Tracking The Carter Families of Colleton County, South Carolina

My Carter's were fond of using the same names for generations within the same family with few or no designation as to whether this was a "Sr., Jr., 2nd, etc.". Many of the women the Carter men married had common first names but had less common maiden names which made finding the families a little easier. Oh, and did I mention they love nicknames? The same nicknames like "Jack" for John are carried through for generations as well. 

After getting frustrated with online trees full of misinformation I decided there had to be a better way to track all of the Carter families of Colleton County, South Carolina. As a general rule I use online trees as a springboard to find clues for the families I research but with these Carter families it is just impossible to do that. Oh and let's not forget that I have learned that there was a lot of inter-marrying with some families. I am still trying to figure out to what degree these relationships are and hoping that my family tree will not collapse!

I should point out that Colleton county records before 1865 are almost nonexistent and it is considered a burned county which makes researching more difficult. Many of the Carter families I am tracking settled in an area known as St Bartholomew's Parish, which was considered to be part of the Charleston District up until the 1800 US census.(1)

There were also plenty of boundary changes for Colleton county as well.  Another thing I have to consider is that prior to 1785 all records were filed in Charleston (Charles Town). Colleton is surrounded by the following counties: Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Charleston, Dorchester, Hampton and Orangeburg. The last of the boundry changes for Colleton came about in 1897 with the additions of Bamberg and Dorchester counties. Many of these families stayed in Colleton for many generations while others branched out to the surronding counties.(2)

I decided the best way to conduct my research for the Carter family was to use the Friends, Associates & Neighbors (F.A.N) Principle by Elizabeth Shown Mills.(3) I am using the F.A.N Principle to identify each Carter family from census records (1850-1880) who were born, lived in and died in Colleton county. I am following each generation to identify parents, spouses, siblings and children. I am using delayed birth certificates, and death records (including certificates, obituaries and Find-A-Grave) and newspaper announcements to help me with identifying family members. 

I began my research with census records from 1790-1880. In order to keep my findings manageable I used Google Spreadsheets. I searched each census year page by page for Carter families. I decided that keeping the census records all in one spreadsheet was more efficient and added a sheet for each census year. For the census information I have included a transcription of all the information. 

Figure 1, Carter Census Information Colleton county, South Carolina, census year 1850. Example for Nash Carter (4) and J. Wilson Carter (5).

After recording all census information I began making family group sheets for census years 1850-1880. Of course, indiviual family members were not listed until the census for 1850 and the relationships between family members was not listed until 1880. This is where good old fashion genealogy work comes in! I downloaded the family group record sheet from Ancestry and printed out the blank forms in groups of 25 and I have filled out about 150 so far. This part of my project has been the most time consuming thus far. However, I feel that I have come to know these families a little better. Unfortunately, I still have a few widows with the surname of Carter and I am still trying to determine who their spouses were and what there maiden names might be. Patience is my friend!

Below is the family record group sheet for my 2nd great grandparents, John Coker and Harriet (Linder) Carter. 

After completing all of the family record group sheets for census years, 1850-1880, I went to the "South Carolina Delayed Birth Records, 1766-1900". South Carolina did not require statewide birth and death registrations until 1915 and general complaince did not happen until 1918 and statewide marriage registrations began in 1911. I have been combing through delayed birth records, death certificates and obituaries.(4) I then used "South Carolina Death Certificates, 1915-1965. Both of these record collections are available online at FamilySearch and at Ancestry. I also turned to GenealogyBank, and Find A Grave to help me find older obituaries and help me to identify family members as well, especially the children. South Carolina did not require statewide birth and death registrations until 1915 and general complaince did not happen until 1918 and statewide marriage registrations began in 1911. I have been combing through delayed birth records, death certificates and obituaries.(6)  

All of these record groups have helped me find many clues. I have learned the names of additional spouses. I have been able to identify children who were born and perhaps died between the 1880 and 1900 censuses. I have been able to determine a time period for the death of a family members prior to 1915. I have found the maiden names of spouses, in some cases. I have been able to find the married names of daughter's (who suddenly disappeared without a trace) who were mentioned in obituaries. I have also been able to identify additional family members, biological and step children, half siblings, spouses (or multiple spouses) and in some cases even grandchildren. 

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are samples of my research logs by record group.

Figure 2, Carter-Delayed Birth Certificates for Colleton county, South Carolina. This example is for my great grandfather, Postell Samuel Carter. (7)

Figure 3, Carter-Genealogybank Obituaries for Colleton county, South Carolina. Includes Carter family members who died elswhere but were buried in Colleton county. This is example is for my 2nd great uncle, Abraham/Abram "Burrell" Carter. (8)

Figure 4, Carter-Find A Grave for Colleton county, South Carolina. This example is for my 2nd great uncle, Benjamin Coker Carter (9) and his wife, Florence (Johns) Carter (10).

Sources

1. FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "Colleton County, South Carolina Genealogy," FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Colleton_County,_South_Carolina_Genealogy : accessed 1 November 2017).

2. Ibid.

3. Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Quick Lesson 11: Identity Problems & the FAN Principle," Evidence Explained: Historical Analysis & Source Usage (https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/quicklesson-11-identity-problems-fan-principle : accessed 1 November 2017).

4. "1850 U.S. census, Colleton District, South Carolina," population schedule, St Bartholomew's Parish, p.187(stamped), dwelling 62, family 62, Nash Carter household; image, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-686Q-BHP?i=8&cc=1401638 : accessed 21 September 2017); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 851.

5. "1850 U.S. census, Colleton District, South Carolina," population schedule, St Bartholomew's Parish, p. 187, dwelling 63, family 63, J. Wilson Carter household; image, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-686Q-BHP?i=8&cc=1401638 : accessed 21 September 2017); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 852.

6. FamilySearch Wiki contributors, "South Carolina Vital Records," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/South_Carolina_Vital_Records : accessed 1 November 2017).

7. "South Carolina, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1766-1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9H-77WZ-Z?i=1488&cc=2512859 : 17 November 2017), certificate image, entry for Postell Samuel Carter, 22 June 1890, Colleton County, certificate no. 12-1235; citing South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

8. "A. B. Carter of Ritter - Dead," death and funeral notice, Evening Post (Charleston, South Carolina), 29 December 1925, p. 3, col. 1-2; database with images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : 17 November 2017), Newspaper Archives, 1690-2010; subscription to database required.

9. Find A Grave, Find A Grave, database with images, (www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 September 2017), memorial page 7294522, Benjamin Coker Carter (1850-1912), created by "Kim & Dana Grisson," submitted on 27 March 2003; citing Ebenezer United Methodist Church Cemetery, Walterboro, Colleton, South Carolina, USA.

10. Find A Grave, Find A Grave, database, (www.findagrave.com : accessed on 17 September 2017), memorial page 7294530, Florence Johns Carter (1850-1911), created by "Kim & Dana Grisson," submitted on 27 March 2003; citing Ebenezer United Methodist Church Cemetery, Walterboro, Colleton, South Carolina, USA.

Wednesday's Child ~ Open Letters

I am starting a new series today, Wednesday's Child ~ Open Letters. This will be a series of letters addressed to each of my birth siblings. I am asking my wonderful genea-community to please share these posts, especially if you are in South Carolina where I believe most of my birth siblings live. #cartersiblings2016

Dear Richard,

My name is Dawn and I am your half sister. I was born in Florida in 1962 and my birth mother's name was Barbara Williamson at the time I was born. I found Barbara in 2011 and she died in 2014. She didn't have a lot to say about our father Harry, other than to tell me his name, where he was born (Charleston, SC). According to Barbara, she and our father went their separate ways before she knew she was pregnant with me. I am pretty sure that Harry didn't know about me.

I have always known I was adopted. When I turned 18, I wrote to the governing authority for adoptions in Florida and requested my non-identifying information. I learned that our father's name was Harry and that I had at least five older siblings through him. I was also told that Harry was a former merchant marine.

I am sure finding out about me at this stage in your life is a big surprise! It is not my intention to disrupt anyone's life or their family. I am not looking for money, or anything of that nature. All I want is to have a chance simply to get to know you and my other siblings. I will understand if you do not want to do this but I do hope that you will consider the possibilities. I would really appreciate a family medical history and possibly copies of family pictures.

I have always been curious about biological families and it no wonder than genealogy is very big part of my life. I am curious to know if I look like any of you or someone else in our shared families. 

You can reach me by email at find.my.birthsiblings.2016@gmail.com. You can also leave a message in the comments of this blog, The Other Side of Scarlet or fill out the contact form on the left hand side of the page. I am on Facebook, Dawn Williams-Kogutkiewicz and you can send me a personal message there as well. 

I am hoping I will hear from you soon!

Your sister,

Dawn

A picture of me at about six months old. personal collection

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Jefferson and Sabra Jane (Smoak) Carter

While in Charleston last week I decided to see what I could find at the cemeteries where I knew some of my Carter's are buried. My first stop was Bethany Cemetery located at 10 Cunnington Street. As it happens, it is right in front of the lovely Magnolia Cemetery which is on Huguenin Avenue however there is entrance from Cunnington Street.

I started my cemetery search with Jefferson C. Carter and his second wife, Sabra Jane Smoak. Jefferson is my biological great grandfather. Jefferson and Sabra were married between 1900 and before 27 April 1910, which is the date of the 1910 US Census. Jefferson and Sabra are listed as married on this census.

I had little trouble in finding Bethany Cemetery the office was easy to locate. I went into the office and asked the gentleman inside if he could point me in the right direction for the plot of Mr. Jefferson C. and Sabra Jane (Smoak) Carter. He went to a small closet full of file cabinets and found a burial card for Jefferson.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

As you can see the burial card has a lot of information. The place of death, date of death, cause of death and date of burial all match his death certificate. It also lists his name, his gender, race and age. It also gives the name of the funeral home, the health officer, the superintendent as well as the section in which Jefferson and Sabra are buried and the lot number. I didn't think to ask for Sabra's card but it is on my list for the next trip!

Next the gentleman took me to a set of maps (the size of blueprints) and flipped through them until he found the one with Jefferson and Sabra. Below is a picture of the map.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

As you can see, the caretaker is pointing at the spot where Jefferson and Sabra are buried. He was kind enough to take me straight there and told me that the easiest way to remember where they are is that they are buried next to the only dirt road in the cemetery! As it turns out, Jefferson and Sabra are in a perpetual care plot that is fairly large for just 2 people. However, there is another couple buried in the plot, James Daniel and his wife Nina Hendricks Carter. I believe that James is the son of Jefferson and Sabra but I am still working to confirm the connection between them.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

Above is a close up of the tombstone for Jefferson and Sabra complete with dates. Oddly enough across the way from my great grandparents is another family I am connected to as well but I will save that for another Tombstone Tuesday.

 

I Found My Birth Father's Funeral Notice!

I was in Charleston last week and decided to do some genealogy during my free time. I have been looking for my birth father's funeral notice for years now with no success. I decided to give the Charleston Public Library a try to see if they may have it and sure enough they did!

The image is not great and is not scanning well so I have decided to transcribe it here instead. The funeral notice was published in The News and Courier (Charleston, SC) on the 24th of March 1984 on page 13.

"Harry R. Carter

Harry R. Carter of [private address], Summerville, a bail bondman and  paralegal, died Friday in a local hospital.

The funeral will be at 4 p.m. today in Stuhr's North Area Chapel. Burial will be in Riverview Memorial Park.

Mr. Carter was born Feb. 27, 1916, in Walterboro, a son of Postell Carter and Josephine Bessinger Carter. He was a Baptist and an Army and merchant marine veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his wife, Anna Lee Hay Carter; four sons, Richard Carter of Charleston, Johnny Carter of Tennessee, David Carter of Columbia and Mike Carter of Charlotte, N.C.; four stepsons, Joseph Amell and Gregory Amell, both of Summerville, Steve Amell of Goose Creek, and Benjamin Amell of Clemson; two daughters, Eugenia Goodman of San Antonio, Texas, and Donna Chaplin of Ravenel; four stepdaughters, Lucy Williams, Carol Lines, Nancy Barnhill, all of Summerville, and Joanne Ulmer of Florence; a sister, Lucille Houser of Orlando, Fla; and 15 grandchildren."

Since my birth father died in 1984, I have my work cut-out for me in trying to find my half siblings especially since all of this information is now 32 years old and I have been searching for 36 years now,  I only hope that I am not too late in my search to find and meet my brothers and sisters.

Source:

"Harry R. Carter", funeral notice, The News and Courier (Charleston, SC), 24 March 1984; online index and image, Newsbank (www.newsbank.com : 8 June 2016); this image and index is through online library subscription only; Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401.

Is There A Difference Between a Death Notice, an Obituary Notice and a Burial Notice?

Yesterday, I posted a picture of a newspaper in one of my genealogy groups on Facebook for a 2nd great uncle and posed the question "is it a death or burial announcement?".  After posting the question I began to wonder about the differences between a death notice, an obituary notice and a burial notice. The answer is yes there is a difference. I guess you could say that there is an etiquette for death and it is based on the culture, religious values and the society of the deceased. Of course all guidelines and pricing are different from paper to paper.

Death Notices
 
A death notice is short and brief announcement of a person's death. The death notice is usually published immediately after the deceased's death. The death notice is to inform the deceased's community of family, friends and co-workers. In general a death notice does not include a detailed biography.

The death notice is composed with the help of the funeral director and/or funeral home as the family makes the arrangements for their loved one following the guidelines of the newspaper for which it will be published in. Since death notices are very short most are published free of charge by the newspaper or there may be a small fee.

When publishing a death notice the following information is usually included: the name of the deceased, date of death and the time and location of the deceased's service. Some death notices may include the names the deceased immediate family members (spouse, children, parents and/or siblings) listed as the survivors of the deceased, their age, occupation and cause of death.

In the screen capture below is an example of a death notice. This notice is for Mrs. Ida M. Carter,  the wife of my 1st cousin twice removed, Mr. Harvey C. Carter. As you can see her name, age, the length of illness and time of death are listed first. Followed by her survivors. Notice that there is no listing of funeral services in this announcement.

Burial Notices

A burial notice is also a short and/or brief notice of a deceased's burial or graveside only service. It is usually published the day of the service or the day before the service. The burial notice is to inform the deceased's community of friends and co-workers and does not include a detailed biography. In general I have seen burial notices for persons who have survived their loved ones deaths. Generally speaking there may only be a few friends or neighbors, caregivers or distant relatives left to attend the burial of the deceased.

The burial notice is composed with the help of the funeral director and/or funeral home as the arrangements for the deceased are made and following the guidelines of the newspaper for which it will be published in. Like death notices, burial notices are very short and maybe published for free or there may be a small fee.

When publishing a burial notice the following information is usually included: the name of the deceased, date of death and the time and location of the deceased's burial and/or graveside service. Some notices may include the names the deceased immediate family members (spouse, children, parents and/or siblings) listed as the survivors of the deceased, their age, occupation and cause of death.

In the screen capture below is an example of a burial notice. This notice is for Mr. Postell Carter, my biological paternal grandfather. As you can see his name, address, age, day  death are listed first.  The graveside services are scheduled for the day of the announcement at 10:00 a.m., the name of the cemetery and the officiant. In this particular announcement, my grandfather's parents are listed as deceased, his place of birth, his religion affiliation, occupation and his education are also provided. This information is followed by his survivors. Notice that there is no listing of an actual funeral service in this announcement but the name of the funeral home is included.

Obituary Notices

An obituary notice is a detailed biography of the person who died. Like the death and burial notices, the obituary is composed by the funeral director and/or funeral home with information provided by the family using the information provided by the family. All newspapers have guidelines that are followed by the funeral director and/or funeral home.

There is always a fee for an obituary and that fee is determined by the length of the obituary. An obituary is for the family, friends, co-workers and others in the deceased community. You may also have to publish the obituary in the local newspaper of the city where the deceased's children live or perhaps in the hometown of the deceased. Obituaries should be published a day or two before the planned services.

The best way I can describe an obituary is that is done in pieces and would include the following information: 

The Identity & Family

The full name of the deceased including the maiden names, nicknames or special names they may have been known by other family members (ie: grandparent nicknames other than grandmother or grandfather; for instance our grandchild calls us "Dede and Jaja"). The dates and locations of birth, marriage(s) and death. The deceased's age and cause of death. The names of family members who died before them and then a listing of the surviving family members. 

Life Accomplishments: Education, Military, Social, and Religious

Next you would follow with their education history and military service, if applicable. This would be followed by the deceased's place of employment and position(s) held and any memberships in civic, fraternal or religious organizations and place of worship. List any hobbies or special interests the deceased may have enjoyed as well.

Full Funeral Details

Full details about the services for the deceased including the location, day and time of visitation for family and friends who may not be able to attend the funeral. The location, day and time of the funeral service and burial. There are times when the family may wish to keep the service or burial private and should be indicated in the obituary as well.

Wishes of the Deceased & Family

In some obituaries you will find, "in lieu of flowers..." and the family may list one or two of the deceased favorite charities, or the hospice that provided end of life care, or to a medical organization. In some cases you will find that memorial, medical or college funds have been set up for the deceased's family or young children (those who are killed in the line of duty such as military or police personnel). You will need to provide the full details of the organization, contact names, addresses and websites of these organizations. You will also find special thank you's to caregivers by name or organization listed too.

To the left is an example of an obituary from 1955. I found this obituary for Dr. Kenneth M. Lynch while I was researching obituaries in South Carolina for the year 1955.

As you can see, Dr. Lynch very upstanding man of the community. 
His obituary is rather extensive and includes many details about his personal and professional lives. His dates of birth and death are listed. Full details of the funeral services and his survivors are also listed. 

I do apologize in advance for the way I have presented this obituary. I had to capture the image and scan it to my computer to keep it in two pieces rather than three pieces originally captured.

Sources: 

Karen Hickman, "Obituary Etiquiette", Professional Courtesy (http://professionalcourtesyllc.com/obituary-etiquette/ : 14 April 2016).

April Sanders, "Death Notice Etiquette", People, Rights and Customs, Opposing Views (http://people.opposingviews.com/death-notice-etiquette-2319.html : accessed 14 April 2016).

"Mrs. Ida M. Carter," death announcement, Charleston [SC] News and Courier, 20 August 1938, page 2, column 2; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 14 April 2016).

"Postell Carter Dies; Rite are Today," burial notice, Charleston [SC] News and Courier, 31 October 1958, page 17, column 2; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 14 April 2016). 

"Dr. Kenneth M. Lynch, Former Head of MUSC, Dies", obituary, Charleston [SC] News and Courier, 30 November 1974, page 13, columns 4-6; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 14 April 2016).