Steve,
Answering your last question first: Yes, I believe that with time and
diligence we will find answers. I would love nothing more than for these
Carvers to be placed with their rightful families. Although I am descended
from one of Richard's probable sons, I am keenly interested in filling in
the female parts of the lines: the daughters and wives, particularly
Richard's. I have found that it was more common for men to move with their
wife's family than vice versa. That could just be my own perception. But I
hope to be able to identify Richard of SC's wife when I begin delving into
the records.
Over the past few years, I have been preparing for tackling research on
this and my other South Carolina lines by reading and studying the
literature on research into families living there, and on female lines. I
think we are very fortunate to live in an age when we *do* have many
genealogists performing serious, academic work on Southern research
problems in general and on female lines in particular.
I want to thank you because you have also revitalized my interest in this
family as well. It's so nice to know I'm not working in isolation.
Per the Richard living in Virginia, I hold up the following possibilities
(there are probably more, but these are the ones that come most readily to
mind): Either he died after being enumerated in the 1820 US Census, or he
moved to another area, or he is "hidden" after 1820 (meaning he was not a
head of household); possibly some combination of those three. One of these
days, perhaps one of us could look into this further.
Per census records: It's entirely possible someone other than Richard gave
his age, etc. And, as you said, there are other possibilities. But I'm glad
you brought up the disparity between what *should* have been recorded and
what actually *was* recorded. A very good point and a timely reminder.
Neighbors on an early census could have been enumerated well apart from one
another, depending upon what route the enumerator took to count families.
Some followed early waterways, if not roads, and depending upon the
meandering of either course, two people who owned land next to one another
could have been enumerated many households apart. A more certain way to
determine neighbors is to reconstruct the land records from plats, deeds,
grants, and other records. One excellent example of this may be found in
Elizabeth Shown Mills article "Applying the Preponderance-of-the-Evidence
Principle to a Southern Frontier Problem: William Medders of Alabama"
(*National
Genealogical Society Quarterly* 82 (March 1994): 32–49), which is available
on Mrs. Mills' web site at
http://www.historicpathways.com/articles.html (scroll
down to find the article). I know there are other examples, perhaps even
for SC, but I cannot for the life of me think of one at the moment.
One of the Carver families I'm working on is that of Thomas Carver and his
wife Agnes (-?-), who moved from SC into Rabun Co., GA, and lived very near
to "my" William Carver. Thomas and William knew each other, and because of
their proximity, etc., I believe they may have been related. Not brothers,
I don't think, but close cousins perhaps. There are so many threads that
need untangling with these Carvers. One day, they will all be untangled.
I have written your name and e-mail address into my contact list, with
pertinent notes, so that I can contact you should I find any
further information. As I said previously, I had hoped to work on these
Carvers this year, but who knows?
Thank you sincerely for the discussion. It has been most helpful.
Dawn Watson
I am not sure if I will address all of your concerns, but I certainly
hope
so. Thanks to you I have somewhat revitalized my research on Richard
Carver, as hard as it must be. Just going through the census indicates we
must have two Richard Carvers, one who resided in Virginia 1810 and 1820
and
yours in SC in 1800, 1810, 1820, and 1830.
What surprises me is that in the 1800 and 1810 census younger Richard and
Joseph Carver are enumerated on the same page, thus somewhat proving that
the Joseph/James Carver bearing testimony on Richard's behalf could be he.
However, looking further in 1810, there is also another Joseph and two
Thomas Carvers enumerated on the same page in Spartanburg that year. In
1820, they must be further apart as they are on separate pages, but a slew
of Carvers on the page with Richard. Again separate in 1830 and Richard is
alone on this page.
1840 census becomes the interesting one for two reasons. First, in this
year
the question was asked, "Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services
included in the Forgoing." Richard Carver the Pensioner applied for his
pension 12 Mar 1833. According to his Pension Records, he was first paid
Mar
1833 and again Sep 1833. His last payment was received for the 1st Quarter
of 1853, until his death. We also have a pay record for March 1849- Mar
1853so he was definitely on the pension from 1833-1853. For 20 years he
was
paid a pension for his service during the Revolutionary War, a very noble
deed, but yet he neglected to tell the census taker of this. Now I know
how
lax the census takers were supposed to be, so let's not debate that, but
regardless of how people feel about veterans today, if you lived in the
same
neighborhood or area in the 1840's you knew a veteran or at least someone
who
claimed to have served! No way, not taking ANY excuses for this person to
not be listed as such. In this census Richard 70-80 along with an younger
Asa Carver 20-30 next door and a Martin 30-40 on the page. Also a 80-90 is
on another page and he too does not claim Revolutionary War service. Ok
one, maybe, two.......... even though on Joseph's page there is a John
Verner[sp] a few names down listed as such. **Not ruling out other
possibilities either.**
I know this does not disprove absolutely, but sure as heck raises a great
deal of suspicion of this Richard and Joseph.
1850 census I am not real sure what is going on there I guess Richard was
moving and getting older 86 in Aug and 88 in Oct of 1850 Living with
William
first and then Asa.
I find it interesting that Richard is found in Virginia from 1776 to 1820
and then disappears and that your Richard from 1800-1850 in Spartanburg and
on to Pickens.
We definitely require more research, but will we find the answers?
Regards,
Steve