Mary J. Balthrop was born about 1838 in Tennessee, probably in Montgomery or Dickson County. We know where she was born and when thanks to multiple Census documents. She was probably the daughter of Thomas Gardner Balthrop and his wife Mariah Hinson. (Update, November 2019: There is no longer any doubt Mary was descended from Thomas G. Balthrop and Mariah Hinson - as her descendant I have discovered large DNA matches to other Hinson descendants, which rules out Thomas' brothers as Mary's father. I'll be glad to share details on request. )

In 1858, Mary J. Balthrop married James T. Carter in Clarksville. The couple is present in Census and multiple other records for the period 1858 - 1872.

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 and Mary's son Charles Arthur indicate he was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1874, so currently this descendant is searching records from that area for clues to what became of James T. Carter 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 possiblility 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. So far there is no information on what happened to Mary. During the late 1880s, it would be unusual for a woman to raise her children alone, so she may also have moved in with a relative. She may have lived past 1880 but so far no documentation confirms this - her father Thomas survived until 1881 but no will has been located.

Unfortunately her very common married name ("Mary Carter") means no further progress is likely without a breakthrough of some sort.

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)

I'm James T. Carter and Mary J. Balthrop's great, great granddaughter through Charlie Carter. Have any information on them? Please get in touch!