Biographies:
Family Group Sheets:
Records, Carver family:
Loose ends: Who are they?
According to his Revolutionary War pension application, Richard Carver was born in Albemarle Co., VA. His family moved to Bedford Co., VA when Richard was still a young boy and not long after, at the tender age of about 17 years, Richard enlisted as a private in the Virginia Militia, serving first out of Bedford Co., VA and then out of Washington Co., VA.
Note: I had previously thought that Richard's father was James Carver, but my research in that area was incorrect. (Hey, we all need to admit when we're wrong!) I will post additional information on the ancestry of Richard as I obtain it.
Richard moved about 1792 to Spartanburg District, SC. It is clear that Richard owned land there as he was mentioned as a bordering neighbor in several deeds. In 1799, George McDowell sold land to William Ford at the head of Holly Spring Branch (p. 170, source 10). The neigboring land was owned by John Beard, Richard Carver, Sarah McDowell, Isaac Bishop and George Deavours. In 1813, the estate of John McGuire, deceased, as administered by Samuel Fowler, sold to John Mason some acreage which had been part of a grant to John McGuire (p. 517, source 10). This tract was bordered by Holston's Creek and Arnold's field and lands owned by Richard Carver (who also witnessed the transaction), John Bonham, Robert Black and Andrew Ferguson. In 1817, Jonathan Stokes sold to Thomas Burton some acreage located on Holston's Creek of the South Pacolate River, part of a grant made to John McGuire as mentioned above (p. 757, source 10). The neighboring lands were owned by Richard Carver, Robert Black, Andrew Ferguson and John Bonham.
Other than the deed mentioned in the preceding paragraph, Richard also witnessed transactions between Isham Pulliam and Joseph Carver, Jr. in 1797 (p. 589, source 10), between Thomas Carver and Joseph Carver, Jr. in 1798 (p. 148, source 10), and between John Clark and James Ridings in 1810 (p. 428, source 10).
The first census record I have for Richard is the 1800 census of Spartanburg Dist., SC. He is listed as the head of household but was not the eldest male living in the house. This man, born before about 1755, was perhaps Richard's father or father-in-law, or maybe an elder brother or brother-in-law. The people enumerated in the household were: one male age 45 or greater, one male age 26-45, one male age 16-26, one male age 10-16, two males age 10 or younger; one female age 26-45, one female age 10-16, two females age 10 or younger. The male age 16-26 could've been either Richard's younger brother or his eldest child. The six children listed under the age of 16 were probably all Richard's children.
There were two other Carver families enumerated in the 1800 census for Spartanburg Dist., SC. These three families appear to have been the only Carvers in SC at that time. The other two households were headed by Joseph Carver (born before about 1755) and Thomas Carver (born between about 1755 and 1774). Richard, Joseph and Thomas are believed to be somehow related. Jean Davenport recently relayed to me a tale about her Carver family, which she thinks is connected to these three men. Jean's grandfather had told her that his grandfather and grandfather's brothers rolled two grinding stones to Spartanburg to start a grist mill. These families, Richard, Joseph and Thomas, seem to have settled near creeks and other waterways, although that has always been a common human trait. It is interesting to note that another Carver family who emigrated from Virginia to Person Co., NC in the mid-1700s were also grist millers. Perhaps this was a family trade.
I don't have the census record for Richard in 1810, but I do know that he was still living in Spartanburg Dist., SC. He was probably there until at least 1817. He next appears on the 1830 census in Pickens Dist., SC, along with James Carver, Jabel Carver and Joseph Carver. When Richard sold his land in Spartanburg Dist. or bought land in Pickens Dist. is unclear, but in 1844 Richard sold some land on Coneross Creek to Asa Carver. The timing of the sale could have coincided with the death of Richard's wife, whose name is still unknown.
The last record I currently have for Richard is the 1850 census of Pickens Dist., SC. He was enumerated first in the household of his son, William, who later moved to Rabun Co., GA, and then in the household of Asa Carver, who is thought to be another son of Richard. As Richard was in his 86th year in 1850, it is likely that he had died before the 1860 census was enumerated. There were several families listed in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 censuses of Pickens Dist., SC who could've been Richard's children. It is unlikely that all of these people were Richard's children, but it is possible that they were all somehow related.
In 1840, the Carver heads of household were Asa, Jabel, John, Joseph, Lewis, Martin, Richard, Thomas and Willis. In 1850, they were Jabel, John, Joseph, Martin, Mary (who was possibly the widow of Lewis Carver), and Willis. Additionally, Allen Carver (age 19) was enumerated in the household of Thomas Harbin, and Margaret Carver (age 14) was enumerated in the household of John Mason.
Currently, I believe that William Carver and Asa Carver were sons of Richard. Howard Dean Carver, who is descended from Willis Carver, told me that he had received a handwritten note from a distant cousin naming Richard's children as: Martin, Willis, Asa, Abe (probably Jabel), John, and William. I know that Richard probably had daughters as well, but they've been very hard to track down thus far. My next step in researching this family is to try and find records where Richard's estate was probated. If such records exist, they may give proof as to whom his children were.
Sources:
As I have already said in the biography of Richard Carver (above), there were three Carver families enumerated in the 1800 census of Spartanburg Dist., SC, being the families of Richard Carver (born ca 1764), Thomas Carver (born between about 1755 and 1774), and Joseph Carver, (born between about 1755 and 1774). I believe that this Joseph was the same Joseph who is later found in Pickens Dist., SC, along with Richard Carver and his children. In this census, Joseph is listed as having a son and a daughter. I don't know anything else about these children.
A Joseph Carver is found in several transactions in Spartanburg Dist., SC. In 1797, a Joseph Carver, Jr. bought 441 acres of land from Isham Pulliam, witnessed by Richard Carver and Joseph Carver. In 1798, Thomas Carver sold to Joseph Carver, Jr. his "entire estate" except the land, which included livestock, farming equipment, and household goods. This transaction was witnessed by Mitley Carver (possibly Milley) and Richard Carver. A Joseph Carver also witnessed a land transaction in Spartanburg Dist., SC between James Smith and Ralph Danger in 1801.
In 1800, Joseph Carver was granted land in SC by Gov. William Moultrie. In 1805, William Vincent sold to Moses Vincent 80 acres of land bordering Daniel Walling which had been part of the land grant to Joseph Carver. In 1818, Ralph Danger sold to Henry Danger land adjoining Clark Lewis and Joseph Carver. In 1821, Rhesa Robuck sold to John Williams land adjoining John Kerkennel which had been part of the land grant to Joseph Carver.
The transactions in the previous two paragraphs raise some thought-provoking questions. Who were the two Joseph Carvers mentioned? Were they father and son, uncle and nephew? Or was the "Jr." appellation merely used to reflect that they were of different ages? Either way, which one was "our" Joseph?
Also, how did William Vincent and Rhesa Robuck obtain land that had previously been part of the land grant made to Joseph Carver in 1800? As far as I can ascertain, no deeds were recorded in which Joseph sold the land to either of those individuals. Were William Vincent and Rhesa Robuck somehow related to the Joseph who received the land grant? If so, the question remains, which Joseph Carver is named in these deeds? More research is definitely needed in this area.
Now, back to the Joseph Carver who was a contemporary of Richard Carver. By 1830, Joseph was in Pickens Dist., SC. He was enumerated there again in 1840. In 1850, Joseph was given as being 95 years of age and born in South Carolina, although it is more likely he was born in Virginia. His wife, Nancy, was 85 years of age. A young boy, John Paine, being 10 years old at the time, was also mentioned. I don't know who he was, but he could've been a grandson or perhaps a servant or apprentice.
Joseph died about 1856. His wife Nancy asked W. J. Parsons to sell some land that was part of the "rel estate of Joseph Carver Decd". This note was dated September 8, 1856. The land was located on Coffee Road and joined the land of "Lewis Carver, E. P. Verner [and] others". Also surviving is a record of where his estate was sold. Buyers included, among others, his wife, Nancy, Elizabeth Carver, William Carver, John R. Mason, and Pemos Carver. Levisa Carter (not Carver) also made several purchases from Joseph's estate. At one time my records of these events were more complete. I have lost some records over the past few years between moving here and yonder. Next trip I make to Pickens County, I will make a concerted effort to photocopy the contents of the folder containing records of the disposal of Joseph's estate.
Sources:
Thomas Carver was born ca 1789 in Virginia and died ca 1862 in Rabun Co., GA. His wife's name was Agnes; she was born ca 1790 in Virginia and died sometime after Thomas' death in the early 1860s.
I am still working on gathering information on this Thomas Carver, but I'm particularly interested in him because of his possible familial relationship to my own ancestor, William Carver, son of Richard Carver. William flip-flopped over the GA/SC state line many times during his life. Thomas appears to've done the same. Additionally, William and Thomas bought land near one another (in fact, Thomas bought part of his land from William, as shown below). I have the niggling feeling that Thomas is somehow related to William and the other Carvers in Pickens Dist., SC (now Oconee and Pickens Cos., SC), but I need to dig a little further before I can say for certain.
The first real record I have for Thomas is the Population Schedule of the 1830 US Census; he was enumerated in Rabun Co., GA with one male under 5 years of age, two males of 5 and under 10 years, one male of 30 and under 40 years, one female under 5 years of age, two females of 10 and under 15 years, and one female of 30 and under 40 years of age.
Thomas appeared in several records in Rabun County over the next three decades. In May 1831, he was drawn as a Petit Juror, probably to serve at the next meeting of the Inferior Court. He was drawn again in the June Term, 1848, and the May Term, 1849, in both instances apparently to serve at the next meeting of the court. In spite of being drawn three times, there is no record of him having served as a juror in any of the courts of this county. To be fair, 1) he may not have been chosen to actually sit on a jury because he wasn't needed (excess names were always drawn, presumably so that there would be adequate people attending at the next meeting to form a jury of twelve men); 2) there are many years when jury lists were unrecorded in the minute books, for whatever reason; and 2) I have not yet extracted jury lists from 1859 through 1862, so he could be mentioned in later court records.
Thomas also bought and sold land in Rabun County on a number of occasions. In October 1831, Thomas bought part of land lot 22 in the 3rd land district of Rabun Co., GA from William Carver. In November 1832, Thomas bought part of land lot 23 in the 3rd land district of Rabun Co., GA from Nelson Ridgeway. Between 1833 and 1861, Thomas sold land in Rabun County to Peter Lamar, Joshua Daniels, Counsil Hays, Henry H. Armstrong, John Q. Adams, William Kell and William Bynum. I have not yet obtained copies of these deeds because photocopying of the old deed books is prohibited and I didn't have time to hand copy each of these lengthy records. When I am able, I will copy these deeds and analyze them properly, and in the process possibly pinpoint where Thomas and his family resided.
As an aside, Thomas is mentioned in the 1836 Tax Digest, Rabun Co., GA, with 1 poll, and owning 16 acres of second quality land, and 359 acres of third quality land (375 total acreage). He paid 36 cents in taxes (if I have interpreted this record correctly).
Thomas was enumerated in the population schedules of the 1830, 1840, 1850 and 1860 US (Federal) Censuses, Rabun Co., GA. From the 1830 US Census and from a deed dated January 1863, it is clear that he had daughters. This deed was between Abraham B. Carver, Thomas' son and possibly the executor of his estate, and the remainder of Thomas' heirs: Agnes Carver (Thomas' wife), Martin Carver, Pinkney Woodall, Thomas P. Carver, Pleasant Evans and John Evans. At this time, I can't say for sure that Pinkney, Pleasant and John were sons-in-law of Thomas' or possibly grandchildren, nor do I have the names of Thomas' possible daughters.
I am puzzled, however, over two young ladies who were enumerated with Thomas and Agnes in the population schedule of the 1860 US census: Matilda Thomas (age 17, born in NC) and Mary Jane Thomas (age 5/12, born in GA). Who were these ladies? What was their relationship to Thomas and Agnes, and to each other, if any? Why were they living with Thomas and Agnes in that year?
Many questions remain about the lives of Thomas and Agnes Carver and their progeny. The above mentioned deed is still the only record I have pertaining to the estate of Thomas Carver in Rabun County. I hope to visit Oconee and Pickens Cos., SC in the future to look for additional records on the Carver family and, of course, I always keep my eyes open when researching in Rabun County.
Sources:
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