Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-29
PRETTY COROTOMAN.
ANCIENT SEAT OF THE CARTER
FAMILY IN LANCASTER.
An OPULERr AND ELEGANT PLACE.
The Early Home of the Mother Oh
General Robert II. Lee-intcres""s
u.~s.s.ceaces Line OF Disttn-
guished Descendants.
dor the Dlspatch.)


The Rappahannock river. which indent the
shores of Lancaster county, and are wide'
~ known as Corotoman river and Carte; =
creek. are at their mouths only mhe
or so apart Between them Hes fer'lie
and popuious peninsula. which in Colo
NAL times consisted mainly If not en-
tirely. Of an immense estate. ON inc
eastern shore OF this vast plantauoh'
near the modern village Of Weems. ara
but short distance from where Garter
creek empties Itself into the broad Rap
rahannock. are the grounds amidst whicn
formerly stood the opulent and elegant
home called Corotoman. Visible on one
side are the tabernacle cottages, and beau
tlful trees Of the Wharton Grove camp
ground. and on the other the roofs and
shipping OF Irvington.
An OLD dairy, time-worn and weather
beaten. only remains Of the buildings CT
the Corotoman home. Numerous old
trees and scattered bricks serve TO mark
the site Rows Of magnificent cedars, ex-
tending for miles. mark the roadway
that led TO the house. Long and deep
Expressions, as OF bitches. with earth
mounds beside them. shaded here and
there BY ponderous trees. suggest the vast
expenditure Of care and manual labor
which in the prosperous days Of slavery
was employed In the improvement and
sdornment OF the premises.
COLONEL JOHN CARTER.
vt the era Of the settlement Of Ian
caster county. about the year 1850, To-
Gated mere. lie is believed TO have been
tie son Of william Carter, OF earns
town. Hertfordshire, England, and had
loen resldeat OF Lower Norfolk coun-
~. which hs represented in the Assem-
by. before seeking this new plantation
on the Rappahannock.
lie became a man OF mark and promi-
hence among his fellow cOlonists from
the year OF bis settlement in Lancaster.
The few and scattered Immigrants in
Rappahann0ck (now RichmOnd) county
were at TINS era suffering from steaithy
and mur0er0Os attacks of the Indians,
who beat out the brains OF some of them
with clubs. and LETT others in the bushes
horribly manged. IN 1864, Colonel Car
ter led the forces Of the three Northern
sf1Nh NVAHAA'a ~ a.4AAA444N1AN eAAA INAAs-A
the Rappahannock Indians, who were
committing these outrages. The same
year he represented Lancaster county in
the House OF Burgesses, and for a num-
Der OF years afterwards he was promi-
nent ia the deliberat tons OF that body.
During the provisional government in
Virginia, under the prOtectOrate Of CrOm-
well in England, when the Governor and
Council undertook TO usurp authority and
20 prorogIe the Assembly, he was chair
man OF the committee, and probably
drafted the response Of the House Of
Burgesses declaring that wee are not
dissolvable by any power yet extant In
Virginia, but our owne," and that the
present power OF government resides in
such persons as shall be Empowered by
the Burgesses, the representatives of the
people" This report prevailed, and was
the earliest attempt In Virginia in the
direction OF popular freedom and repre-
sentative government; Our friend ignores
the Yeardley assembly at jamestown in
July, l6ls.-'rhe Dispatch)
Colonel Carter was q loyal churchman,
emo interested In tho spiritual welfare of
his neighbors, and he showed his interest
by erecting at his personal expense. the
FIRST church building established between
the Rappahannock and the Potomac.
This building was completed about the
year 1919, and called Christ's church. 1t
became before its completion a mOnu-
rnent and tomb for it's benevolent donor,
who, having died on June 10 1863. was in
TERED within ifs walls Ito the east of
the chancel"
Colonel Carter was married three times,
his first wife having been Jane Glvn.
VINO died early. Her two infant children,
george and Elinor, were buried near her.
The subsequent wives Of Colonel Carter
were ann daughter OF Mr. Cleaye Car
Yer, and sarah. We daughter of Mr.
Sabrlei I.ud ow." single slab In Christs
church commentaries the husband three
wives, the abOvc-named infant children
or the children OF the above marriages
VINO survived Infancy 1t is not easy To
trace the record. The eldest son was
named for bis father. and died. il ap-
pears near the same time that his end
came lie bad married Elizabeth Ira
verse, who was left a widow with an in
fant daughter, Elizabeth Mrs. Carter
afterwards married Christopher Worm
ley. and went 10 reside i'm his elegant
home I'm Middlesex.
Colonel Carters children by his last
marriage were In their tender childhood
when he was borne from his home here
20 his burial Their care and training
were committed TO their widowed mother
This mother Sarah Ludlow must have
acted wen her part since from her, /
believe. have sprung the most notable
and eminent line OF descendants recorded
r. yet in the family annals OF America.
among whom might be named two presi-
ttHAS Dl the Ai2Aft CkdNtrs TWO SlBnNlr
OF the Declaration Of Independence, four
governors OF Virginia. two generals ce
the Revolution, two bishops of the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church. the general-in-
chief OF the Confederate armies. and a
host Of other names Worthily dstin-
guished in public aud private stations.
Among the bronze heroic figures In Nir-
ginia's pantheon OF WORTHLESS in Richmond
not less than three represent her noble
descendants-Nelson. Wickham. and Lee
~ Faf hon
less In 1869 were. / believe. three--two
daughters and son-the eldest Of whom
bore her mothers name, Sarah. The son,
ROBERT CARTER
(surnamed "Kine"1 was for several years
the sole male representative OF the fami-
ly. and about 1870 entered INTO the occu-
pancy OF the Corotoman home. He had
1t seems. before reaching his majority
sought a wife beyond the Rappahannock,
and his quest had been rewarded in Sc
curing Judith, the eldest daughter OF
John Armistead' Esq, OF "Hesse," In
Gloucester. whom he married In 1918.
This union was fruitful OF five children
four daughters and a sOn--two of whom
died I'm infancy. The other three-Eiiza-
beth. John. and Judith-were left mother
less on February %. 1859, when Mrs. Car
ter died. She was inferred near the rear
wall OF Christ's church. where chast,
and beautiful marble tomb. now sadly
dishgured and broken. records that she
died i'm the joyful assurance OF happy
eternity, leaving 10 her friends the sweet
perfume Of a good reputation"
In 1851 Mr.. Carter married again Betty
Landon. daughter of Thomas Landon. OF
Crednal. In the county of Hereford, Eng
IL was probably az this period of his life
that he sat for his well-known life-size
portrait. fine copy OF which has recently
been placed in the courthouse OF his ma
tive county.
His second wife presided ever the do
nestle affairs az COrOtOman and graccd
its social life for nearly twenty years,
during which she bore ten chldren-ive
sons and five daughters Most OF these
were OF dependent and helpless aee. wher
her death occurred on July g i7l0. The