Saturday, July 23, 2016

LIFE OF JOHN CARTER - Part 22 - LIFE AFTER THE MORMON EXODUS

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
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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