John Carter, Sr.

John Carter (1613–January 10, 1670) was an English merchant who emigrated to the Virginia colony, where he speculated in land, established plantations using indentured and enslaved labor, served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, and founded the Carter family of Virginia.^[1]

Early life and emigration[]

Born probably to Bridget Benion Carter, the second wife of the London vintner John Carter, he had kinship ties to members of the Virginia Company of London. Although some histories portray him as un unhappy supporter of King Charles I who fled England after that royal execution, he actually traveled to Virginia at age 22 aboard the Safety in 1635, and may also have been the 23-year-old John Carter who sailed to Virginia in 1637 aboard a ship soon captured by the Spanish navy. One biographer speculates Carter may have been learning the tobacco trade, and may have been a relation of Edward Carter (d. 1682) who served with him in the House of Burgesses as well as the Virginia Governor's Council.^[2]

Career[]

John Carter, Sr. emigrated from England in 1640.^[3] He first settled in what was called Upper Norfolk County, which became Nansemond County, and received his largest land grant for 4000 acres in October 1665, based on his paying for the emigration to Virginia of eighty people, including 21 of African origin or descent.^[4] Two decades earlier, Carter received the first specific land grant north of the Rappahannock River (on August 15, 1642), for 1300 acres on Cossotomen Creak (which became Carters Creek) in what became Lancaster County. Carter settled on the land by 1652, farmed it using indentured and enslaved labor and made it his home, naming it Corotoman Plantation.^[5]

By 1652, Carter held the position of colonel of the County militia.^[6] In 1654 he was among the 117 enumerated households and paid taxes on 33 tithables (indentured and enslaved workers); in 1663 the number of his tithables had increased to 45, but a year later the county was physically reduced to the land which became present day Lancaster and Middlesex Counties.^[7]

Carter served many terms in the House of Burgesses representing Lancaster County, as well as hold local offices.^[8] On March 13, 1658, fellow Burgesses elected Carter to the Governor's Council, generally a lifetime appointment, but Carter was a Royalist during this era of the English Civil War, so the Burgesses postpones his re-election on March 19, 1659 until the following year, during which interval news reached Virginia concerning the death of Oliver Cromwell and his succession as Lord Protector by his son Richard Cromwell, Carter objected so strenuously that the Governor issued an arrest warrant for him. When the restored King Charles II confirmed the reappointment of William Berkeley as Virginia's Governor, Carter won reappointment to the Council and probably served the rest of his life, although many of the records were lost or destroyed.^[9]

Personal life[]

Carter married five times. He married his first wife, Jane Glynn, in England, and she bore two sons (George and John Jr.) and a daughter (Elizabeth) before she died.^[10] While George died before reaching adulthood, John Carter Jr. (d. 1690) would also serve in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Their daughter married a member of the Maryland Governor's Council. In 1655, Carter married Eleanor Eltonhead Brocas, the widow of Capt. William Brocas (who had also served on the Governor's Council), although no children are known of that marriage, nor of Carter's next marriage, the following year in England, to Anne Carter, who before 1662. Carter's fourth wife was Sarah Ludlow, who bore a son (Robert Carter I (1664-1672)) and a daughter (Sarah). Robert became known as "King Carter" for his wealth and prominence in Virginia society and politics. On October 24, 1668, Carter signed a marriage contract with Elizabeth Sherley, who survived him. However, their son Charles never had children to succeed to his estate, and probably died around 1690.^[11]

Death and legacy[]

Carter died on January 10, 1670 (affected by subsequent calendar changes), survived by his widow, three sons and a daughter. He was buried with four of his wives in Lancaster County at a church he helped build, Christ Church, a rebuilt version of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Carter owned about 2600 acres in Lancaster County at his death.^[12] An inventory of his estate listed contracts for thirty indentured servants, as well as forty enslaved Africans or people of African descent with no ending date listed for their labor.^[13]

References[]