James T. (middle name unknown, likely Theodorick or Theodore) Carter was the son of Eliza Boisseau Carter Foster and James "Thee" Carter - probably also originally James Theodorick. ("Theodorick" is a Carter family name dating to the 1600s; dozens of Carters have been and are named with variations of it. This James T. Carter had a son, grandson and great grandson all named James T. Carter; primary sources prove Theo or Theodore as the middle name for recent generations. Additionally, this James T. is referred to as "Theodore" Carter on at least one of the death certificates of his children.)
James T. was born about 1831 in western Kentucky, probably Simpson or Christian County; we know where he was born and when thanks to multiple Census documents.
James was the brother of John Boisseau Carter. He was father to James T. Carter IV of Paducah; Charles Arthur Carter, Florence Annie (or Amy) Carter West and Mary Elizabeth Carter King of Hopkinsville, KY; and Edd Carter of Fort Worth, TX; plus other children who did not survive to adulthood.
This James T. was the grandson of James Carter and Amy Motley of Halifax County, VA; Bedford, TN; and Marshall, AL. Unfortunately, courthouses in Simpson County, where James' parents lived; and in Bedford, TN, where his grandparents lived, have burned, which makes primary documentation difficult. However, primary and secondary documents exist stating this relationship and there are multiple large DNA matches which confirm it.
James' immigrant ancestor was Giles Carter, who settled in Turkey Island, Henrico County, Virginia in 1645. His wife was Hannah (probably Crews); this Carter line also had involvement with the Randolph family which later owned Turkey Island, and others which go back to the earliest days of the Jamestowne colony. Giles Carter owned land at White Oak Swamp with the two sons of John Woodson, a Jamestowne Society-qualifying gateway ancestor; Giles' grandson married a descendant of Christopher Banks, one of the original investors in the Virginia Company.
Since his parents were cousins, James T. Carter was double-descended from Giles Carter. His maternal grandmother was Nancy Elizabeth Carter, the daughter of Waddill Carter and Mildred Wade of Prince Edward County, Virginia.
James' close cousin Fountain Branch Carter built what is now Carter House Museum in Franklin, TN. Fountain was the father of Lt. Theodorick "Tod" Carter, who died in a battle with Union troops on the lawn of the home during the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.
(James T. Carter was also the grandson of Sgt. John Boisseau of Simpson County, KY, a Revolutionary War veteran who served three tours of duty. James' first cousin once removed was William E. Boisseau, who built Tudor Hall in Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, VA. Tudor Hall, constructed in 1812, is currently a museum which contains a number of Civil War-era furnishings and descriptions of what happened on the property during the period. It is part of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, VA.)
James spent most of his life in Clarksville, TN. His first appearance in Census records was 1850 when he served as stable hand to his cousin John Boisseau Williams. (He may be the James Carter recorded in An Enumeration of free white male persons in the county of Montgomery . . . 1841). In 1858 James married Mary J. Balthrop, daughter of Thomas Gardner Balthrop of Montgomery County, TN.
James appears as 'wharf master' in the Clarksville city directory for 1859 and is mentioned in contemporary news articles in this role. In 1863 Clarksville was evacuated due to Civil War fighting at Fort Donelson. However, daughter Florence was born in Clarksville 1864, so the family may not have left the area.
After the war James listed his occupation as "distiller." He is present in Clarksville-area records through 1870. One wonders if he might have somehow inherited the still of his maternal great grandfather Waddill Carter, subject of surviving Prince Edward County, VA probate court records.
In the early 1870s, the Federal government opened a lawsuit against James for failing to pay taxes on his distillery. The family left Clarksville shortly afterward.
The March 23, 1872 'Clarksville Chronicle' indicates James and Mary moved to McCracken County to open a sawmill. Land records from McCracken confirm this account. James' brother John and his family were living in nearby Ballard County at the time - as were other Boisseau and Carter cousin lines - so it would have made sense for the family to relocate there. However, James re-sold the land shortly afterward.
Multiple records for James' son Charles Arthur indicate he was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1874, so currently this descendant is searching records from middle Tennessee for clues to what became of James and his wife Mary. James had multiple half-siblings from his mother Eliza's remarriage to Cary Foster living nearby Christian County, KY, so that area is a possibility as well.
Since James and Mary's children are found with relatives in the 1880 Census, two theories appear to make sense: either James T. Carter died between 1874 and 1880 (likely in Christian, KY or Robertson, TN), or he was imprisoned over the distillery affair by 1880. Unfortunately barring a 'lucky break' it may not be easy to obtain further information, given James' common given name and surname.
Sadly, three of James and Mary's children - Ione, Christopher and Forrest - died in childhood.
• Ione Carter, 12 June 1858 – 18 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 29, 1865)
• Christopher Smith Carter, 1860 - 20 Sep 1861 (death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 27, 1861)
• Forrest Carter, 1861 - 14 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 15, 1865)
• Mary Elizabeth Carter King, 1864 – 1947 (marr. James Rufus King)
• Florence Annie (maybe Amie or Amy) Carter West, 1865 – 1901 (marr. James C. West)
• James T. Carter III, 1866 - abt 1900. Marr. Fannie B (probably Boisseau) Adcock, his first cousin once removed through the Boisseau line
• Edward Carter, 1867 – 1964? (marr ?? in Fort Worth, TX)
• Charles Arthur ("Charlie") Carter, 1872 – 1955 (marr. Ester V. King)
Three of these children settled in Hopkinsville, where they're buried in Riverside Cemetery along with a number of descendants.
James is probably buried in Riverview Cemetery near daughter Ione, since there's a footstone nearby marked J.C. I'll update this when I can review cemetery records after the pandemic.
**I'm James T. Carter's 2nd great granddaughter. He and his father each died young before modern records were kept - I've tried for some time to reconstruct them (with the help of other great Carter researchers and the Carter Y-DNA project.) Have any information on him? Please get in touch!**
James T. was born about 1831 in western Kentucky, probably Simpson or Christian County; we know where he was born and when thanks to multiple Census documents.
James was the brother of John Boisseau Carter. He was father to James T. Carter IV of Paducah; Charles Arthur Carter, Florence Annie (or Amy) Carter West and Mary Elizabeth Carter King of Hopkinsville, KY; and Edd Carter of Fort Worth, TX; plus other children who did not survive to adulthood.
This James T. was the grandson of James Carter and Amy Motley of Halifax County, VA; Bedford, TN; and Marshall, AL. Unfortunately, courthouses in Simpson County, where James' parents lived; and in Bedford, TN, where his grandparents lived, have burned, which makes primary documentation difficult. However, primary and secondary documents exist stating this relationship and there are multiple large DNA matches which confirm it.
James' immigrant ancestor was Giles Carter, who settled in Turkey Island, Henrico County, Virginia in 1645. His wife was Hannah (probably Crews); this Carter line also had involvement with the Randolph family which later owned Turkey Island, and others which go back to the earliest days of the Jamestowne colony. Giles Carter owned land at White Oak Swamp with the two sons of John Woodson, a Jamestowne Society-qualifying gateway ancestor; Giles' grandson married a descendant of Christopher Banks, one of the original investors in the Virginia Company.
Since his parents were cousins, James T. Carter was double-descended from Giles Carter. His maternal grandmother was Nancy Elizabeth Carter, the daughter of Waddill Carter and Mildred Wade of Prince Edward County, Virginia.
James' close cousin Fountain Branch Carter built what is now Carter House Museum in Franklin, TN. Fountain was the father of Lt. Theodorick "Tod" Carter, who died in a battle with Union troops on the lawn of the home during the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.
(James T. Carter was also the grandson of Sgt. John Boisseau of Simpson County, KY, a Revolutionary War veteran who served three tours of duty. James' first cousin once removed was William E. Boisseau, who built Tudor Hall in Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, VA. Tudor Hall, constructed in 1812, is currently a museum which contains a number of Civil War-era furnishings and descriptions of what happened on the property during the period. It is part of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, VA.)
James spent most of his life in Clarksville, TN. His first appearance in Census records was 1850 when he served as stable hand to his cousin John Boisseau Williams. (He may be the James Carter recorded in An Enumeration of free white male persons in the county of Montgomery . . . 1841). In 1858 James married Mary J. Balthrop, daughter of Thomas Gardner Balthrop of Montgomery County, TN.
James appears as 'wharf master' in the Clarksville city directory for 1859 and is mentioned in contemporary news articles in this role. In 1863 Clarksville was evacuated due to Civil War fighting at Fort Donelson. However, daughter Florence was born in Clarksville 1864, so the family may not have left the area.
After the war James listed his occupation as "distiller." He is present in Clarksville-area records through 1870. One wonders if he might have somehow inherited the still of his maternal great grandfather Waddill Carter, subject of surviving Prince Edward County, VA probate court records.
In the early 1870s, the Federal government opened a lawsuit against James for failing to pay taxes on his distillery. The family left Clarksville shortly afterward.
The March 23, 1872 'Clarksville Chronicle' indicates James and Mary moved to McCracken County to open a sawmill. Land records from McCracken confirm this account. James' brother John and his family were living in nearby Ballard County at the time - as were other Boisseau and Carter cousin lines - so it would have made sense for the family to relocate there. However, James re-sold the land shortly afterward.
Multiple records for James' son Charles Arthur indicate he was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1874, so currently this descendant is searching records from middle Tennessee for clues to what became of James and his wife Mary. James had multiple half-siblings from his mother Eliza's remarriage to Cary Foster living nearby Christian County, KY, so that area is a possibility as well.
Since James and Mary's children are found with relatives in the 1880 Census, two theories appear to make sense: either James T. Carter died between 1874 and 1880 (likely in Christian, KY or Robertson, TN), or he was imprisoned over the distillery affair by 1880. Unfortunately barring a 'lucky break' it may not be easy to obtain further information, given James' common given name and surname.
Sadly, three of James and Mary's children - Ione, Christopher and Forrest - died in childhood.
• Ione Carter, 12 June 1858 – 18 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 29, 1865)
• Christopher Smith Carter, 1860 - 20 Sep 1861 (death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 27, 1861)
• Forrest Carter, 1861 - 14 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 15, 1865)
• Mary Elizabeth Carter King, 1864 – 1947 (marr. James Rufus King)
• Florence Annie (maybe Amie or Amy) Carter West, 1865 – 1901 (marr. James C. West)
• James T. Carter III, 1866 - abt 1900. Marr. Fannie B (probably Boisseau) Adcock, his first cousin once removed through the Boisseau line
• Edward Carter, 1867 – 1964? (marr ?? in Fort Worth, TX)
• Charles Arthur ("Charlie") Carter, 1872 – 1955 (marr. Ester V. King)
Three of these children settled in Hopkinsville, where they're buried in Riverside Cemetery along with a number of descendants.
James is probably buried in Riverview Cemetery near daughter Ione, since there's a footstone nearby marked J.C. I'll update this when I can review cemetery records after the pandemic.
**I'm James T. Carter's 2nd great granddaughter. He and his father each died young before modern records were kept - I've tried for some time to reconstruct them (with the help of other great Carter researchers and the Carter Y-DNA project.) Have any information on him? Please get in touch!**
James T. (middle name unknown, likely Theodorick or Theodore) Carter was the son of Eliza Boisseau Carter Foster and James "Thee" Carter - probably also originally James Theodorick. ("Theodorick" is a Carter family name dating to the 1600s; dozens of Carters have been and are named with variations of it. This James T. Carter had a son, grandson and great grandson all named James T. Carter; primary sources prove Theo or Theodore as the middle name for recent generations. Additionally, this James T. is referred to as "Theodore" Carter on at least one of the death certificates of his children.)
James T. was born about 1831 in western Kentucky, probably Simpson or Christian County; we know where he was born and when thanks to multiple Census documents.
James was the brother of John Boisseau Carter. He was father to James T. Carter IV of Paducah; Charles Arthur Carter, Florence Annie (or Amy) Carter West and Mary Elizabeth Carter King of Hopkinsville, KY; and Edd Carter of Fort Worth, TX; plus other children who did not survive to adulthood.
This James T. was the grandson of James Carter and Amy Motley of Halifax County, VA; Bedford, TN; and Marshall, AL. Unfortunately, courthouses in Simpson County, where James' parents lived; and in Bedford, TN, where his grandparents lived, have burned, which makes primary documentation difficult. However, primary and secondary documents exist stating this relationship and there are multiple large DNA matches which confirm it.
James' immigrant ancestor was Giles Carter, who settled in Turkey Island, Henrico County, Virginia in 1645. His wife was Hannah (probably Crews); this Carter line also had involvement with the Randolph family which later owned Turkey Island, and others which go back to the earliest days of the Jamestowne colony. Giles Carter owned land at White Oak Swamp with the two sons of John Woodson, a Jamestowne Society-qualifying gateway ancestor; Giles' grandson married a descendant of Christopher Banks, one of the original investors in the Virginia Company.
Since his parents were cousins, James T. Carter was double-descended from Giles Carter. His maternal grandmother was Nancy Elizabeth Carter, the daughter of Waddill Carter and Mildred Wade of Prince Edward County, Virginia.
James' close cousin Fountain Branch Carter built what is now Carter House Museum in Franklin, TN. Fountain was the father of Lt. Theodorick "Tod" Carter, who died in a battle with Union troops on the lawn of the home during the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.
(James T. Carter was also the grandson of Sgt. John Boisseau of Simpson County, KY, a Revolutionary War veteran who served three tours of duty. James' first cousin once removed was William E. Boisseau, who built Tudor Hall in Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, VA. Tudor Hall, constructed in 1812, is currently a museum which contains a number of Civil War-era furnishings and descriptions of what happened on the property during the period. It is part of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, VA.)
James spent most of his life in Clarksville, TN. His first appearance in Census records was 1850 when he served as stable hand to his cousin John Boisseau Williams. (He may be the James Carter recorded in An Enumeration of free white male persons in the county of Montgomery . . . 1841). In 1858 James married Mary J. Balthrop, daughter of Thomas Gardner Balthrop of Montgomery County, TN.
James appears as 'wharf master' in the Clarksville city directory for 1859 and is mentioned in contemporary news articles in this role. In 1863 Clarksville was evacuated due to Civil War fighting at Fort Donelson. However, daughter Florence was born in Clarksville 1864, so the family may not have left the area.
After the war James listed his occupation as "distiller." He is present in Clarksville-area records through 1870. One wonders if he might have somehow inherited the still of his maternal great grandfather Waddill Carter, subject of surviving Prince Edward County, VA probate court records.
In the early 1870s, the Federal government opened a lawsuit against James for failing to pay taxes on his distillery. The family left Clarksville shortly afterward.
The March 23, 1872 'Clarksville Chronicle' indicates James and Mary moved to McCracken County to open a sawmill. Land records from McCracken confirm this account. James' brother John and his family were living in nearby Ballard County at the time - as were other Boisseau and Carter cousin lines - so it would have made sense for the family to relocate there. However, James re-sold the land shortly afterward.
Multiple records for James' son Charles Arthur indicate he was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1874, so currently this descendant is searching records from middle Tennessee for clues to what became of James and his wife Mary. James had multiple half-siblings from his mother Eliza's remarriage to Cary Foster living nearby Christian County, KY, so that area is a possibility as well.
Since James and Mary's children are found with relatives in the 1880 Census, two theories appear to make sense: either James T. Carter died between 1874 and 1880 (likely in Christian, KY or Robertson, TN), or he was imprisoned over the distillery affair by 1880. Unfortunately barring a 'lucky break' it may not be easy to obtain further information, given James' common given name and surname.
Sadly, three of James and Mary's children - Ione, Christopher and Forrest - died in childhood.
• Ione Carter, 12 June 1858 – 18 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 29, 1865)
• Christopher Smith Carter, 1860 - 20 Sep 1861 (death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 27, 1861)
• Forrest Carter, 1861 - 14 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 15, 1865)
• Mary Elizabeth Carter King, 1864 – 1947 (marr. James Rufus King)
• Florence Annie (maybe Amie or Amy) Carter West, 1865 – 1901 (marr. James C. West)
• James T. Carter III, 1866 - abt 1900. Marr. Fannie B (probably Boisseau) Adcock, his first cousin once removed through the Boisseau line
• Edward Carter, 1867 – 1964? (marr ?? in Fort Worth, TX)
• Charles Arthur ("Charlie") Carter, 1872 – 1955 (marr. Ester V. King)
Three of these children settled in Hopkinsville, where they're buried in Riverside Cemetery along with a number of descendants.
James is probably buried in Riverview Cemetery near daughter Ione, since there's a footstone nearby marked J.C. I'll update this when I can review cemetery records after the pandemic.
**I'm James T. Carter's 2nd great granddaughter. He and his father each died young before modern records were kept - I've tried for some time to reconstruct them (with the help of other great Carter researchers and the Carter Y-DNA project.) Have any information on him? Please get in touch!**
James T. was born about 1831 in western Kentucky, probably Simpson or Christian County; we know where he was born and when thanks to multiple Census documents.
James was the brother of John Boisseau Carter. He was father to James T. Carter IV of Paducah; Charles Arthur Carter, Florence Annie (or Amy) Carter West and Mary Elizabeth Carter King of Hopkinsville, KY; and Edd Carter of Fort Worth, TX; plus other children who did not survive to adulthood.
This James T. was the grandson of James Carter and Amy Motley of Halifax County, VA; Bedford, TN; and Marshall, AL. Unfortunately, courthouses in Simpson County, where James' parents lived; and in Bedford, TN, where his grandparents lived, have burned, which makes primary documentation difficult. However, primary and secondary documents exist stating this relationship and there are multiple large DNA matches which confirm it.
James' immigrant ancestor was Giles Carter, who settled in Turkey Island, Henrico County, Virginia in 1645. His wife was Hannah (probably Crews); this Carter line also had involvement with the Randolph family which later owned Turkey Island, and others which go back to the earliest days of the Jamestowne colony. Giles Carter owned land at White Oak Swamp with the two sons of John Woodson, a Jamestowne Society-qualifying gateway ancestor; Giles' grandson married a descendant of Christopher Banks, one of the original investors in the Virginia Company.
Since his parents were cousins, James T. Carter was double-descended from Giles Carter. His maternal grandmother was Nancy Elizabeth Carter, the daughter of Waddill Carter and Mildred Wade of Prince Edward County, Virginia.
James' close cousin Fountain Branch Carter built what is now Carter House Museum in Franklin, TN. Fountain was the father of Lt. Theodorick "Tod" Carter, who died in a battle with Union troops on the lawn of the home during the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.
(James T. Carter was also the grandson of Sgt. John Boisseau of Simpson County, KY, a Revolutionary War veteran who served three tours of duty. James' first cousin once removed was William E. Boisseau, who built Tudor Hall in Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, VA. Tudor Hall, constructed in 1812, is currently a museum which contains a number of Civil War-era furnishings and descriptions of what happened on the property during the period. It is part of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, VA.)
James spent most of his life in Clarksville, TN. His first appearance in Census records was 1850 when he served as stable hand to his cousin John Boisseau Williams. (He may be the James Carter recorded in An Enumeration of free white male persons in the county of Montgomery . . . 1841). In 1858 James married Mary J. Balthrop, daughter of Thomas Gardner Balthrop of Montgomery County, TN.
James appears as 'wharf master' in the Clarksville city directory for 1859 and is mentioned in contemporary news articles in this role. In 1863 Clarksville was evacuated due to Civil War fighting at Fort Donelson. However, daughter Florence was born in Clarksville 1864, so the family may not have left the area.
After the war James listed his occupation as "distiller." He is present in Clarksville-area records through 1870. One wonders if he might have somehow inherited the still of his maternal great grandfather Waddill Carter, subject of surviving Prince Edward County, VA probate court records.
In the early 1870s, the Federal government opened a lawsuit against James for failing to pay taxes on his distillery. The family left Clarksville shortly afterward.
The March 23, 1872 'Clarksville Chronicle' indicates James and Mary moved to McCracken County to open a sawmill. Land records from McCracken confirm this account. James' brother John and his family were living in nearby Ballard County at the time - as were other Boisseau and Carter cousin lines - so it would have made sense for the family to relocate there. However, James re-sold the land shortly afterward.
Multiple records for James' son Charles Arthur indicate he was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1874, so currently this descendant is searching records from middle Tennessee for clues to what became of James and his wife Mary. James had multiple half-siblings from his mother Eliza's remarriage to Cary Foster living nearby Christian County, KY, so that area is a possibility as well.
Since James and Mary's children are found with relatives in the 1880 Census, two theories appear to make sense: either James T. Carter died between 1874 and 1880 (likely in Christian, KY or Robertson, TN), or he was imprisoned over the distillery affair by 1880. Unfortunately barring a 'lucky break' it may not be easy to obtain further information, given James' common given name and surname.
Sadly, three of James and Mary's children - Ione, Christopher and Forrest - died in childhood.
• Ione Carter, 12 June 1858 – 18 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 29, 1865)
• Christopher Smith Carter, 1860 - 20 Sep 1861 (death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 27, 1861)
• Forrest Carter, 1861 - 14 Sep 1865 (diptheria; death notice published in the Clarksville, Tenn. Weekly Chronicle, Sept 15, 1865)
• Mary Elizabeth Carter King, 1864 – 1947 (marr. James Rufus King)
• Florence Annie (maybe Amie or Amy) Carter West, 1865 – 1901 (marr. James C. West)
• James T. Carter III, 1866 - abt 1900. Marr. Fannie B (probably Boisseau) Adcock, his first cousin once removed through the Boisseau line
• Edward Carter, 1867 – 1964? (marr ?? in Fort Worth, TX)
• Charles Arthur ("Charlie") Carter, 1872 – 1955 (marr. Ester V. King)
Three of these children settled in Hopkinsville, where they're buried in Riverside Cemetery along with a number of descendants.
James is probably buried in Riverview Cemetery near daughter Ione, since there's a footstone nearby marked J.C. I'll update this when I can review cemetery records after the pandemic.
**I'm James T. Carter's 2nd great granddaughter. He and his father each died young before modern records were kept - I've tried for some time to reconstruct them (with the help of other great Carter researchers and the Carter Y-DNA project.) Have any information on him? Please get in touch!**
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