from "Representative Men and Old Families of RI", 1908
pp. 1560 - 1562.
"William P. CARR. Among the oldest and most prominent families of Newport,
R.I., is that of Carr, whose representatives in every generation have
occupied distinguished positions in business, professional and public life.
William P. Carr, of Newport, is a direct descendant of Caleb Carr, one of
the earliest settlers of the city.
(I) Caleb Carr, born in 1624, came to America in 1635 with his elder
brother, Robert, in the ship "Elizabeth and Ann", from London, England, and
settled in Newport, R.I. He married (first) Mercy, born in 1631, who died
in 1675, and (second) Sarah, widow of John Pinner, and daughter of Jeremiah
and Frances (Latham) Clarke. Mr. Carr was commissioner in 1654, 1658, 1659,
1660, 1661 and 1662; was made a freeman in 1655; was deputy, with the
exception from 1664 to 1690, and assistant the greater part of the time
between 1679 and 1691. He was governor in 1695, the year in which he died.
Governor Carr bought at different times beginning with 1658, large interest
in Conanicut and Dutch Islands. The Carrs as a family became conspicuous in
the development of Jamestown, and their fortunes have been more or less
identified with that town and Newport from their settlement to the present
time. The children of Governor Carr were: Nicholas, Mercy, Caleb, Samuel,
Mercy (2), John, Edward (all born to the first marriage), Frances, Sarah,
James and Elizabeth.
(II) John Carr, son of Gov. Caleb, born in 1664, married Wait, born Nov. 5,
1668, daughter of Peter and Ann (Coggeshall) Easton, and granddaughter of
Gov. Nicholas Easton. John Carr living in Newport, R.I. He was deputy in
1705. He died in 1714, and his wife passed away in 1725. Their children
were: Samuel, Caleb, Ann, John, Frances and Patience.
(III) Samuel Carr, son of John, born in 1694, married in 1719 Mary Greene,
born April 6, 1697, at Cowesett, R.I. Mr. Carr was a gunsmith and a
resident of Newport. His will, which was made in 1739, was proved August
1st of that year. He was buried on Goat Island, and the inscription on his
tombstone proclaims that he died in the forty-sixth year of his age, and
that his daughter, Waite, died on that same day, aged theirteen years, both
being said to have died of smallpox. The children of Samuel and Mary Carr
were: Caleb, born in 1720; Samuel, born in 1722; Waite, born in 1726;
Ebenezer, born Oct. 2, 1735, and John, born Oct. 6, 1738.
(IV) John Carr, son of Samuel, was born Oct. 6, 1738, in Newport, R.I., and
married July 19, 1761, Mary Arnold, born in 1736. Mr. Carr was an active
patriot and an officer in the Revolution, taking part in the battles of
Rhode Island, and Trenton under Washington. He died March 25, 1814, Mrs.
Carr passing away Nov. 2, 1789. Their children were: John, born April 12,
1762; Mary, June 13, 1763; Sarah, May 29, 1765; Samuel, Sept. 24, 1766;
Caleb A., 1768; Abigail, Sept. 4, 1771; Comfort, July 15, 1773. Other
children have been assigned to them, among whom were Richard, Ebenezer and
George Washington.
(V) George Washington Carr, son of John, born July 12, 1777, married Nov. 1,
1801, Margaret, born April 11, 1779, daughter of William and Mary (Rowling)
Thurston, granddaughter of William and Dorothy (Carter) Thurston of Newport,
great-granddaughter of Jonathan Thurston, great-great-granddaughter of
Edward Thurston (2), and great-great-great-granddaughter of Edward Thurston,
who is of record in the Colony of Rhode Island as early as 1647, in which
year he was married to Elizabeth Mott. He served as commissioner and
assistant and for many years as deputy from Newport. Margaret (Thurston)
Carr died July 19, 1878, at the advanced age of ninety-three years, three
months, eight days. Children as follows were born to her and her husband:
Dolly Thurston, born July 27, 1802; Abby, Dec. 18, 1803; Margaret, Sept. 17,
1805; George Washington, April 22, 1808; Mary Ann, March 26, 1810; Caleb
Arnold, June 15, 1813; Thomas Thurston, May 4, 1815; Sarah Rowling, Aug. 5,
1818; John, Feb. 22, 1821; Amelia, June 23, 1824.
(VI) Thomas Thurston Carr, son of George Washington, was born May 4, 1815.
In early life he was interested in the whaling industry, at which he was
engaged for several years. He later engaged in the grocery business in
Newport, and continued at that occupation for a number of years, by careful,
capable and conservative business methods meeting with well-deserved
success. In political faith Mr. Carr was a stanch supporter of the
principles of the Republican party, and as such served his native city for
several years as a member of the General Assembly of the State. He was a
consistent member of the Central Baptist Church (now the Second Baptist),
serving as deacon thereof from its formation to the time of his death. He
was a director of the Aquidneck National Bank of Newport for many years. In
the death of Mr. Carr, which ocurred Dec. 15, 1887, Newport lost one of its
most honored citizens, the needy a true and kind friend and his family an
affectionate and devoted father.
On June 22, 1845, Mr. Carr was married to Clarissa Peckham, daughter of
William and Sarah Peckham, and she passed away in Newport March 8, 1872,
aged fifty-one years, three months, sixteen days. To Mr. and Mrs. Carr were
born children as follows: Clarissa T., born May 7, 1847, is the wife of
Edwin S. Burdick, of Newport; Josephine Augusta, born May 7, 1847, is the
widow of George A. Hazard, of Newport; Thomas T., born Sept. 19, 1848,
married Carrie Augarde, and died in Chicago; George W., born Nov. 29, 1850,
who is a lawyer engaged in the practice of his profession in New York,
married Julia Paul Mitchell; Phebe J., born Oct. 29, 1853, is the widow of
Anthony S. Sherman, of Newport; Mary L., born June 14, 1856, is at home,
unmarried; William P., is mentioned below; Annie Peckham, born Nov. 1, 1861,
is at home, unmarried.
(VII) William Peckham Carr, son of the late Thomas Thurston Carr, was born
Oct. 12, 1857, in Newport, and received his early educational training in
the public schools. Leaving school at the early age of seventeen years he
became a clerk in his father's grocery, after leaving which he went to New
York City and for a time was employed in the wholesale grocery house of
Clark, Chapin & Hawley. He then went to Boston, Mass., and for a short
period was associated with the firm of Peckham, Ralph & Co., grain brokers.
Returning to Newport, Mr. Carr again entered the employ of his father, and
continued with him unil 1885, when he purchased the grocery business in
which he is interested at the present time.
In politics Mr. Carr is a stanch Republican, and he has served his native
city as a member of the city council for a period of six years, three years
of which time he was president thereof. In 1906, at the first election held
under the new charter granted the city of Newport, Mr. Carr was elected a
member of the representative council from the First ward for the three-year
term. Mr. Carr is a consistent member and liberal supporter of the Central
Baptist (now the Second Baptist) Church, and on the death of his father, in
1887, he was elected a deacon to succeed him. He has served in that
capacity to the present time, and has also held the position of church
treasurer for a number of years.
Mr. Carr is unmarried, and makes his home with his sisters, Misses Mary L.
and Annie Peckham Carr. Like his honored father, Mr. Carr possesses a
quiet, unostentatious disposition, but his genial, kindly manner has
attracted to him hosts of warm friends who enjoy his business success and
political prominence. The Carr family are greatly esteemed in their native
locality."
* * * * * * * * *
From the Rhode Island marriage index:
CARR, Josephine A. Hazard, George A. 71-552-21 12/18/1871
CARR, Clara T. Burdick, Edwin S. 68-500-21 09/22/1868
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Beth Hurd
Johnston, RI USA
beth(a)the-hurds.com
http://www.the-hurds.com
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