Captain Thomas Carter, Jr.
1672-1733

Thomas Carter, Jr., second son of Capt. Thomas and Katharine Dale Carter, born "on the 4th day of June 1672 betwn 3 & 4 aclock in ye Morng and was Baptzd att ye new 
Church Augt 5th.  Capt: John Lee — Mr Th : Hayne ye Lady Ann Skipworth & Elizth Dale god parts, inherited after his mother's death 'Barford/' the Carter home on Corotoman 
River, where he died the last of September, 1733. He appears first in the Lancaster records in 1686 when "Tho : Carter Junr" was a witness to a power of Attorney given by Wm. 
Robinson, of Belfast, Ireland, then in Virginia, to "my trusty and well beloved friend Mr. Thomas Carter of Corotoman in the County of Lancaster and Colony of Virginia." In 1696 he 
paid taxes on four persons; July 12, 1699, was appointed attorney for James Corneline; in 1700 probated his father's will and is mentioned in the probate as the second son. 
Dec. 12, 1705, he took the oath as a Justice of Lancaster court and served continuously from that date until May 14, 1729, nearly a quarter of a century, on the county bench.  
Serving with such men as Col. Robert Carter, Capt. William Ball, Richard Chichester, Henry Fleet, Thomas Lee and John Turberville.  April 7, 1711, he was commissioned by 
Governor Spotswood a captain in the Lancaster militia; his original commission has been preserved by the family.  Besides being a planter he was also a merchant, and for a 
number of years was connected with "King" Carter of Corotoman in the mercantile business. "King" Carter spoke of him in his will in very high terms, as follows: "Whereas Capt. 
Thomas Carter hath gone through a series of Business for me several years together in selling divers cargoes of Goods and upon other accounts, of whose honesty and integrity I 
have always had a very good opinion. It is my will that such accounts of my affairs as lie can make up. be received as satisfactory from him by my Ex'tors, and he be to no trouble at 
law upon my account." He also directs that all his "selling goods" coming in by that shipping be delivered to Capt. Thomas Carter to be disposed of by him with the goods already 
under his care.  After appointing his three older sons his executors he continued, "And I do request, constitute, and appoint & make rny Hon'ble & good friends & relations Mann 
Page, Esq.. of Gloucester Co., Maj. Benj. Harrison of Charles City County, Maj. George Eskridge & Capt. George Turberville of Westmoreland County, Mr. Richard Lee of 
Northumberland County, & Capt. Thomas Carter of Lancaster Co., to be assistant to my executors & to be consulted and advised with upon all occasions." After dividing certain 
parts of his wearing apparel, as was the custom of those days, among his three older sons, he directs "& my other clothes I would have some given to my good friends Capt. 
Thomas Carter & Mr. John Turberville." 

 Besides the land inherited from his father, Capt. Thomas Carter, Jr., had grants between the years 1700 and 1722 for 1023 acres in various Northern Neck counties, and in 1712 
a grant for 2,400 acres in Stafford. This latter grant, however, he seems to have disposed of before his death, but as the Stafford records for this period are gone, no record of it 
can be found. Sep. 12, 1706, he purchased lot No. 88 in Queenstown, Lancaster county. It was the second lot from Anne Street and lay between Duke and Fairfax Streets. Aug. 6, 
1720, "Thomas Carter, Gent." had a deed from "John Cook Butcher" for twenty acres of land adjoining land of Edward and Henry Carter in Christ Church parish. If the old Christ 
Church Vestry Book could be found for that period in which Capt. Thomas Carter lived in Lancaster, I am sure it would show that he was a vestryman of that parish, for few men of 
his station at that time but were members of the vestry, and his two brothers who were living in the period covered by the vestry book now in existence were both vestrymen, as well 
as his son Dale, and his grandson Daniel. 

 Among the papers of the late Col. Thomas Carter, of near Williamsburg, Ky., was found a faded photograph of an old portrait, and on the back was written, "Portrait of Thomas 
Carter, 2nd, Lancaster, V'a." No mention is made in the inventory of personal estate of Capt. Thomas Carter. Jr., of a portrait of himself, but he probably had presented it to one of 
his sons prior to his death. 

"Tho : Carter Jun"" & Arabella Williamson was Mard' ye 22nd Augt 1695." (Prayer Book). His wife probably was a daughter of William Williamson, son of James Williamson, of 
Rappahannock county, and a niece of Margaret Williamson, who married Capt. William Ball, Jr., prior to 1673. The descendants of Capt. Thomas Carter, Jr., and Capt. Wm. Ball, 
Jr., have handed down the baptismal names of Jesse, Jeduthan, Williamson, Margaret, and Arabella, which doubtless all came originally from the Williamsons. 

 April 24, 1728, "Thomas Carter of the County of Lancaster Gent." made his will, probated Oct. 10, 1733. He left all estate to wife Arabella during- her widowhood, after which it 
was to be divided among- his eight sons as follows : Thomas to have the home place ("Barford,"' the old home of the first Thomas); Peter to have the half of the King George 
plantation next the river — 250 acres; Edward the other half; Dale to have negroes Harry and Winny, and he failing heirs to go to son Thomas Carter's son Jesse : Joseph to have 
negro Robin ; Daniel to have negro Nanny; Charles negroes Sarah and Mary, and he failing heirs to go to son Thomas Carter's son Thomas ; James to have the "great bed and 
furniture above stairs" (Nov. 13, 1728, his father deeded him a negro man) ; Peter to have best bed and furniture below stairs; Edward another bed and furniture upstairs.  Thomas 
to have the great Bible.  All children to share alike in the remainder of his land and personal property. Peter, to have the management of son Charles until he arrives at the age of 
twenty years, which was prior to the death of his father in 1733. Wife Arabella, to be executrix, but in case of her death or remarriage then son Peter to be executor. The original 
will shows a fine signature and the mark of a large seal, but the wax has crumbled away. The inventory of personal estate amounted to £415. and besides the usual furniture of a 
planter of that class, included twelve negroes, twenty and a half ounces of silver plate, portrait of Edward Dale, and picture called Hale's New Year's Gift.  He had in the book line, a 
large old Bible, another large Bible worth three shillings more than the first, a Common Prayer Book. History of the Bible, a small History of the Bible,  The Whole Duty of Man, a 
Serman Book, Practice of Piety, Nelson's Justice of the Peace, and twelve other old books, and another small Bible, making a total of twenty-two volumes. He had a seal worth six 
shillings, which doubtless bore the family arms, and probably was the seal used by his son Joseph in 1739, as that one bore the crest and the initials '-'T. C." 

The family record of Thomas and Arabella Carter was evidently kept in one of the Bibles, as the Carter Prayer Book gives no record of births, etc., of their children. The will shows 
that they had eight sons as follows: 

 I. Thomas, III, b. abt. 1696, died in 1735. 

2. Joseph, b. b. abt. 1697, died in April 1751

3. Daniel, b, abt, 1700,  died in 1759.

4- Edward, b. abt, 1701, died in 1760

5. James, b. abt. 1702, died in 1747. 

6. Peter, b. 1706, died in 1789. 

7. Dale, b between 1708-1710, died in 1776

8. Charles, b. abt. 1712, died in 1766

Mrs. Arabella Williamson Carter did not marry again, and after the death of her son, Thomas, in 1735, and his wife in 1737, she took care of his two sons, Jesse and Thomas, both 
of whom in after years settled in Pittsylvania County and were the ancestors of that branch of the family.

“The Descendants of Thomas Carter of 'Barford' Lancaster County, Virginia 1652-1912", by Joseph Lyon Miller, 1912