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| Mary Jane Carter Dooley |
The
final years of John’s life were spent in more peaceful circumstances. Since he wasn’t a Mormon he was probably
treated tolerably well as he showed no inkling to move. He appears to have lived with his youngest
daughter Mary Ann Carter Dooley. Two
deeds from John to Mary Ann’s husband, Jacob Dooley, during this time would
bear out the likelihood that John resided with Mary Ann and Jacob.
The
first deed was drawn on 8 August 1846 – just six months after the rest of the
family had left town. It was between
John Carter of the County of Hancock and State of Illinois and Jacob Dooley of
the same county and state. For $150 John
sold the same property he had purchased on 30 Mar 1846, from William C Wilson
and wife Rose Ann, for $175. Based on
the size of the property – 3.9 acres – it probably contained the family
homestead. It was probably here that the
aging John lived with his daughter’s family.[1]
On 30
March 1848 John again sold some land to Jacob Dooley. This time he sold the 40 acres he had bought
from Alexander Hills and Eliza Ann his wife across the county line in Adams
County that he had bought on 20 Apr 1843 for $150. He sold it this time for $100.[2] John was probably retiring from active
farming and was turning over the operation of the farm to his son-in-law.
Interestingly
on 6 Nov 1848, not 8 months later, John sold the same piece of land mentioned
above to Adam Snyder for $40. There must
be a story behind this reselling of the property and for the low price
mentioned here. It wasn’t until 6 Mar
1850 when John actually recorded the deed so the $40 must not have been
forthcoming following the initial agreement.[3]
The
1850 census was a real disappointment for finding John. Tradition has been that John lived with his
daughter Mary Jane Carter Dooley in his later years but no evidence of John is
found on this census, though Mary Jane Carter Dooley in Hancock County and
Almira Carter Tripp in Adams County were easy to locate. Whatever the case John is nowhere to be found
that year. If we didn’t know that he was
alive we could almost guess that he might have died.
 |
| Philip Libby Carter |
It is
in this time period the last child of John and Hannah finally moved west. This is detailed in the previously cited
article on John’s grandson Charles Carter: “The father of our subject (I.E.
Philip Libby Carter) was a blacksmith in Massachusetts and removed from New
England to the Middle West, settling in Hancock County in May 1851. He took up his abode in the farm which is now
occupied by his son, Charles, in Walker Township, and there he engaged in general
agriculture pursuits and stock raising up to the time of his death, which
occurred July 27, 1876.”[4]
 |
| Charles Carter and Dora Carter Bolt |
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| Carter Hill Home of Charles Carter (built on the property where Philip Libby Carter lived and had his home.) |
It has
been published in the past that during this time John married again. There is no evidence in the county marriage
records of any marriage of John subsequent to the time that Hannah left Nauvoo
for the West. If a marriage or a liaison
did occur there has been evidence of this that has come to light. So again it must be presumed that John
probably lived out his life at the home of one of his children living in the
Nauvoo area.
[1] Hancock
County, Illinois Deeds, Book S, p. 418 (Family History Library Film 954604).
[2] Adams
County, Illinois Deeds, Book 4, p. 352 – 353 (Family History Library Film #
967548).
[3] Hancock
County, Illinois Deeds, Book X, p. 215 (Family History Library Film 954606).
[4] Biographical
Review of Hancock County, Illinois, op. cit.
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