In response to Mike Marshall's question about William Carter being the brother of Thomas Carter, I agree with Kathleen that we don't know how these Carter's were related, or even whether or not they were related at all. In fact, I know of no reference that proves a relationship between any of the Carter families in Colonial Virginia. If anyone does, please let me know since I have researched this for sometime now. John Carter of Corotoman might have been brother to the Thomas Carter who lived in Lancaster County until he died in late 1658 ( see Christine Jones, The early Thomas Carters of Lancaster County Virginia, mentioned earlier) but he hasn't been identified as his brother and this Thomas left no will. Capt. Thomas Carter ("of Barford") did not show up in Lancaster County until about 1663 and although often claimed as to be related to John and his son Robert 'King' Carter of Corotoman, there is no proof. In his will Robert Carter refers to Thomas Carter, Jr. collectively, along with his sons in law and others, as "friends and relations." Edward Carter, also in Lancaster County early on, may have been related, and the William Carter, subject of the query, could have also been related but I know nothing about him. The Thomas and John Carter on the ship Safety in 1635 could have been brothers and are thought to be sons of John and Bridget Carter of Christchurch Newgate, in London. In fact, this John Carter had other older sons, George and William who would have been half brothers of John and Thomas. John Carter of Newgate's will can be found in Noel Currer-Briggs book (1979) The Carter's of Virginia. Currer-Briggs' book is probably the most up to date information on the Carter families of London and vicinity. But, he even admits that "due to the destruction of records we can only speculate, but the theory that best fits the known facts suggests John [of Corotoman River] was the youngest half-brother of William. . . With so many individuals of the same name it is impossible to be certain, until or unless, new evidence hitherto not discovered comes to light." He considers Thomas Carter "of Barford" as being from another family all together, although some researchers think he might have been a son of the first Lancaster Thomas Carter. Thomas Carter "of Barford" is often connected to a Carter family in Barford, Bedfordshire, England. The only suggestion of who Thomas Carter was is in his 1662 prayer book, now at The Virginia Historical Society, that identifies him as Thomas Carter of Barford, but which also identifies him only as "Thomas Carter Gent. His Book Lancaster County, Virginia." The use of the term "of Barford" does not show up in any Lancaster County records after its use in the prayer book. Whether the term refers to Barford being his place of origin, what he named his plantation in Lancaster County, or where he might have wished he was from, really isn't known in spite of it presently being considered as a connection to England. Basically, we don't presently have proof of exactly who these Carters were. There are two Carter Y-DNA genealogy studies in progress through FamilyTreeDNA that might eventually shed light on who might be related to whom, but even that is unclear now since there are so many with the surname Carter who are definitely unrelated.. Robert Lumsden Message: 2 Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 12:43:33 -0700 From: Kathleen Much <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: [VA-NORTHERN-NECK] William Carter - Lancaster Co. Va To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Message-ID: <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Joseph Lyon Miller, author of _The Descendants of Capt. Thomas Carter_ (Richmond, VA: Whitet & Shepperson, n.d.), didn't think that William was a brother of Thomas Carter who m. Katherine Dale. He wasn't even sure that John or Edward was, though circumstantial evidence points in that direction. I haven't seen anything linking William to the other Carters, but of course absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. Miller says, pp. 9-15: "Captain Thomas Carter I of Corotoman, Lancaster County, married Katherine Dale. From the patent books Thomas Carter first appears in Virginia in 1637. He was then living in Isle of Wight County. A ship captain speaks of a Captain Thomas Carter of Nansemond on the James River as having certain tobacco. Major John Carter, Colonel Edward Carter, and Captain Thomas Carter were very closely associated in land ownership, land exchange and sale, both in Nansemond and in Lancaster. It is also interesting that all three were of about equal military rank. John, Edward, and Thomas owned land in Lancaster. John and Thomas lived on the Corotoman Creek [River]. The first land which Thomas Carter I possessed here (1657) seems to have been a purchase from Colonel John Carter. Although there is no proof that these men were related, these facts and others furnish strong evidence that they were (see Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. I, by Nugent). Two authorities on the Carter family indicate that they may have been brothers." On Sat, Apr 2, 2011 at 12:01 AM, Mike Marshall wrote: > > > Is this William the brother of Thomas Carter who married Catherine Dale? > I'm not finding him listed in the Carter books and usual places > > > > === > > 1652-1657 Lancaster County Order Book pg 290 > > Lancaster County Court 3d of September 1656 > > - Certificate of Land is granted unto Mr. WM. UNDERWOOD for the > transportacon of PETER LEONARD, MARY HAWKES, WILLM. CARTER & PAULL WOOD > accordinge to Act > > === > > 1656-1661 Lancaster County Order Book pg 166 > > Lancaster County Court 13th of November 1661 > > - Upon a peticon to this Cort: by SAM: GRIFFIN, the assignee of Capt. > RICH: HOBBS agt. the Estate of WILL: CARTER (late deced.) It is ordered > (that in respect to the Widd: & Relict of the sd. WILL: CARTER, to whom the > administracon thereof doth p:perlie belonge hath not yet administered & as > this Cort: was this day informed bath imbezelled the saide Estate, noe p:son > whatsoever intrusted wth: any pte: of the sd. Estate upon any pr:tence > whatsoever until this Cort: doe further determine therein, (but at their > owne wills) > > === > > 1656-1661 Lancaster County Order Book pg 169 > > Lancaster County Court 12th of March 1661/62 > > - Administracon accordinge to Acte is granted unto WILLIAM NESSHAM upon > the Estate of WILL: CARTER, deced., hee puttinge in securitie accordinge to > Acte. HENRY ( ) & JO: SHARPE to apprize the Estate on Saturday next and is > likewise granted to the sd: WILL: NEESHAM for 3200 lb. of tobaccoe & ca: in > the first place out of the sd. Estate > > === > > 1662-1666 Lancaster County Order Book pg 299 > > Lancaster County Court 14th of ( ) 1664 > > - Whereas SUSAN CARTER, Daughter of WILL: CARTER, deced., was by order of > this Cort., putt unto JOHN EDWARDS till she should attaine her age of one & > twentie yeres. & by the sde. EDWARDS assigned unto THO: MARSHALL, & by the > sde. MARSHALL assigned unto RICHD. MERRYMAN, It is ordered by this Cort., > that the sde. SUSAN doe continue with: the sde. RICHD; MERRYMAN till she > attaine to the age of 21 yeres, accordinge to the tenor of the order granted > to EDWARDS

Bob, Many thanks for your analysis. I can only add that I made a copy of the Thomas Carter Prayer Book from the Virginia Historical Society and placed in the BIBLES vertical files at the Mary Ball Washington Museum & Library. Earlier transcriptions had omitted some of the information, or transcribed it incorrectly. Craig On Apr 3, 2011, at 4:26 PM, Robert Lumsden wrote: > > Thomas Carter "of Barford" is often connected to a Carter family in Barford, Bedfordshire, England. The only suggestion of who Thomas Carter was is in his 1662 prayer book, now at The Virginia Historical Society, that identifies him as Thomas Carter of Barford, but which also identifies him only as "Thomas Carter Gent. His Book Lancaster County, Virginia." The use of the term "of Barford" does not show up in any Lancaster County records after its use in the prayer book. Whether the term refers to Barford being his place of origin, what he named his plantation in Lancaster County, or where he might have wished he was from, really isn't known in spite of it presently being considered as a connection to England.