about 70 years old] when he died. Bedfordshire is a dead end according to public records but is commonly claimed on WikiTree.   I have found a Thomas Carter son of Edward Carter and Elizabeth Johnson Carter baptized Feb. 1630/31.  This father was a gentleman and died in 1673 in Misterton Parish.  I have not been able to find a will trying several sources that may mention his son Thomas and older brother Edward possibly living in Virginia.

Answer 1

Thomas Carter is not an uncommon name; what makes you think that this Edward is his father? A quick search of christening records for people named Thomas Carter in England between 1625 and 1635 shows dozens of Thomas Carters born all over England in just the year 1630, and thousands born between 1625 and 1635. Based on this, identifying the father of this particular Thomas Carter without having some definite location for his English origins seems to be an impossibility.

See here for all the Thomas Carters who appear in English parish registers on FamilySearch between 1625 and 1635.

Comments

Sorry for a slow response.  The reasons I suspect the Leicestershire Carter family as that of Thomas of Lancaster VA because. 1. bap. date of 1630/31 would make that  person "about 70 years old" in 1700 when he died and a birth date of Oct. 1630 for this Thomas is the right age; 2. Family names are the same for both families at least for children mentioned; 3; Thomas of VA named his first son Edward often the custom to honor the grandfather with the same name; 4. Thomas of VA was among the gentry class and Edw. was styled a Gent.; 5. When Edw. died in 1673 again called a gentleman, he likely would have had a will possibly naming Thomas of VA [I have not found a will]; 6. Thomas of VA's inlaws were the Dale and Skipwith families that lived in Leicestershire.  

So, as you can see, lots of circumstantial evidence for his parentage but so far no solid facts to prove it. I am looking for sources in England to prove this parentage and welcome suggestions.

Robert Lumsden