Illegitimacy certainly was considered "taboo" in those days but that surely doesn't mean it didn't happen. Check those court records in which fathers were made to post bond for the care of their out-of-wedlock children (called "bastardy bonds" in most locations) and you will be amazed at how common it was. And you might find the answers you need. Many of them have been published. I have a great-grand aunt who had four fatherless children during the 1880's and a great grandmother who had two more children after the death of her husband in 1874. Mildred "Mickey" Fournier 1730 SE CR 252 Lake City, FL 32025 mickey@se.rr.com > -----Original Message----- > From: Chuck Carter [mailto:cetracer@comcast.net] > Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 11:55 AM > To: CARTER-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [CARTER-L] My Carter brick wall..........( Long, VERY LONG) > > OK, here we go: (Sorry for the LONG post -- I got carried away. ) > > My great grandfather was: > > WILLIAM JASPER CARTER - my Grandfather and my Dad were estranged when > my Dad was 8 yrs old. Dad's Mom died at that time [ Marlowe Susie > (Scott) Carter - 1907-1938, daughter of Walter Gray Scott 1884-1910 > and Susie Virginia > (Wolverton) Scott, 1882-1961 ]. Dad's little brother had died just a > few years earlier, so when my Grandmother died, my grandfather dropped > Dad off with his maternal Grandmother Susie Virginia Scott, and was > gone. Alas, I never had much of a relationship with the scumb bucket > and the few brief encounters I did have with him, it was like talking > to an empty barrel. I asked several times about his father, but he > never really answered any questions direct. When asked where his > father was buried, he took me to the cemetery and waived his hand and > said, "He's buried out yonder" pointing in the direction of a clump of > oak trees. He also told me he had no surviving sibblings. (Now, off > my rant and back on subject) > > William Jasper Carter - from what I can find in census records, was > born: > ca: March, 1867. I find record of him living with his mother: > > Nancy (maiden name unknown) - born: ca March, 1842 in the 1870 Census > of Carroll Co., TN. According to the census, she was born in > Tennessee. > Living in the same household with W.J. Carter and his mother, are his > two > sibblings: Sarena L. Carter, born: ca October, 1862 and John Daniel > Carter, > born: 1864 - died: ca 1942. -- There is no male head of household > listed in the census. > > William Jasper Carter married: Clarrisa Jane Wood - born: 30 April > 1868, Caroll Co., TN - died: 17 June 1954, Humboldt, Gibson Co., TN - > buried: Mt Zion Cemetery, Medina, Gibson Co, Tn. - She was the > daughter of: William Henry Wood and Martha Green Davis. > > William J. Carter married Clarrisa J. Wood - 02 December 1888, Carroll > Co. > TN and were marreid by: W.P. Alexander, J.P. > > I have located William J. & Clarrisa J. Carter, and family living in > Henderson Co., TN at the time of the 1900 census and then living in > Madison Co., TN at the time of the 1910 census. > > According to my grandfather, his father moved the family to: > Manila, Mississippi Co., Arkansas sometime after 1910. He claimed his > father died in 1914 and was buried in the unmarked grave. > > My grandfather: Eugene Carter - born: 11 March 1905, Claybrook, > Madison Co. > TN - died: 16 July 1979, Mississippi Co., Arkansas and is > buried: Manila Cemetery, Mississippi Co., Arkansas. He was the > youngest son of William J. > & Clarrisa J. Carter. > > The children of William J. & Clarrisa J. Carter are: > > 1.) Stancel Lee Carter (known as Uncle Lee) born: 02 February 1893 - > Tipton TN - > died: 28 May 1958, Manila, Mississippi Co., Arkansas - > buried: Manila Cemetery - married: Nora Belle Hatfield > > 2.) Infant Carter - died young - information provided by a family > member I will relate to later in this report. Gender of this child is > unknown to me, but I know he/she was born after Uncle Lee. > > 3.) Hassie G. Carter - born: February, 1899, TN - died: > Unknown - Hassie, apparently became pregnant out of wedlock. > She is reported to have had a son, "Buddy" Carter. Hassie G. > Carter moved to California and pulled a disappearing act. > She was not heard of again until shortly before my grandfather died. > She was to have come to visit from somewhere in California, but she > too apparently died before making the trip. She's, at this point, an > unknown from what I have. I do have a photo of her and he son > "Buddy", but that's it. > > 4.) Infant Carter - same descripton at in Child #2, however this one > was born after Hassie G. Carter. > > 5.) My grandfather, Eugene Carter > > 6.) Flossie Lorene Carter - born: 30 January 1906, Madison Co., Tn - > died: > 30 January 1998, Medina, Gibson Co., TN - buried: Mt Zion Cemetery, > Medina, Gibson Co, Tn - she was married to: Eddie Grover Pillow - > born: 18 June 1899 Tennesee - died: 27 February 1967, Jackson, > Madison Co., TN - buried: Mt Zion Cemetery, Medina, Gibson Co, Tn > > ** This is the family member that was unknown to me!! My grandfather > told me no one survived him, my father was even unaware that his Aunt > was still living when I started this research. I found her, by > accident, during my research. I contacted her, but due to her age, > she was not coherent on the telephone. I had planned to visit her in > Tennessee, but then she died before I could visit. > > I've had long talks with her daughter, who told me that her mother > claimed her father did not die in 1914, but rather that he had died in > July, 1918. > It seems that the only thing my grandfather and Aunt Flossie could > agree on was that their father had died. > > It was, however, in talking with the daughter of Flossie Lorene Carter > that I learned more about William Jasper Carter's sibblings. > > Sarena L. Carter is reported to have married: George Alexander Wiles, > born: > ca: March, 1858, Silver Creek, Marshall Co., TN - died: > Sometime before 1920 > - they are reported to have been married in Tennessee on 21 October > 1884. > > John Daniel Carter - born: 28 September 1864, Metropolis, Massac Co., > Illinois - died: ca: 1942, Spring Creek, Madison Co., TN - buried: > White Rose Cemetery, Gibson Co., TN. -- John Daniel Carter married: > James Bernetta Holmes, born: 28 March 1868, Carroll Co., TN - died: 4 > November 1929, Gibson Co., TN - buried: White Rose Cemetery, Gibson > Co., TN. - I have no idea who her parents were. > > It was through talking with some of the decendants of J.D. > Carter that I learned a little more about the family. > However, they also do not know who the father of: S.L., J.D. > & W.J. Carter is! > > I have some information on the children of all the above referenced > people, but will not post that info here, as it might tend to confuse > and make this message even longer. If someone is interested, please > write and I will post that information. > > Now, back to W.J. Carter: > > One of the cousins I met, who is descended from J.D. Carter and has > been researching the family has speculated the following: > > Nancy Carter is listed in the 1870 census of Carroll Co., TN > - as indicated above, there is no male head of household listed. I > had/have speculated that her husband, the father of the children, > apparently must have died. > > However, Joe, the cousin I spoke of, has speculated that Nancy Carter > may have been a single mother and that Nancy Carter, was in fact that: > Nancy Carter, born: ca 1842, daughter of William Kidd Carter and his > wife Elizabeth, listed on the 1850 Census of Dyer Co., TN. > > Now me, I have a hard time jumping to that conclusion for several > reasons. > Nancy" was a VERY COMMON name for girls in that time frame. > While researching my mother's family, WALLACE, I've found numerous > "Nancy" Wallace s, that were 1st cousins living at the same time, and > in the same area as the other Nancy Wallace's. To speculate that > "Nancy" Carter, mother of S.L. > J.D. & W.L. Carter is the same Nancy Carter, daughter of William Kidd > Carter, it stretching it a tad bit. However, he could be right and I > may very well be wrong - I just need more information. However, it > seems rather hard for me to imagine, considering the religious & moral > beliefs/practices at that time, for a single woman to have 3 children, > out of wedlock. She would have been considered a Red Letter woman > (good time girl) which would have been a taboo, considering the time. > There again, she may have married a 1st Cousin named Carter. It's > amazing how many 1st & 2nd Cousin marriages you find back then, but > the mind set was to keep the family money & lands within the family. > Also, a binding of the family was also used for mutual defense in a > wild & less civilized time. > > Well, I've carried on for way too long! If someone can help break > through the mystery of who Nancy Carter, mother of S.L., J.D. & W.L. > Carter is, then you have my eternal gratitude! Who was she married > to? Is she, in fact, the daughter of William Kidd Carter and if so, > was she married or not? > > I appreciate any help. Also, it's nice to see the increased activity > on this list since my question of yesterday. > > Regards, > > Chuck Carter > Charles E. Carter > Host / Moderator > > CARTER Family Discussion lists > CARTER-L@rootsweb.com > CARTER-D@rootsweb.com >