University of Virginia Library

SKETCH OF THE CARTER FAMILY.

This may with propriety follow that of the Fairfaxes, as Mr.
Robert Carter—called King Carter—was for a long time the agent
and representative of the Culpepper and Fairfax families, and as his
representatives have been so numerous and respectable in the
Northern Neck.

The first of the family, so far as is known, settled in Upper
Norfolk, now Nansemond county, and was a member of the House
of Burgesses in 1649. In the year 1654, we find him a Burgess
from Lancaster county, and Commander-in-chief of the forces sent
against the Rappahannock Indians. He continued to be a member
of the House of Burgesses for some years. Both himself and his
eldest son John appear on the vestry-book as members of the
vestry in the year 1666, the father having been acting in that
capacity before,—how long not known. The father, who died in
1669, had previously built, by contract, the first church standing
on the spot where Christ Church now is, and the vestry received it
at the hands of his son John, in six months after the father's death.
The name of John Carter, 1702, is still to be seen on an old dialpost
of cedar, which was taken out of the ground, near the church-door,
some years since, and placed under the pulpit in the present
Christ Church. The first John Carter had three wives,—1st, Jane,
the daughter of Morgan Glyn, by whom he had George and Eleanor;
2d, Ann, the daughter of Cleave Carter, probably of England;
3d, Sarah, the daughter of Gabriel Ludlowe, by whom he had
Sarah. All these died before him, and he was buried with them,
near the chancel, in the church which he built, and the tombstone
from which we take the above covers them all, being still in the
same position in the present church. He had also a son named
Charles, of whom nothing is known. His son Robert was by his
last wife, Sarah Ludlowe. The eldest son, John, married,—1st,
Elizabeth Wormley, and 2d, a Miss Loyd, and had issue. Of this
branch we have no account, and must confine ourselves to that of
Robert, alias King Carter. He married twice:—first, a Miss Armistead;
next, a widow Willis, daughter of Thomas Landon, of
England. He had ten children by the two wives. Those of whom

we have information were John, Elizabeth, Judith, Ann, Robert of
Nomini, Charles, Landon of Sabine Hall, Mary, Lucy, and George.
The eldest son, John, married Miss Hill, and was Secretary of State
to the Colony, having to pay one thousand five hundred pounds
sterling for the office. His daughter Elizabeth married, first Mr.
Nathaniel Burwell, of Gloucester, and then Dr. George Nicholas,
of Williamsburg. His daughter Judith married the first Mann
Page, of Gloucester, and lived with him at Rosewell. His daughter
Ann married Benjamin Harrison, of Berkeley. His son Robert
married a Miss Bladen. His son Charles married first a Miss
Walker, then a Miss Byrd, sister of Mr. Byrd, of Westover, lastly
a Miss Taliafero. His son Landon, of Sabine Hall, married first
Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Wormley, of Rosegill, then Maria, a
sister of Mr. Byrd, of Westover, then a Miss Beale. His youngest
child, Lucy, married Henry Fitzhugh, of King George county.
Thus we have disposed of the sons and daughters of Mr. Carter,
of Corotoman, and their marriages. To attempt to do the same
even with his grandchildren, much more with their descendants,
would not merely exceed the bounds prescribed to such genealogies
in these notices, but would require a small volume. Suffice it to
say, that, besides intermarriages one with another, the family of
Carter may be found intermingled, not only with those already
mentioned, but with those of Moore, Lee, Berkeley, Champe, Skipwith,
Braxton, Nelson, Waller, Randolph, Brown, Clayborne,
Tasker, Churchill, Chiswell, Minor, Brooke, Thornton, Baylor,
Grymes, Peck, Mitchell, Harris; and should we attempt to bring
down the list to present times, it would contain others almost without
limit. Out of the number of descendants, of whom both
Church and State might well be proud, it would be invidious to
select. So far as we have been able to judge by observation and
learn by report, we may be permitted to say that there has been
much of the amiable and the pious in the family, sometimes mixed
with a portion of eccentricity in individuals of it. In Councillor
Carter, of Nomini, the grandson of King Carter, this peculiarity
was found in a large measure. Early in life his disposition was
marked by a tendency to wit and humour. Afterward he was the
grave Councillor, and always the generous philanthropist. At a
later day he became scrupulous as to the holding of slaves, and
manumitted great numbers. The subject of religion then engrossed
his thoughts. Abandoning the religion of his fathers, he adopted
the creed of the Baptists, and patronized their young preachers,
having a chapel in his own house at Nomini. After a time he embraced
the theory of Swedenborg, and at length died an unhappy
death-dreading Papist. All the while he was a most benevolent
and amiable man. I might mention many others, of both sexes,
with whom I have had personal and intimate acquaintance, who
have been beautiful specimens of piety, without the versatility and
inconsistency of Mr. Carter, of Nomini. I was not acquainted
with Mr. Charles Carter, of Shirley, though it has been my happiness
to know many of his descendants and to love them for their
work's sake. I find his name on the list of those few devoted
friends of the Church who after the Revolution met together in
Convention at Richmond, to rescue the things that remained
and were ready to perish. I have, however, in the following letter,
a better proof of his love to the Church and its ministers than any
mere attendance on Conventions could furnish. It was addressed
to his old friend and pastor, the Rev. Mr. Currie, of Lancaster, who
was the faithful minister of Christ Church parish for fifty years.
Anticipating his own death as well as that of Mr. Currie, as
events which might occur before that of Mrs. Currie, he thus generously
provides for her support during her remaining days. She
did survive her husband a number of years, and doubtless enjoyed
the bounty of Mr. Carter.

Although Mr. Currie was a man who, judging from a sermon of
his in my possession, put his trust in God for his fatherless children
and widow when taken from them, yet it must have been truly

comforting to know that this provision was made for them by a
generous friend. The sermon is on the text, (Matthew vi. 34,)
"Take no thought for to-morrow, for the morrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
It is a very sensible and pious discourse on the subject treated of,
showing, among other things, the impropriety of all uneasy thoughts
about our earthly condition, and is in some respects a "conscio ad
clerum" one to poor clergymen. I find on the cover of it these
words:—

In relation to the above act of generosity, on the part of Mr.
Carter, to the widow and children of a worthy clergyman, though
there be few who can follow his example in affording them the use of
a farm of five hundred acres, yet there are many who can contribute
something to their comfort; and the thought that there are many
who will do it must be a great solace to the heart of a dying minister
when taking leave of his fatherless ones and widow. It is thus
that God fulfils his promise when he bids them leave their fatherless
ones to him, and let their widows trust in him. And let me,
in connection with this case, recommend to the pious charity of the
living and dying members of our communion the two societies now
established in our diocese,—the Society of the Widows and Orphans
of Deceased Clergymen, and that for Disabled, Superannuated
Poor Clergymen. They are both of them worthy of patronage.

Another instance of the charitable disposition of Mr. Carter is
worthy of being mentioned and imitated.

Solomon in one of his Proverbs says, "He that withholdeth corn,
the people shall curse him; but blessing shall be upon the head of
him that selleth it." Here is an allusion to some covetous and
hard-hearted persons, who, in a time of scarcity and suffering
among the poor, hold up their corn for some high price and will
not sell it. I have been told that, in a year of this kind, Mr. Carter
sent a vessel full of corn down James River, disposing of it among
the poor at a very reduced price, thus showing not only his charity,
but his judgment in the disbursement of it. Let the rich throughout
our land go and do likewise with all manner of goods which
God hath given them in abundance, and of which others stand in
need.

A few remarks concerning him who was called King Carter

seem to be called for, before we close our notice of this family.
From the fact that such a title was bestowed on him, the idea has
become prevalent in Virginia that he was not only of princely possessions,
having numerous tenants and servants, and a splendid palace
for his residence, but that, as a consequence of this, he was authoritative,
lordly, and arbitrary in his bearing and conduct, moving
as a king in the Colony. He ruled over the Colony for more than
a year, until the arrival of Governor Gooch. I have in my possession
copies of two of his letters during this period, concerning
a suspected clergyman who was desirous of getting the parish of
Wycomico, in Northumberland. They were addressed to Captain
Charles Lee and Mr. Thomas Berry, churchwardens of the parish.
They breathe a Christian spirit of moderation and yet of decision.
There is nothing of a dictatorial temper about them, but only a
desire to do his duty, in the absence of a Governor, and in reference
to one when he should arrive. It is very certain that Mr.
Carter and his family were very popular throughout the State.
His daughters were married to the first men in Virginia, and his
sons to the first ladies in Virginia. At his death a long Latin
inscription, written by some ripe scholar, was placed on his tomb,
in which the greatest virtues are assigned to him, and a sincere
piety. The epitaph will be found in our next article, on Christ
Church, Lancaster county.