Hi to all of the Caraker researchers!
My name is Kathryn Laura Caraker (married to Thomas Joseph Brignole)
I am the daughter of
Robert Richard Caraker and Susanne E. Hughes
who is the son of
Abram Matthias Caraker and Vera Gladys Keagle
who was the son of
Jacob Stanley Caraker and Cora Jane Glossbrenner
who was the son of
Matthias Caraker and Susan E. Lemley
who was the son of
Jacob Karcher and Jane Meisenheimer
who was the son of
Andrew Karcher and Catherina ?
who was the son of
Philip Karcher and Catherina Eisenmann
who was the son of
Johann Philip Kercher and Anna Maria Reeb
About 1 1/2 years ago, I met with John C. Karriker of Mooresville, North Carolina, who has
written a book, Carriker Karriker families.
I have a copy of this book. It does not go into much detail on the Illinois portion of
our family, but it does have a LOT of information on the families in North Carolina.
Some of the spellings of our name that he has found are:
Caraker, Carcher, Careker, Cariger, Cariker, Carker, Carkie (possibly), Carreker,
Carricker, Carriker, Carroger, Karacher, Karacker, Karaker, Karcher, Kareker, Karger,
Kariker, Karker, Karraker, Karriker, Kearker (possibly), Kercher, Kerecker, Kereker,
Kerger, Keriker, Kerker, Kerriker, and Kiker (I believe I have found the link between the
Kiker's and the Karriker's).
If anyone would like me to do a lookup in this book, please feel to e-mail me at
t-k-brignole(a)mindspring.com
Meanwhile, I have one item I would (hopefully) like to straighten out. The following is
an excerpt from John Karriker's book (information in parentheses is mine):
Mathias Carriker, born, 11 July 1815 in Cabarrus County and baptized at St. John's
Church, he migrated to Union County, Illinois with his parents in 1818. Little is known
about Mathias and his life until 28 Feb. 1837, at which time he purchased 40 acres of land
in section 25 of Union County, Illinois for $50. He purchased another 40 acres on 23 Mar
1840 for $50 which gave him a total of 80 acres. Records show that Mathias sold his 80
acres in 1847 to Winstead Davie who was the founder of the town of Anna, Ill. At the death
of his brother, Reubin, in 1847, Mathias was appointed administrator for his brother's
estate by the Courth of Union County, Illinois. He also appears in the household of Jacob
Lemby (i.e. Lemley). No marriage record or record of children has been found in Union
County. (he married in Navarro County, Texas, and had 5 children). He is believed to have
gone to Texas in the late 1850's (he went shortly after the 1850 census, as he married
on 2/26/1854) with t!
he Lemby's (i.e. Lemley's) and other famililes in the area to homestead.
Immediately following this information is the following paragraph:
Matthias Carriker, born 1915 (i.e. 1815), and died 25 Aug. 1844 in Cabarrus County, NC. He
married Elizabeth "Polly" Haigler on 28 Feb. 1840 in New Salem, NC. According to
coffin maker, Joshua Harris of Cabarrus Co., who kept records of people he buried during
that time, Mathias died on 25 Aug. 1844 at the age of 29 and is buried in the Rocky River
Cemetery in Cabarrus Co. Found in the court records of Cabarrus County, October 1844
session, "Mathias Carriker is deceased, Andrew Carriker assigned as his
administrator." This would indicate that Matthias was living in Cabarrus Co when he
died, as this action was taken by Cabarrus Co Court, and not Union Co, Ill.
Some think Mathias pulled a fake death and left his wife and children. If this is true,
he went all the way and had himself declared dead before the Cabarrus co Court after using
a fake burial performed by coffin maker Joshua Harris. I find this hard to believe. But,
who is this Mathias Carriker? Who was his father?
One of the second Mathias' children was Henry Wilson Carriker, born in North
Carolina.
I sincerely doubt that these two Matthias' are the same person. If Matthias (b)
married Polly Haigler on 2/28/1840, he would have had less than one month to make it back
to Union County, Illinois to buy 40 acres of land on 3/23/1840. (Ever try to travel from
central North Carolina to Illinois in the winter on foot or horseback? I doubt it could be
easily done in less than one month. There are some pretty decent mountains between the
two places!)
My last query has also to do with Matthias. I have a LOT of information as to when &
where he was born, and married, and lived until about 1870. Does ANYONE have any idea
when and where he died? I have not found him on any census records after 1870, have
checked cemetery records in Navarro County, Texas, and cannot find him. I do know that at
least 2 of his children later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, but have not found any evidence
of him there, either.
Again, feel free to e-mail me if you think John's book might have anything you need!