The Estate File of William Carter (1867): An Index

"North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663-1979," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKJM-XLD : accessed 29 Aug 2013), William Carter, 1867; 32 Images.

1/32: Folder: Carter, William  1867
2/32: June 5, 1917: S.R. Street, Commissioned Notary Public, Craven County, NC
3/32: June 11, 1917: Oath of Notary Public/S.R. Street
4/32: S.R. Street Qualified June 11/1917
5/32: Application of Guardian, Guardian's Oath and Letters of Guardianship: Effie Carter Dove: June 1, 1917
6/32: Application Cover
7/32: 11 March 1867: On petition of Rachel G. Carter, widow of Wm Carter, One Year Provisions
8/32: Writ to lay off year's provisions: $265
9/32: Petition "to have her year's support out of the estate of her said husband [William Carter]...to set apart to her so much of the crop, stock, and provisions, belonging thereto, as may be adequate to support herself and her family for one year". March Term, 1867.
10/32: Petition Cover
11/32: Court Costs or administrating one year's provisions
12/32: 27 July 1868: Court Order to Sheriff to bring in the taxed monies assessed to Rachel G. Carter in the amount of $10.67, on the second Monday of March next.
13/32: James E. Flemming, Sheriff of Craven County, attended by the following Jury of good and lawful men...proceeded on the 26th day of May 1868...to lay off and allot to Rachael Carter her dower and thirds in the lands of William Carter...South Side of Neuse River, West Side of Clubfoots Creek, adjoining to the lands of John [George] and brothers...twenty-five acres.
14/32: Cover sheet
15/32: Petition for Dower: Rachel G. Carter vs. Heirs at Law of William Carter
16/32: Cover sheet
17/32: To James Carter: To appear in Court on 2nd Monday in June 1867
18/32: Cover for Subpoena & Copy of Petition to James Carter
19/32: To Jesse Godett: To appear in Court on 2nd Monday in June 1867
20/32: Cover for Subpoena & Copy of Petition to Jesse Godett 
21/32: To Amos Carter: To appear in Court on 2nd Monday in June 1867
22/32: Cover for Subpoena & Copy of Petition to Amos Carter
23/32: To Martha A. Godett: To appear in Court on 2nd Monday in June 1867
24/32: Cover for Subpoena & Copy of Petition to Martha A. Godett
25/32: Handwritten note on torn paper: "200 acres of land adjoining the lands of Hetty George & the Heirs at Law of Theophilus George.
26/32: To the Sheriff of Craven County: summons to form a Jury to come to the premises of William Carter's lands to lay off the Dower, one third part, of Rachel Carter
27/32: Cover: Trial: Writ to Lay off Dower for Rachel G. Carter
28/32: To the Sheriff of Craven County: to appear with a Jury of men in Court on the 2nd Monday of March 1868
29/32: Cover sheet
30/32: Paid to Wm H. Marshall, $5.00, for laying Rachel Carter's dower in lands
31/32: Petition for Dower, Cover sheet
32/32: The Petition of Rachel G. Carter, Widow of William Carter; Heirs at Law: Martha A. Godet, Jesse Godet, James Carter, Amos Carter, Cassie J. Carter, Josephus Carter, Eliza M. Carter, Isaac H. Carter, & Garrison E. Carter, the last six infants; lands adjoining Hetty George & the Heirs at Law of Theophilus George & others, "and containing by estimation about 200 acres".

The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter: Document #22

Domument #22 is an affidavit sworn by Rufus L. Carter, Isaac Carter's first cousin.  You can see from the pedigree to the left how they are connected within the Carter Family Tree.

The only difference I can see in testimony between Rufus L. Carter and other affiants is that during the time he spent with Isaac Carter in Carolina City, they stayed in a tent.

This was reportedly during the Fall of 1864, while the time when they reportedly had worked and slept in the winter elements was in November of the same year. This was sworn testimony by his comrade, Samuel Keach Windley. Sharper Williams, also of his same Company, stated that in February 1865 he was in the hospital and treated by the Surgeon. While the onset of his illness was in  November 1864, he was hospitalized during February 1865...from Fall through the winter months.

Below is the exact transcription of Document #22, sworn by Isaac Carter's first cousin, Rufus L. Carter. Any spelling or punctuation errors are as they appeared in the original document.


State of North Carolina)
County of Craven         )
In the matter of Original Invalid pensions
Claim No. 662812 of Isaac Carter Late
a Sergent of Co. G 14 Regt U.S.C HArty
on this 10th day of May A.D. 1892
Personally appeared before me a Notary
Public for & within the county
& state afore said Mr. Rufus L. Carter
age 48 years Resident of Harlow N.C.
well known to be rebtable & entitle to
credit who being duly sworn accor-
ding to Law. says has been Well
and personally acquainted with

the claimant Isaac Carter for
48 years and have lived in the same
Neighborhood with him Partially Raised
up together before the Late War he was
a well and a harty man and I
Remember on or about the time
he Left home to enlist in the
U.S. Army which was some time
first of the year of 1864. he enlisted
in the 14 Regiment U.S.C HArty. I Well
Remember that on or about the Last of the
fall of 1864 I Went down to Carolina
City N.C. and I Saw Isaac Carter
with other Soldirs and I Stayed with
Isaac Carter in the Tent with him
One Night. I Remember Seeing
the claimant Teo or Three times after
he enlisted in the U.S.Army and
when he was Discharge Dec. 11, 1865.
I saw him Very soon after he was
discharged & he was complaning of
Rheumatism in feet and legs and
he complaine of Pains in side and
Breast and he complaining of the
Diarrhea & Piles and he has continued
to complain from date of Discharge
up to the Present. & he has growed
worse & worse each yeare he has
not been in the Military or Navail
Services Since he was Discharge Dec. 1865
I Live within a halfor mile of him & and continues to
See him Weekly & some times daily
and still complaine of Diarrhea &
pl Piles & Rheumatism pains in
Breast & left side I have known him
to be down in Bed confine Two &
Thee Weeks at a time with the Diarrhea
& Rheumatism & weakness of the Back
and he is down about Two Thirds of
his time he can not do any Manual
Labor Whatever at times he suffers
and continues to grow worse and worse each
yeare. I Remember Sept 1891 while was at
Work the claimant was trying to work
& he was complaining of the Dirrhea
& Piles then & said he could not Work
& could not do any heavy work and
He stope work & went to the sink
and when came Back from the sink
he give out & fell and I went and
taken him up & put him in my
Sciff & got a man to carrie Isaac
Carter home to his wife for he was a
Bad off with Diarrhea & Piles and
he had not been able to do anything
of any account Since & continues
to have Severe attack of Diarrhea and
Piles & Rheumatism he is more than
Two Thirds disable. he suffers for
Medical aid by being not able to
Empoloy any Physecoin he is a
Poor Invalid soldire & suffers
for the Necessaries of Life. he can not
work his wife work & dose the Best she
can for him I am no concern
in the prosecution of this claim
My PO address is Harlowe N.C.
Withess          )
EW Carpenter)    Rufus L. Carter
J.P. Godett     )

                                 Sworn & Sub-
scribed to before me this
10th day of May/92 & I certify
that the foregoing was
read to affiant before
signing same & that he
is the identical person
he claims to be & is credible
& worthy of belief.
                              EW Carpenter
                              Notary Public

The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter: Documents #20 & #21

Before we get started today, I just want to let you know that I have updated the Civil War Pension File page on the blog. Here I have each post listed by three criteria: the document number, the type of document (claim, affidavit, correspondence, or analysis), and the person responding.

I hope you'll take a look and follow the links to previous posts related to the Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter.

The next document I'm sharing is abstracted below, based on salient information that can be used for writing a character description in the family history memoir. It is interesting to see how Isaac's disability was broken down into fractions.

Take a look...

Document #20 in the Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter is a medical report and Surgeon's Certificate for a physical examination performed on March 23, 1892 in Beaufort, Carteret, North Carolina, by J. B. Davis, U.S. Ex'g Surg.

From this document we find that Isaac, at the age of 51, stood five feet eleven inches and weighed 162 pounds. There are other details relating to his specific claims of disability; specifically, the surgeon concluded that

He is, in my opinion, entitled to a 6/18 rating for the disability caused by Dyspepsia, 4/18 for that caused by Disease of lung, and 8/18 for that caused by --Rheumatism. 

So, in all, the physician rated Isaac Carter as 18/18, or 100% disabled.

Document #21: An Affidavit sworn by Theophilus George.

A question concerning dates of birth: Isaac's brother-in-law had already given testimony in an affidavit sworn on 3 June 1890. This document is dated 10 May 1892. He was aged 40 years in the first document, and reported as 41 years here. According to his death certificate, it had been reported that his date of birth was 10 July 1850. The informant was his brother-in-law, Oscar Frazier. The evidence resulting from comparing sworn testimony in these affidavits, however, makes it appear that perhaps Theophilus George was born between May 10th - June 3rd. Otherwise, he would have given testimony of his age being 42 years. 

Affidavit #2 of Theophilus George
NOTE: The following is an exact transcription. All spellings and marks of punctuation are as they appear on the original document.

State of North Carolina )
County of Craven          )
In the matter of Original Invalid
Pension Claim No 662812 of Isaac
Carter Late a Sergeant of Co G 14 Regt
USCH Arty
On this 10th day of May A.D. 1892
Personally appeared before me a
Notary Public for and within the County
& state afore said Mr. Theophilus George age
41 years Resident of Harlow N.C. well
known to be reputable and entitl to
credit who being duly sworn
according to Law declares as follows
I have been acquainted with Isaac 
Carter all my life and he always was a
well & a harty man & when he enlisted
in the U.S. Army he was a well man
I Never heard him complain of any
thing, not until he was Discharge &
com home, which was on or about
December 1865 I Saw him Very soon
after he com home to Harlow Creek
N.C. & he was complaining, not well
& he was complaining of Rheumatism
& Diarrhea & Piles of which he has
continued to grow worse & worse
each year


I have known him to be down
about 2/3 of his time and he is not
able to Do any Manual Labor
and at times he is helpless I also
Remember that on or about fall of
1891 Isaac Carter while off 
Trying to work one of those attack
com on him & he fell & was Brought
home & We all in the Neghborhood
Was expecting his death and he has
continued to grow worse with the 
Diarrhea & Piles & Rheumatism
and has Severe attacks often I
see him at time weekly & som
times Evry other week and he is
Now more then 2/3 Two Thirds disable
and he suffers for Necessaries of &
for medical and By reason he is
not able to Do any thing in the way
of any Manual Labor he is in
a destitute condition and needs 
some assistance

I am no Relation to the claimant
& I have no interest in the claim
My PO is Harlowe N.C.
Witness           )    Theophilus George
EWCarpenter ) 
JP. Godett      )

sworn & subscribed to before
me this 10th day of May/92
& I certify that the foregoing
was read to affiant before
he signed same & that he
is the identical person he 
claims to be & in credible &
worthy of belief
                            EWCarpenter
                            Notary Public



Analysis
One thing that stood out to me was that his brother-in-law stated that "Very soon after [December 1865] after he com home to Harlow Creek, N.C...."

Craven County Recreation & Parks, Paddle Trip #24--Harlowe Canal
SR 1391 Bridge to Siddie Fields Recreation Area

Inland water-way between Beaufort and New Bern, N.C. (1891)
Repository: Outer Banks History Center

As you can see from the map above, Harlowe is across the county line, situated in Carteret County. Also, Harlowe Creek is located at the end of the Clubfoot Creek and Harlowe Creek Canal, as depicted in the map to the right.

This will take some additional work with plotting the locations of property found in the family land deeds, and requires enlisting the assistance of family members who live in that area who have knowledge of the family history.

Amanuensis Monday: The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter, Document #15

Below is a transcription of an affidavit sworn out by Theophilus George. This could either be Isaac's brother-in-law (b. 10 Jul 1850), or his father-in-law (b. abt. 1804). Upon completion, further analysis will determine the realtionship.

 North Carolina

Craven County

Also personally appeared before 

me a clerk of Superior Court

a court of record in and 

for the County & State aforesaid

Theophilus George age 40 yrs. 

well known unto be respectable and

entitled to credit & who being duly

declares: I have been acquainted

with Isaac Carter the soldier

all my Life. When he came home

from the war Dec 1865 he appeared

to be quite sick from Rheumatism

and was stiff in his joints of feet & 

Legs and he would be unable

to walk and he also complains 

of diarrhea & piles and asthma

soreness of throat and heart.

He has suffered to a great

excess each and every year

to the present that he has been

down for two or three times each

year or a month or more at a 

time. And I have lived near

his house ever since the war

and have been able to see

him every week at times and

I so on. When ever I see

He is complaining and is at times 

laid up from Rheumatism

diarrhea piles and asthma.

and he is continually sick

from said disabilities.

I have no interest in the

claim. My P.I. address is

Harlowe N. C. 

witness               )

E.W. Carpenter  )  Theophilus George

J.B. Willis         )

sworn & sub-

scribed to before me this 3rd day of

June 1890 & I certify that officiant states'that the foregoing was read to him before

signing same & that he is the identical

person he claims to be & is credible &

worthy of belief.                            E.W. Carpenter

[stamp]

Frederick Douglass,

U.S. Claim Agent.

Box 590, New Berne, N.C.

Analysis

• Taking into account that Theophilus George was 40 years old on 3 June 1890, he would have been born in 1850, which is compatible with Isaac Carter's brother-in-law. Certain he would have known Isaac all his life as Isaac was eleven years old when Theophilus was born. 
• Theophilus reports Isaac's condition following the war in 1865. He married Theophilus' older sister, Martha Ann, one and a half years later (15 May 1867). 
• The informant reports that I have lived near his house ever since the war. Perhaps an examination of land deeds and Census documents for 1870 and 1880 would determine the location of this land, whether it corresponds to the current Martha Ann (George) Carter Heirs Land. Also, where both Carter and George resided before the war. 

Civil War USCT Recruits in New Bern, North Carolina

An interesting discovery while searching for USCT: New Bern Enlistments
Ferries, ferries, ferries...

It has been a long and difficult search to discover anything new about the location of ferries from the South Side of Neuse River to New Bern in 1853. I have found several mentions, but nothing very specific...

However, in the process of working on creating a listing of all the soldiers who enlisted in New Bern for the United States Colored Troops in 1864, I came across the following video which I think you might find very interesting.

One of the interviewers, Bernard George, is a member of my husband's family tree: his 3rd cousin. Their mutual relation was Theophilus George, the father of both Martha Ann George and James George. James was the youngest child born to Theophilus' first wife, Mary Elizabeth Morris in 1846, while my husband's great grandmother Martha Ann was the oldest child born to Theophilus' second wife, Sarah Harkley, in 1849.


I invite you to take a look at this video and absorb some of the interesting connections which still remain to our not so distant past....

The NEWBERNIAN: Meet Luke Martin
by JTrodgers Productions, April 2012


The following video is the sequel to this, 
New Bern's 
Civil War Veteran's Recognition Event.

The contingent then proceeds to three cemeteries for wreath laying.
Follow the Color Guard to:

1. The Confederate Memorial at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Then, proceed across George Street to
2. Greenwood Cemetery, where 5 USCT troops are buried, and then out National Avenue to
3. The National Cemetery, where both white Union and USCT troops are buried, including Luke P. Martin, Sr. of the USCT 35th Infantry.

The NEWBERNIAN: lukemartinUtube
by Deborah Morefield, June 23, 2012

Diving Into. . .

File Box 1, No. 1.4.Part II.2
Franklin, John Hope. "The Free Negro In The Economic Life Of Ante-Bellum North Carolina, Parts I & II, in The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. XIX, No. 3, July 1942, pp.239-259; and Vol. XIX , No. 4, October 1942, p. 358-375.

Free Negro slave owners
Franklin discusses the two motives a free Negro owned slaves:

1. for the purpose of advancing their economic well-being, and
2. for benevolent reasons (p. 373).

John C. Stanly, he notes, owned slaves for both reasons. His case is famous. He was the son of John Wright Stanly. You can read more about them in the links provided.

Throughout his discussion of how many slaves were owned by free Negroes from 1790 to 1830, my mind kept going back to the case of Margaret Carter, our Isaac's grand-aunt. She was the daughter of Abel Carter, and is noted in Paul Heinegg's Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware as Margaret Fenner, sister of John Carter. He quotes Byrd's In Full Force and Virtue (p. 41), how in 1797 she petitioned the court for permission to manumit her "negro man slave," named Jack Fennel who was her husband by whom she had a number of children. Through his industry they had acquired a 200 acre plantation stocked with cattle and hogs. 

Actually, his estate records show that he owned 240 acres, and that his son Thomas and wife Penny petitioned the court against his mother's family as follows:

Your petitioners further show that they desire to hold and enjoy the shares of said land in severalty, and to that end prey your worship to not to appoint five commissioners to divide the same into fourteen equal shares by proper metes and bounds and to allot to the parties hereto the said share as follows, to Thomas Fenner & Penny his wife one share, to Amos Carter one share, to James Carter one share, to Luke Ward & Betsey his wife one share, John Martin one share for live remainder over, Jesse A Godet & Martha his wife one share, Rufus L. Carter one share, Essau J. Carter one share, Josephus Carter one share, Elija M. Carter, Isaac H.Carter, Garrison E. Carter one share each-- (Sarah George, Theophilus George, Timothy George, Tempy Jayn George and Mary George the last two infants--the children of Elijah George deceased) one share, to the children of Theophilus George deceased (viz Manuel George, James George, Theophilus George, William George, Nancy Gaudet & Martha A. Carter the last three infants,and James Gaudet) one share. . . .

 Interestingly enough, the Clerk of Courts whose signature appears on these papers is John G[reen] Stanly, the half-brother of John C[aruthers] Stanly--both sons of John Wright Stanly of New Bern.

Diving Into. . .

File Box: 1, File No. 1.1:
Franklin, John Hope. The Free Negro In North Carolina: 1790-1860. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1943.

Introduction:

Available at Amazon.com

In May of 2008 I applied for an National Endowment of the Humanities Independent Scholar Fellowship to research and write a prequel to this monumentous book, entitled: Migration and Settlement Patterns of Free Negroes in Colonial America, Part I: The Southern Colonies, 1728-1790. The problem, I was told, was that the scope was too large and that I concentrated on too many primary sources...I needed more secondary sources. They had me completely baffled on the sources issue; but, after a short period of grieving, I regrouped and continued the research from a different angle.

The years selected began with the year the Dividing Line between Virginia and North Carolina were established and the territory was opened for settlement and ended where John Hope Franklin began, but with emphasis on other aspects not covered by the author. It was to encompass sixty-two years and five states.

Presently, the historical narrative I am working on covers three generations of a family's life in Coastal North Carolina between the years 1854 to 1954. While the focus has tightened, the span of years has extended.

Selected Text:
The photocopies in this packet are from four chapters, as follows:
Chapter II: Growth of the Free Negro Population,
Chapter IV: The Free Negro in the Economic Life of North Carolina,
Chapter V: Social Life of the Free Negro, and
Chapter VII: Conclusions.

It's always interesting to review previously selected books. What caught my attention four years earlier differs from today's emphasis. Then the focus was migration patterns. Now I'm more concerned with specific points, i.e. education, apprenticeship, religion, the Free Negro Code, housing, diet and health issues.

Several quotes from the Conclusions sum up these concerns:

It was one thing to inherit or acquire freedom and quite another thing to maintain it. . . . Free Negroes in North Carolina were, moreover, a rural people. . . however, their living in the rural areas had the effect of making their presence less objectionable, since they were seldom in large numbers. . . . Had it not been for the system of apprenticing free Negro children to white masters for the purpose of training them to make a living, the economic influence of the free Negro would have been even less than it was. . . . As farmers, farm laborers, and common laborers, they were able to eke out a living if they could find an opportunity to ply their trade. . . . What literacy there was among the free Negroes came largely from the apprenticeship system. There were also religious sects, such as the Quakers, Methodists, and Presbyterians, who were engaged in the task of training free Negroes, but they touched only a very limited number (excerpted from pages 222-224).

One note of interest: At the end of the book is a section of Appendices. Appendix I is a table entitled, Free Negro Apprentices in 1860. Craven County, where our Carters and Georges lived, there were only 16 apprentices in the county.

New sources of interest: The John H. Bryan Papers: 1773-1860. Interesting observations of the free Negroes of New Bern, in the Archives of the North Carolina Historical Commission. And The John H. Bryan Papers: 1798-1860, in the Manuscript Collection in Duke University Library.

On Accepting the Armchair Genealogist's Family History Writing Challenge

On January 24th I took the plunge & accepted the challenge...The Armchair Genealogist's Family History Writing Challenge, that is.

Lynn Palermo, author of the blog, wrote a post that caught my attention: Let's Be Honest. In it she talks about FEAR as being a motivator which hinders writers from getting the story down on paper. And of all the internal questions that storm in our minds, I found one that has always resonated with me...

• I don't have enough research...

and one akin to it:

•  what if my subjects don't like my writing?

Perhaps the fear is not so much that they might not like the quality of the work . . . just the tenor of it. You've seen the timeline . . . and for this work, I actually will be working on the previous generation, from the death of Isaac Carter's parents in 1853 to the birth of Hezekiah in 1874.

I hope you'll stop by from time to time to see how I'm progressing. Although I won't be writing the story here, I will keep you posted on the process.

Amanuensis Monday -- creating databases for statistical analysis

When I first began the research for developing a social history of the locale where my husband's ancestors had settled, I worked extensively with Census data. Looking at raw Census schedules, however, is not a practical way to quickly identify patterns within the pages. I wanted to look at specific pieces of information on one page that would eliminate the extraneous. So I created a database which presents only the information I cared to examine. 

Below is a cross-section of my database of the 1910 Census for Township 5, Craven County, NC. The first column records the location: next is a listing of only those persons involved in work of some kind: the third and fourth columns record the type of work engaged: then I made columns for occupation. The first occupation column is farming. . . the second was timber. . . etc.

For this study, I wanted to determine if there was a location where farmers and timber workers were more densely concentrated. This is an area where my husband's ancestors lived. William H. Carter was my husband's grandfather's brother, or my husband's grand uncle. The Georges were my husband's g-grandmother's first cousins, or my husband's first cousins twice removed.

By mapping these statistics on a GIS map from the county tax assessor's office, I am able to reconstruct the beginnings of the social data I need for understanding the workings of a community.

Going Backward to Move Ahead: 6 steps toward a well-documented family history

For my birthday this year, one of the gifts I received was a T-shirt with the logo Family History Detective on the front. That says it all.

Among my favorite detectives are Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, and Hercule Poirot. Each has a unique style for getting to the truth of a mystery; but they always  pursue the clues, and in the end expose the truth.

Being a genealogist is a bit like being a detective. We search for clues...make inquiries...check sources...and follow the trail back to the place where it all began.

If you're like me and you've been researching your family for some time, you've accumulated files and binders and notebooks galore! You may have worked on a particular aspect of your research in the early years, and now find that you must access and re-examine some of that information for a lead in your current explorations. Such was the case last night.

Back in 2005 I received four reels of microfilm from the Library of Virginia on Inter-Library Loan. The condition of the Virginia documents was much worse when they were microfilmed than those of Massachusetts. Parts of the pages had been torn or blotted out, and ink had faded in places. Parts of the document were very difficult to read. I recall completing the transcription, and I thought I had printed the document. . .

. . . but last night when I pulled the file box and notebooks 

containing my Virginia sources and notes, 

I could not find the Will, nor could I find the transcription!

It's been  six years since reading the Will of Ann Southey Littleton, and nearly four-and-a-half years since we relocated to Western North Carolina. It could be anywhere. At any rate, it seems that I will have to re-order the microfilm.

There are several things you can do to use 

all your existing clues to work back to the original sources, 

and avoid having to retrace your steps later.

• When you find a clue that sets you on the path to solving your mystery, check the author's sources. On our first visit to Craven County, NC I had photocopied  the Carter, George and Cannady sections of Paul Heinegg's book, Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and made notes on the sources he used. In this case, it appeared that he relied mainly on county records: apprentice indentures, county court minutes, and deeds.

• Always look for a means to contact the author. The online version of this book included a note: "Send questions and comments to . . . ." Sometimes authors have their own website to promote their books, or their publisher or agent may have a page devoted to their client where they are willing to act as an intermediary for them. I have contacted authors by all these means, and for the most part they usually write back. On September 9, 2005, Paul Heinegg wrote, 

"I did that research when I was first starting about 20 years ago. At that time I used  Joseph Douglas Deal's PhD thesis,  Race and Class in Colonial Virginia: Indians, Englishmen and Africans on the Eastern Shore during the Seventeenth Century. Years later I went back and ordered the microfilms from the Library of Virginia. . . . "

• If you're as lucky as I was to discover a source not mentioned previously, go directly to that source, and check it's sources. While I had learned of Deal's dissertation  in 2005, it wasn't until this year (2011) that I was able to locate a copy of the book for my own collection. While Paul was gracious enough to email me scans of the chapters on the Carter and George families, having the original source right in front of me provided critical analysis of the original texts found in Virginia county records. 

• If you have access to Ancestry.com's public member trees . . . look for a well-sourced tree containing your ancestors and contact the owner of the tree. Sometimes, not only will you find new leads, you may learn of a rootsweb surname list that will widen your opportunity for clues. Make sure to print out or save to disk all emails pertaining to your research. Years later, if you need to retrace your steps, these are very valuable. From one member of the LITTLETON-L, I was informed that:

"CARTAR or Carter was a family name somewhere . . . ."

And another reports: 

"My family who are descendants of Littleton's carry a Carter middle name as a family name so lost in the past. My father carried the name as David Carter Wood." 

• Keep following the trail until you come upon a primary source . . . one that was written by an eye-witness. In this case, it would be wills, deeds, and court minutes; but the greatest find would be a slave ledger, a ship's manifest, or a diary. 

• At every step of the search, document--document--document. While researching my New England ancestors on microfilm, I had the foresight to keep each print in an archival sleeve, tagged with a label: 

While I am usually very careful in my documentation, I can at times neglect this important step. I hope this helps you to prevent the pit-fall which I have stumbled into. 

Tombstone Tuesday -- Lucinda F. Culley Carter

Last Tuesday the blog featured the headstone of Martha Ann Carter Cully. This week's Tombstone Tuesday features Lucinda Francis Culley Carter. This headstone was from the collection of photographs by Harrison David Carter, taken at Piney Grove Cemetery in North Harlowe, Craven, NC in 2005.

Lucinda F. (CULLEY) CARTER
15 Sept 1904 - 19 Dec 1979
Piney Grove Cemetery

I wanted to find out how Martha Ann and Lucinda were related...


Lucinda Culley was already in my database. She was the youngest child of  James H. and Lucinda (Dove) Culley, Joe B.'s little sister. . . or,

Martha's aunt.

I was able to locate a record for Martha Ann's Aunt Lucinda in the North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741 - 2004, at Ancestry.com:

Lucinda Culley (age 37) 

married 

Herbert Carter (age 21) 

on 24 May 1943 

in Harlowe, Carteret, North Carolina 

That would place Lucinda's year of birth at about 1906. It was close. But, there were no official birth records kept in North Carolina until 1914, so one must allow for a margin of error in a year of birth.

The marriage record proved the Carter connection, but I had never heard of a Herbert Carter in our tree. Yet in Craven County, people with the Carter surname are bound to be related somewhere . . . so, next I tried to find Herbert Carter in the Census to determine his position in the family tree.

Since Lucinda and Herbert weren't married until 1943, I would only be able to find Herbert living with his parents. Without much trouble, I was able to locate Herbert in the household of Willie E. & Sophie J. Carter. The aggregate Census record for the family group looks like this:

Willie E. Carter, b. June 1877

Sophie J. (wife), b. abt. 1878

CH:

1. Sarah, b. abt. 1901 (1930, 1920, 1910)

2. Rebecca, b. abt. 1904 (1920, 1910)

3. Elisha, b. abt. 1906 (1910)

4. James, b. abt. 1908 (1930, 1920, 1920)

5. LeRoy, b. abt. 1911 (1920)

6. W. R., b. abt. 1913 (1930)

7. David, b. abt. 1914 (1930, 1920)

When I checked the Craven County Register of Deeds Index, I discovered three additional children: 

8. Charlotte, b. 1915

9. Edward, b. 1918

10. Herbert Lee, b. 1921.

I also discovered that Sophie's maiden name was Sophia Jane Fenner. 

With all this information, it seemed that the relationship between Martha Ann and her Aunt Lucinda was not the real mystery here, but                  . . . what was Martha Ann's double relationship 

to Uncle Herbert Lee Carter?

I traced back through the generations till I could find a common ancestor:

Martha Ann¹⁰ (Malachi⁹, Isaac ^{8,7, 6}, Abel⁵, John⁴, Thomas^{3, 2}, Paul¹) Carter

Herbert Lee¹⁰ (Willie E.⁹, Rufus L.⁸, William⁷, Isaac⁶, Abel⁵, John⁴, Thomas ^{3, 2}, Paul¹) Carter

Martha Ann and her Uncle Herbert Lee Carter 

were also 3rd Cousins!

Double relationships are quite common in geographically isolated areas. I have found many for the Carters, Georges and Moores; but, this is the FIRST time I have found an uncle who was also a cousin.


Correction:
Since writing this post, I have been given new information from a cousin, Michaud Robinson, who has clarified a confusion over which Willie Carter is in consideration here. Michaud writes:

William Edgar Carter is the son of George Carter and Nancy Willoughby. His wife is Sophia Jane Carter, daughter of Charlotte Carter and Eddie George. They were married 10 Sept 1899. George Carter is my g-g grandfather's brother. Willie Carter the son of Rufus and Nancy Godette married Henrietta Cooper 19 May 1901. Willie and Henrietta's children are listed on the quit claim deed. Rufus Sr. also has had another son named William H. Carter.

One thing that is great about blogging is that it gets the whole family involved in examining the research and honing our relationships within out trees. Many thanks to Michaud, who is a frequent contributor to my research!

Now, what does this new information mean to the relationships above?

Herbert Lee¹⁰ (William Edgar⁹, George⁸, .....⁷, .....⁶, .....⁵, .....⁴, ..... ^{3, 2}, Paul¹) Carter

More to come in the days to follow as  I re-examine new documents to prove them. 

Wordless Wednesday--2009 GEORGE Family Reunion

Marilyn (MOORE) DAVIS

Eula Mae (MOORE) FRAZIER
April 1930 - Dec. 8, 2010

Avis LEE & Dorothy (CULLY) LEE

Walter DODSON, Avis LEE & Cedric CARTER

J. D. BROWN & Family

Amanuensis Monday--Deeds which prove parentage

When I first started as Co-Historian for the George Family Reunion Committee of North Harlowe, Craven, NC back in 2005, the progenitors were believed to have been Emanuel and Matilda George. I was told that this bit of information had been found on some notes jotted down by the late Wilfred Lee Moore; however, the original version of "Our Family Tree" (1989) did not record any parentage for the first Georges linked to the family by the founders of the George Family Reunion Committee. Instead, the elders began with the following group of siblings, their marriages and offspring:

1. Emanuel and Hepsie George,
2. James Bland and Harriet (Kates) [sic] George, 
3. Nathaniel George,
4. Martha Ann (George) and Isaac Carter, 
5. Nancy (George) and Esaw Godette.

I continued researching the ancestry of my husband's line, descendants of Isaac and Martha Ann (George) Carter for two years before my husband and I were able to attend the 2007 George Family Reunion. During that visit we made our first trip to the Kellenberger Room at New Bern-Craven County Public Library, where librarian Victor T. Jones, Jr. found the marriage records for my grandfather-in-law on microfilm.

He also showed me a book which proved to be very valuable in my research. Now available online, Paul Heinegg's Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, proved an interesting piece of information. At that time, however, I had no idea how the Carters, Canadays and Georges fit into the puzzle; but I held onto it for future use.

Also during that visit, we spent nearly a whole day at the Craven County Register of Deeds where I recorded all the old deeds for every Carter and George in the Index Books. I photocopied each one and began inspecting them for clues as soon as we got back to the Hampton Inn in Havelock. 

One in particular stood out from the rest as proving the father of our original siblings:

114
     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: that we, Roberson B. Godette, James Godette, James George and Sarah Jane, his wife, Isaac Carter and Martha Ann, his wife, Theophilus George, William George, Eran Godette and Ann, his wife, the heirs at law, of the late Theophilus George of the State of North Carolina, County of Craven, for and in consideration of the sum of Five Dollars to us in hand paid by Emanuel George, the receipt wherof is hereby acknowledged, have bargained, sold and delivered, by these presents do bargain and deliver unto the said Emanuel George, the following described peice [sic] or parcel of land lying and being in the County of Craven, State of North Carolina, on the South side Neuse River and West side of Clubfoot's Creek, butted and bounded as follows:--
[Deed Book 190: page 114]

Here the paternal relationship is clearly stated, that the father of these siblings was Theophilus George. Marriage records show that Theophilus George's first wife was Mary Elizabeth Morris (md. 21 May 1831), with whom he fathered five children: Emanuel (b. 1832), Abijah (b. 1836), Deborah (b. 1838), Betsey (b. 1841), and James (b. 1846). His second wife, Sarah "Sally" Harkley, gave him seven more children: Martha Ann (b. 1849), Theophilus (b. 1850), Nancy (b. 1852), William (b. 1854), Edmond (b. 1856), Eliza (b. 1858), and Nathaniel (b. 1860). The children and their dates of birth were determined from Census records.

The following is one of the George deeds which records the sale of a tract of Heir Land divided and granted to my grandfather-in-law, Hezekiah Carter.  In this deed are named three of the siblings of Hezekiah's mother, Martha Ann (George) Carter: Emanuel, Thelophilus and Nancy.

284
State of North Carolina)
                Craven County)                                This Deed, made this 6^th day of
January A.D. 1900 by Nathaniel George & Julia his wife
Theophilus George & Hepsey his wife & Nancy Godett of Craven
County and State of North Carolina of the first part to
Hezekiah Carter of Craven County and State of North Car-
lina of the second part, Witnesseth: That said party of the
first part in consideration of Thirty dollars to us paid by
Hezekiah Carter the receipt of which is hereby acknowled-
ged have bargained and sold and by these presents do
bargain sell and convey to said party of the second part
and his heirs the following land in Craven County
State of North Carolina adjoining the lands of Gilbert
Falls, Jesse Godett and others and others, bounded as
follows viz: On the North by Jeremiah Godett on the
East by Jesse Godett & Gilbert Falls on the south
Martha Ann Carter and Jim George and on the West
by William George. Containing by estimation Fifteen
acres be the same more or less. This land has been
recently laid off & lines all marked & corners placed
or marked but the notes of the survey were lost.
To have and to hold the aforesaid tract of Fifteen acres more or less
and all privileges and appurtenances thereto belonging to the said
Hezekiah Carter and unto his heirs and assigns
in fee simple forever. And the said party of the first
part for ourselves & our heirs, executors and admin-
istrators covenant with said party of the second part his
heirs and assigns that we are seized of said premises
in fee and have right to convey the same in fee simple
That the same are free and clear from all incumbrances and that we
will warrant and defend the said title to the same against the claim
of all persons whatsoever. In testimony whereof the said party of
the first part have hereunto set our hands and seals the day
and year above written                              his
                                                                Nathaniel George            seal
                                                                            mark
                                                                             her
                                                                Julia C. George                  seal
                                                                            mark
                                                                          
                                                                Theophilus George         seal
                                                                              her
Attest:                                                  Hepsey E. George            seal
John S Morton                                                               mark
                                                                               her
                                                                Nancy Godett                    seal
                                                                             mark

While some family members, including the other historian whose father had inscribed the names of Emanuel and Matilda George as the parents of the five siblings, refused to readily accept this connection as proof, further investigations only substantiate my claim as supported by other researchers from various branches of the family. Sometimes we attach sentimental value upon a loved one's suppositions that we find difficult to relinquish. . . . but accurate research must be verified by the artifacts and documents left behind, leaving a trace of their existence and contribution to a way of life deemed foreign to us today. 

George/Carter Family Reunion Plans for 2011 Abandoned

The last George Family Reunion held in North Harlowe, NC may have been the last...

Many events precipitated this decision, including the deaths of many of our senior family members who were instrumental in past reunion planning...including six siblings:

Richard William CARTER: b. 20 Oct 1923; d. 19 Aug 2009.

James Prester CARTER: b. 1925; d. 15 Sep 2009.
Hattie (CARTER) BECTON: b. 1918; d. 8 Mar 2010.
Mattie Genora CARTER: b. Oct 1910; d. 10 Mar 2010.
Learn CARTER: b. 1920; d. 20 Mar 2010.
Hester (CARTER) BELTON: b. 28 Sep 1908; d. 9 Apr 2010.
Demika Darlene MOORE: b. 27 Sep 1985; d. 23 Jul 2010.
Eula Mae (MOORE) FRAZIER: b. Apr 1930; d. 8 Dec 2910.
Cleveland CARTER: b. 1915; d. 20 Apr 2011.

Thomas "Tommy" Lee MOORE: d.. 18 May 2011.

Following the death of the three sisters (Hattie, Mattie & Hester) and cousin Eula Mae, a deep sense of loss was replaced with gratefulness for the chance to have visited with them following our last family reunion. We truly do not know when our last opportunity might be to spend time with our loved ones...to get to know Cousins of a prior generation...to hear the stories of family before they go to the grave...

While there are some things we may never know, the loss of family led me to a period of questioning about my genealogical research. No longer am I researching in the capacity of a reunion committee historian. What I do from here on out must take the shape of something useful and compelling to future generations.

When I die, what will my legacy be to my children and grandchildren...a room full of binders containing Census, birth, marriage and death records...or could I possibly focus on a portion of the family...that which is closest to us, and find a meaningful way to tell the story?

In the days to come, you will see the results of this questioning unfold...and hopefully, the steps I am taking in my own research may help you in yours.

Isaac Carter: Determining the Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 3, UPDATED in 2024

Now that it has been proven that Isaac Carter of Craven County was not a Revolutionary War pensioner, does that mean he didn't serve as a soldier in the war?

According to “FORTITUDE AND FORBEARANCE” THE NORTH CAROLINA CONTINENTAL LINE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR 1775-1783 (Babits & Howard, 2004),

“State troops and militia were not regarded as Continental service, even if the unit served as a part of a larger entity, such as the Southern army under Lincoln, Gates, or Greene. . . The official table of organization for a military force. . . made clear distinctions between Continental, state troops, and militia, even if they were serving together in a common cause.” (Preface)

With that knowledge, I turned to COLONIAL SOLDIERS OF THE SOUTH, 1732-1774, by Murtie June Clark (1983). This book contains a listing of all the states' militias. I began looking for the muster roll for companies originating in Craven County, North Carolina. Altogether, there were  thirteen (13) Field Officers and Captains of the Craven County, North Carolina Regiment of Militia:

1. Colonel Edward Griffith
2. Lieut. Colonel Daniel Shine
3. Major Hardy Bryan
4. Captain Lewis Bryan
5. Captain Thomas Graves
6. Captain Joseph Bryan
7. Captain John Shine
8. Captain Solomon Kew
9. Captain Abner Neal
10. Arthur Johnston
11. John Curruther
12. John Islar

13. Cassin Brinson

Within the Muster Roll of Captain Lewis Bryan’s Company, [Craven County, North Carolina,] October 25, 1754, I found Private Isaac Carter, Number 61. I thought it was strange that none of the other names on the muster roll were associated with people living along the South Side of the Neuse River. And then I found a notation, stating: “[District: James MacKilwain’s to Marils Run and upwards to ye county line between Craven and Johnson Counties]” (p. 704).

This was not where Isaac Carter's family lived, along the South Side of Neuse River and the west side of Clubfoot Creek.

I kept looking through the lists, trying to find another Isaac Carter listed with residents of his neighborhood. In the Muster Roll of Captain Abner Neale’s Company, Craven County, North Carolina, October 4, 1754, I found some familiar names associated with our Isaac Carter:

96. Private Abel Carter
97. Private Jacob Copes
98. Private Peter George

99. Private John Carter

A notation states: [District: between the head of Slocomb’s Creek to the head of Turnagain Bay].

Note, however, that October 4, 1754, was during the French and Indian War, not the Revolutionary War. Abel Carter was Isaac Carter's father (b. 1732, age 22), and this particular John Carter was his grandfather (b. 1714, age 40), and not his brother John (b. 1754.) Jacob Copes and Peter George had descendants who married into the Carter family. 

This was the correct family group, just a different generation in a different military era.

Even though the original information I had read in both Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia and The Black Experience in Revolutionary North Carolina proved to be incorrect, I came away from the investigation with four connections to the North Carolina State Militia, serving during the French and Indian War.

So, I have yet to prove Isaac Carter of North Harlowe's Revolutionary War Militia service.