Lisa, I am 79 y/o DWF living in ARK-LA-TX area on small cattle ranch. I
haven't run across an Edith/Levi Cartwright, but the census you
mentioned belonged to our native Amer. ancestors. Cherokee lived in
those counties and the Carolinas.If you go back to those census, you'll
find the color column left blank and the boys are made to attend school.
Choctaw lived mainly in MS before being moved to OK abt. 1832. Certainly
they were "illiterate" as mosly due to language. If natives had a white
father, they took his name when they gave up their Indian names. My pt
gr-grmo is listed on the Dawes Commission roll.
Gr-grfa, Thomas, b. 1805 NC, came from TN to TX through MS where a child
was b., then find them on 1850 census of Cherokee Co. TX with only grfa,
Henry Brown and bro David being able to read and write. The Native women
kept their "maiden" names. They were Quakers in 1692 ? as listed on
Quaker Encyclopedia CD. 1900 census was 1st one that listed Natives. As
Natives had almost no rights, there was a white Hickman who had two
families, one with Native in MS and white in AL ?, and he listed them
all as white even though the MS ones spoke Cherokee or Choctaw. I've
forgotten which.
In the mid 1500s France during the Edict of Nantes, the Carwright name
was spelled Carterett, and I believe Carterett Co., N or SC, was named
for probably Robert Cartw. who was in the Robertson ? expodition of the
Carolinas. Usually John Cartw. is named as Patriarch. If you use Family
Tree or
Ancestry.com, look for Matthew that goes really far back. I
found a surname, "Peeples", and my grfa, Henry Brown Cart. named one of
his dtrs, Peeples who m. a lawyer and d. in Austin, TX. Mostly the
children were named for the Williams' side of the family, Smith and Van
Zandt Co., TX.
I found a Will from William Cartw. where he gives sons John and ?
(forgot), a negro woman named Beck. I think that is where the mulatto
Cartw. began. A John has about 3 pgs of slaves listed. I found a Thomas
Cartw. made a trip to Caribbean area and wondered if he were a slave
trader. No follow up.
I am from 3 Thomases and Grace (senior moment!)
LuJuana Cartwright Lipscomb