HANNAH KNIGHT LIBBY – Part 9 – HANNAH'S PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

              In this episode we will take a break from the narrative of the history of Hannah Knight Libby Carter and spend a little time in trying to learn a little about what Hannah looked like.  Since she died in 1867 we are severely limited in images of her.  In fact, there are no photographs and just one portrait of her in existence. 

              This portrait has a quite interesting history of its own.  Archibald F. Bennett described what he knew about the portrait in his text book, Finding Your Forefathers in America, 1962, pp. 252-255:

            “Years ago I wrote: ‘There was said to have been a picture of her in existence, but none has yet been located.’ We now believe that picture has been found.  In June 1955 my wife and I paid a visit to Mrs. Dora Bolt, daughter of Charles Carter and granddaughter of Phillip L. Carter, at Lima, Illinois.  She brought out for our inspection an old case containing letters and family heirlooms.  She showed us the portrait of a lady of the pioneer period, and said she understood it had been sent to her father from relatives in Utah.  Her father Charles had visited Provo, among the relatives.  He had corresponded with Dell Roberts and it may have come from him.  While there we took photographs of the portrait, which was badly worn away in places from being rolled for many years.

            Upon our return to Utah we made a careful investigation.  Adelbert Roberts had died 7 Nov. 1919.  His obituary spoke of him as one of Provo’s pioneers.  His widow, Martha Eliza York Roberts, died at the age of 82, on 31 Dec 1931.  She was a 1^st cousin to Charles Carter on both the Carter and York lines.

            It would be logical for the oldest daughter of Hannah Knight Libby Carter who came west (Hannah Carter York, wife of Aaron M. York), to have possession of a portrait of her mother, who stayed with her in later life, and to pass it on to her daughter, Martha, with whom I am told she spent her last years.  In comparing the face of the portrait with photographs of Hannah’s children, there certainly seems to be a family resemblance.

            Mr. Leslie A. Carter of Detroit, Mich., is descended from Richard Carter, a brother of John Carter (husband of Hannah Knight Libby).  He has done a prodigious amount of scholarly research on the Carter ancestry in Maine and New Hampshire.  On December 2, 1952 he wrote of a visit he made to Mrs. Dora Bolt at Lima, Ill.

‘The Bolts are in possession of a remarkable collection of early deeds, old letters, and miscellaneous papers dating back to Newry, Maine, 1835.  They also are the owners of a portrait done in oil of an elderly unidentified woman, with light color or blue eyes.  The enclosed color photograph is a picture of the portrait taken by me.  It is being sent to you in the hope that you might be of assistance in having the woman in the portrait properly identified by persons who might have seen the original portrait at one time or another.

It cannot be ascertained how or when this portrait was first received by Charles Carter, though it is believed to be a picture of his grandmother, Hannah Knight (Libby) Carter (1786 – 1869).’”

               The above was copied so the reader can appreciate the work that has gone on prior to the portrait re-surfacing in the last few years.  For those of us in the Utah part of the clan the portrait was virtually unknown from the 1860’s until it was “rediscovered” by Leslie A. Carter in about 1951.  A few family members were aware of its existence but its whereabouts were unknown again until the last few years when we of the Utah clan were introduced to Joe Conover, who came into possession of it after his mother’s death and has recently had it restored.

               Below are three images.  The first is a copy of the photograph of the portrait as Leslie saw it in 1951.  In the middle is a digitally enhanced version of the portrait.  Finally, a photograph of the newly restored original portrait.

Leslie Carter Photo

Digital Enhancement

Restored Portrait

               So are there any accounts of what she looked like or any personal accounts of her?  We actually have five records that I would like to provide that help bring Hannah alive for us.

               First is a second-hand account from "Sketch of the Life of Hannah Knight Libby Carter" by A. F. Bennett: “Those who remember her described her as short in stature with a round face, impressive blue eyes, and a refined and dignified bearing. She frequently wore a lace cap and was very prim and neat. She was well educated and always very industrious, keeping her knitting close by and working even in her advanced years.”

               Lastly are three first-hand accounts originally quoted in Richard Cater/Carter of Dover, New Hampshire and Some of His Descendants, by Robert E. Givens, 1972, pp. 47-48, that were originally found in Sunday school genealogy class manual that I no longer have possession of.  They date from the 1930’s.  I believe the narrator of the following is none other than Archibald F. Bennett.

“On Dec. 24, 1933, Mrs. Ella K. Miliner dictated to me the following description: She was of medium height, less than 5 feet 2 inches, very slim and proud, with a delicate face, brown hair, and big blue eyes, a handsome woman.

She always had her hair, combed straight down, parted in the middle, straight down at the the ears, and tied by a ribbon in a bow at the back. She was real dressy, and had a beautiful black dress, with a plain waist, high neck and a lace collar.”

“Francis Carter Knight, a daughter of Dominicus Carter, at 84 years of age, described her grandmother  thus: She was short and had a round face, was light-complexioned, and her eyes were a light color. She did not look as old as she really was. Her hair was grey when I knew her. She wore a little lace cap. She had a good education and was always very industrious, keeping her knitting close by, and working when she was what might be considered too old to work.”

                           

“Melissa Carter Bates, another granddaughter of Dominicus, and 79 years old, remembered Hannah, who lived in Melissa’s home in her later years: She was short, and had a round face. She wore a little black lace cap. You could not help but remember her eyes, but you could not be sure of their color. She had a good education. She lived in father’s home when I saw her.”

“Sarah York Tiffany, a great-granddaughter said: Hannah Knight Libby Carter was short and wore a lace cap. Her eyes were blue and her skin was fair. She seemed so white in comparison with my mother’s family, who lived in Arizona and were tanned with the sun. Her eyes were large and seemed so blue that I always remember them, for those in our family had dark eyes. She sat in the chair or on the bed and pieced quilt blocks, and her sewing was neat. She was childish and would cry when left alone very long.”

              The above exhausts what this writer knows about Hannah from contemporary accounts.  If anyone who reads this should happen to have any other first-hand accounts of her, please let us know.  Hopefully this has helped you better picture our ancestor, Hannah Knight Libby Carter. 

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.

LIFE OF JOHN CARTER – Part 9 – THE TALE OF TWO PAPERS IN A TRUNK

There are times life takes unexpected turns, and today’s blog will describe one of those events.  Back in installment 7 of John Carter’s story we discussed the children of John and Hannah and their birth information as recorded by their brother, William Furlsbury Carter, as he recorded this data on his journey home from his mission to India in 1854.  It was described in installment 7 how William most surely copied the information in his letter (the photo of which was previously posted in this blog) from a list that his brother, Philip Libby Carter had written down in 1835.

Philip Libby Carter (1813 - 1876)

                It occurred to me in the past few days to inquire of Joe Conover, our cousin and descendant of Philip Libby Carter, if he might have the original of the Philip Libby Carter list.  With that request begins the Tale of Two Papers in a Trunk.

                None of this story could be described today except for the dogged researching of Leslie A Carter more than 60 years ago.   Even though the John and Hannah family was not his direct line, he was compelled to help research our ancestor’s stories.  His ancestor, Richard Carter Jr (1780 – 1860) was a brother of our John Carter.  This Richard’s son, Varanes Carter (1823 – 1909) moved from Maine and  ended up in Tioga, Illinois, though he was not a member of the LDS Church.  Because of Leslie’s family coming from Hancock County, he was acquainted with the remnants of our family that continued to live there and thus his intense interest in our family.  In 1952 his journeys took him to the home of Mrs. Dora Carter Bolt (the grandmother of Joe Conover) who lived in Lima.   It was on this visit with Dora that she produced two documents for Leslie to view.  For whatever reason Leslie didn’t take a picture of either of these documents.  If he had had his camera with him, I am sure he would have copied them, so he must not have been with camera that day.

                The first of these documents was previously described and the image of its transcription was posted below in the former blog entry.  In 1835 probably about the time of his leaving Maine for Massachusetts made a copy of the family births.   One would think that he might have had access to a family Bible or he interviewed his mother.  In any case he took with him in 1835 a list of the births of his siblings.

                The second of these documents was an 1839 document transcribed by JCS.  It reads as follows:

                                A Family Record

                                Arlotte L. Carter was born May 18 A.D. 1829

                                Lucinda M. Carter was born January 14 A.D. 1831

                                Sidney R. Carter was born August 29 A.D. 1834

                                Lydia Ann Carter was born February 20 A.D. 1838

                                John Carter was born May 19, A.D. 1783

                                Hannah N. Carter was born October 4^th 1786

                Dora Carter Bolt felt that the author JCS was non-other than James Chauncey Snow, Dominicus’ brother-in-law.   The children listed here were 4 of the children of Dominicus Carter and Lydia Smith.  The list is incomplete as it leaves out two children, Barrett and Sarah Emily, who had died previous to 1839.  The mother Lydia herself, died on 24 Oct 1838.  One has to think that the death of Lydia must have precipitated the creation of this list.   Why James Chauncey Snow  wrote this family record and how it ended up in the possession of Dora is unknown.  Regardless it ended up in Dora’s possession probably as a result of the Mormons being driven out of Illinois.  When the LDS part of the family left the area in 1846 or so they may have left some documents with Philip for safe keeping, or it may have been that after the LDS family homes were destroyed, it is possible Philip and others may have searched for things that needed saving.  The Carter Hill home that Philip lived in adjoined the little community of Morleyville so he would have been an eye witness to what happed when the mobs destroyed his father and sibling’s homes.

The Old Deerskin Chest

                In any case after that 1952 viewing by Leslie, these documents were probably returned to the old family trunk where they resided, forgotten and deteriorating until literally yesterday, when Joe Conover was able to locate them.   This trunk – what of it?  This is what Joe wrote about it:  “The chest is 18 inches wide, 10 inches front to back, and 7.5 inches deep on the outside and 5 inches deep inside.  It is deerskin covered.  The only history I know is that from my earliest memory it was always inside a larger trunk in the storeroom at Carter Hill.  My memory says Grandma Bolt said it was her grandfather’s (i.e. Philip Libby Carter).  But my memory deceives me these days.

Inside lid of Chest

There is some old writing on the inside of the lid.  Also some later pencil marks that were probably put there by me or my siblings at some point.  But I can make out the name Ella Dora and an “86”.  There are the words “Trunk of …” but I can’t make out the rest … something like Jerad or Jezeb…  Perhaps this means something to you.  The name Ella Dora sounds familiar. I will send a photo of the inside trunk lid.”

I am not positive who Ella Dora was but Philip Libby Carter did have a daughter Dora Ella Carter who married Oliver Perry Spencer.  They lived and died in the Tioga/Lima area.  The Jerad or Jezeb could possibly be Zebulon as Hannah’s father was Zebulon Libby.  Possibly Hannah had received the chest from her father, and used it to preserve important papers and records.  When the Mormons left Nauvoo it would be likely that this chest would be one of those items that Hannah just couldn’t take with her, so she left it with her son, Philip Libby Carter.  This is all supposition on my part but seems to make sense. 

In any case the old chest sat neglected until June, 2016 when these two treasures were found and through the graciousness of Joe Conover, will be seen by most of our family for the first time in 160 years.

Dominicus Carter Family List of 1839

Philip Libby Carter Family List 1835

 And now you too know the Tale of the Two Papers in the Chest.