| Matilda J. Herring was a daughter of John B. and Mariah Hill Herring. She was my great great grandmother. Matilda was born on January 28, 1822, in Albemarle Co., Virginia. The family moved from Virginia to Callaway County Missouri in 1831 when Matilda was 9 years old. On September 7, 1842, Matilda married John G. Carter. John G. Carter was born 25 July 1820 in Green Co. Kentucky. He was a son of Robert P. Carter and Mary Polly Smith. This Carter family has been traced back to the 9th century in France and England. Robert P. Carter was born in Culpepper Virginia abt 1790 to Thomas and Susannah Gaines Carter. John G. was born in Kentucky and came to Missouri in 1841. From the Green Co., Kentucky marriage records: Carter, Robert Smith, Polly 30 Sep 1819 Kentucky Green County Siblings of John G. Carter who were in Missouri:
Robert P. Carter died about 1831 in Kentucky. Mary Polly Smith Carter next married Barnett Beavers on Feb. 7, 1833 in Green Co., Kentucky. They had 3 children all born in Kentucky; Eliza abt. 1836, William abt. 1838, and Sarah abt. 1841. Barnett Beavers died between 1840 and 1850. By 1850, Mary Carter Beavers was in Callaway Co., Missouri with these three children and all of her older Carter children. Letter from Ruth Carter Williams dated August 13, 1963 - sent to Jean McDonald, grandaughter of Alexander Carter, brother of John G. She lived in Fulton and is now deceased. "Dear Mrs. McDonald, Our knowledge of our family history is pretty vague. We know that our great grandfather (in fact we knew him) was John G. Carter born in Greene Co. Ky. July 25, 1820 and lived in Fulton his adult life. We are prettty sure his parents were Robert and Polly Smith Carter. Robert P. Carter who was born in Culpepper Co. in 1790 to Thomas and Susannah Gaines Carter, we think is our great-great. There is a book "The History of the Carter Family" that tells about them. I have the book "Robert Carter of Nomini Hall" by Louis Morton pub. by University Press of Va. He was known as King Carter and the book is very interesting but we don't think we came from that family. I hope I have been of some help. Sincerely, Ruth Carter Williams note: Ruth Carter, born 1899, was a daughter of Thomas Edward Carter, son of John R. Carter, son of John G. Carter. John G. and Matilda had 8 children.
By 1860, the Carter family was doing well. They had a large farm, and were very well off for the times. However, the 1860's were not good years for the Carter family. On September 28, 1860, Matilda Herring Carter died. She left 7 children under 17, the youngest being only 1 1/2 years old. Matilda is buried in the Herring - Carter private cemetery in Callaway County. This cemetery has been destroyed. And then the Civil War happened. I won't go into the politics of what happened in Missouri during and after the Civil War, but by 1870, John G. Carter and his family had lost their home and were living in Salt River Township, Audrain Co., Mo. Their neighbors on one side were brother James Carter family, on the other, brother Robert Carter family. On 11 Sep 1865, John G. Carter married Louisa J. Hendrix from Tennessee. (on the 1860 census she was living in the home of William Carrington, at age 23... no reason given. I can find no connection between these families at that time, I imagine she was working at the Carrington house. 1870 turned up a lot of Hendrix in Callaway Co., Missouri. I still need to do more research on the Hendrix family. In 1865, Thomas Carter, 5 years old, died. He is buried in the Herring - Carter private cemetery. The 1870 census from Audrain County, shows John and Louisa Carter and children; Elizabeth (Martha) 23, Ellen (Sarah) 20, William 18, works on farm, and Nancy 15. John R. left home and married in 1868, as did his sister Mary. Click here for a story about a train robbery in 1877 where John G. Carter helped to catch the criminal. By 1880, John G. and Louisa were living back in Callaway County, Liberty Township, but they are living in the house of his brother, Robert Carter. On this census, Louisa gives her birthplace as Virginia instead of Tennessee. John is 59, Louisa is 45. The household includes: Robert 52, Farmer, George, son 18, Robert L., son 16, William, son 14, and Charles H. Carter, son 12. All, including John G. are listed as farmers. Sarah Ellen Carter married in 1870, and Nancy E. Carter married in 1875. They have both been found on the 1880 census. Martha Elizabeth is probably the Betty listed as living with her brother John R. Carter and his family in 1880, occupation dress maker. I haven't been albe to find William on this census year. There is no 1890 census. In the 1900 census, John G. and Louisa are living in a house in Fulton Twp. John is 79, Louisa (Liza on the census) is 66. She gives her birth state as Tennessee this time. John G. Carter gives his occupation as an accounts collector. From the probate records of John G. and his son John R. Carter, we believe the land John G. was living on at that time is the parcel of land that was given to the city of Fulton after John G. Carter's death to be used as land to build the Fulton High School on. John G. was also a Justice of the Peace in Callaway County. Three houses away, Mary Ann Herring Dawson is living with her daughter. Mary Ann was Matilda Herring Carter's sister. On the 1910 census, Martha Elizabeth Carter was living with her brother William's family on Court Street in Fulton. In 1920 she was living with John R. Carter's widow, Margaret Ann. She died unmarried on October 23, 1927 in Boone Co., Missouri. She was probably living at that time with sister Mary Calvert and family. On January 25, 1905, Louisa J. Hendrix Carter died at the age of 71. I have not found where she was buried. On February 20, 1908, John G. Carter died at the age of 88. He is buried in Hillcrest cemetery, Fulton, Missouri, in the Carter family plot. He does not have a headstone. We have found the recipts for the buial permits purchased by his son John R. Carter. John G. Carter's will and probate packet are transcribed here. obit - Auxvasse Review John G. Carter Dead Passes Away at His Home in Fulton at the Age of 88 Years At about the hour of midnight, Thursday, February 20, 1908, John G. Carter breathed his last at his home in Fulton. Until the last few years of his life he was vigorous and strong. He was a jovial, good-natured man and always of a happy disposition, looked upon the bright side of life. We have often listened to his stories of early pioneer life in Callaway county. In his earlier life he was an auctioneer and cried nearly all the sales in the community in which he lived. We had known him from our earliest childhood, and always loved him for his kind and loving disposition. He was a good man, a kind father, and affectionate husband. His neighbors all loved him for his charitable disposition. He was alway ready to help those in distress. The following biography of his life was written by himself before his death and was found in the family Bible. It give the principle events of his life: John G. Carter was born in Green county, Ky., July 25, 1820 and came to Missouri in the fall of 1841; was married to Miss Matilda J. Herring, September 8th, 1842, who departed this life September 28, 1860, in her 38th year. From that union, 8 children were born, one died in infancy. Thomas H. Carter, died in February, 1865, aged 4 years. The surviving 6 children at this date, March 1906, are: John R. Carter, Miss Bettie Carter, William R. Carter, residing in Fulton, Mrs. Mary Calvert of Boone county; Mrs. Ellen Grogan of St. Louis, Mrs. Nannie Powell of Clipper Mills, California. On September 11th, 1865, Mr. Carter was married to Mrs. Lousia J. Hendrix; no children from that union; she departed this life January 23, 1905. J.G. Carter became an Odd Fellow in 1857, was constqable of Fulton township 14 years, has been Justice of the Peace thirty years and was again nominated May 26, 1906 for a term of four years. The burial services were held Saturday morning under the auspices of Callaway Lodge No. 165, I.O.O.F. The funeral services were held at the residence, conducted by Rev. Wm. Castle of the Methodist church, a warm personal friend of the family and a brother Odd Fellow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
