Carr Family History

The Migration Period 1830 to 1850

In December 1819, Alabama became the twenty-second state in the Union of States. It is not known when the Carr family first came to Alabama. It might have been prior to the Mississippi territory being divided into the states of Mississippi (1817) and Alabama. Perhaps they were in the territory before it earned statehood, when Indians roamed the country side. Or, perhaps it was statehood and the relative security that statehood would presumably bring to the fertile land that was heretofore relatively unpopulated. The earliest we can place the family in Alabama is with the birth of George Miller Carr in 1822.

By 1830 Alabama’s population was 309,527 people. Of these, 190,406 were white settlers and 117,549 were black slaves, while 1,572 were free blacks.

The 1830 census for Alabama reveals that there were twenty-seven families named Carr living in thirteen counties. A listing of the 1830 head of household and the make-up of each of these families by county can be viewed by selecting the link provided. The 1830 Alabama census will open in a new window, thus preserving your place in the migration of the Carr family.

By 1840 the population of Alabama had grown to 590,756 of which 335,185 were white, 253,532 were black slaves and 2,039 were free blacks. Of the white population, the urban population was reported at 12,672 and the rural population totaled 578,084. Thus, it is obvious that the majority of early settlers were farmers seeking land on which to raise their crops and provide sustenance to their families.

In the 1840 census for Alabama there were forty-one families with the name Carr living in Alabama. A breakdown by county of these families can be viewed by selecting the link provided. The 1840 Alabama census will be displayed in a new window.

In 1840 George Miller Carr came of age. Sometime during the year 1840 George Miller Carr celebrated his eighteenth birthday. And it was about this time that some information about George began to surface.

In 1841 George marries Lucy Ann Brown. He is but nineteen years of age. The Itawamba County Marriage Book, 1830-1844 for Itawamba County, Mississippi shows that George M. Carr and Lucy Ann Brown were married in the county on 4 December 1841 by Louis Collins, Justice of the Peace. There is no evidence that George Miller Carr was living in Mississippi at the time. Indeed, it is believed that he was living in a rural part of western Marion County, Alabama in 1840 and that he crossed the state line with his bride to be married. The family is believed to have lived close to the Mississippi state line and it was closer to go to Mississippi to find a populated place than to go east in search of a larger settlement. As a matter of note, there were not any Carr families living in Itawamba County, Mississippi in 1840 when the Federal census was taken or in 1841 when the state census for Mississippi was taken.

Martha Carr, daughter and first child of George and Lucy Carr is born in 1842 in Alabama. Named after her grandmother or her great-grandmother? The second child and first son, James Robert Carr, is born to George and Lucy Carr in Alabama on 16 September 1847. The name of the first born son ,James Robert, would seem to provide a significant clue to the name of George's father. Perhaps named after his respective grandfathers?

About this time (1843-1844), perhaps not too distant from the Carr household, Mary M. McDonald was born to a Mr. McDonald and Aminda Pullen McDonald. Mr. McDonald would die sometime within the next two to three years leaving Aminda a widow with a young daughter to raise.

In 1846 George Miller Carr was issued a land patent certificate No. 19,567. Dated 10 July 1846, it was for a parcel of land located in Marion County, Alabama. The parcel of land is described as the North West quarter of Section 25, Township 10, Range 16 West containing 159 acres and 96/100's of an acre. View the land patent issued to George Miller Carr.

The land description reads as follows:

...according to the provision of two several treaties with the Chickasaw Indians, dated October 20th, 1832, and May 24th, 1834, the Act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled "An Act making further provision for the Sale of the Public Lands," and the several Acts of Congress supplemental thereto, for the North West quarter of section Twenty-five, in fractional Township Ten, of Range Sixteen, West of Huntsville, lying in Alabama, in the District of lands subject to sale at Pontotoc, Mississippi, containing one hundred and fifty nine acres and ninety six hundredths of an acre.
                                                          10 July 1846

It has been determined that the property is indeed located in Marion County, Alabama. And it is very close to the Mississippi State line. The land is located south of present day Highway 78 which runs southeast to northwest in direction. The site of the property is south of the Mt. Zion Church and north of the location of the Concord Cemetery. The nearest town of any size would have been Fulton, Itawamba County, Mississippi.

Marion County, Alabama Map

The issuance of a land patent may have indicated George Miller Carr's intention to settle permanently in Marion County, near the home of his wife's parents. But, within two years of the land purchase, Lucy Ann Brown Carr would pass away leaving George with two children under the age of six. It is not known how or when Lucy died, but it is possible that she died in child-birth in September 1847. Then, as now, things have a way of happening that change our lives in ways unimagined.

A short time after the death of his first wife, Lucy Ann, George marries the widow McDonald. The exact date of this marriage or where it took place is not yet clear, but it was likely some time in the year 1848. George would have been twenty-six and the new Mrs. Carr would have been twenty-five. George had two children, Martha, age 6, and James Robert, age 1 year. Aminda Pullen McDonald had one child, Mary M. McDonald, age 4. It was clearly a marriage of convenience, if not love. Hopefully, if they were not in love when they wed, then surely they fell in love in the intervening years. It is certain sure that George and Aminda were still living together in 1880 in Attala County, Mississippi and close by were many of their children and grandchildren.

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In 1850 we find George and his family living in Itawamba County, Mississippi. And, it is through the 1850 census that we get our first real look at the family.

Rather than clarifying the information and speculation, the 1850 Federal census presents us with a conundrum.

Conundrum (Ka nun' dram) n. [pseudo]
1). a riddle whose answer contains a pun
2). any puzzling problem.

On the 1850 U. S. Federal census for Itawamba County, Mississippi, two families with the surname Carr are shown living in adjacent households, as follows:

1850 U. S. Federal Census

State: Mississippi County: Itawamba District: 7 Page: 398

Dwelling Family Name Age Sex Occupation Birthplace

271 271 Charles Carr 43 M Shoemaker N.C.

Martha Carr 76 F Va

Margaret Carr 25 F N.C.

272 272 George Carr 28 M Farmer Ala

Aminda Carr 27 F Ala

Martha Carr 8 F Ala

Mary Carr 6 F Ala

James Carr 3 M Ala

Henry Carr 1 M Miss

Two separate adjacent households. It is apparent that all these individuals share some relationship. There are a couple of things to consider which have been revealed through research. Aminda, it has been determined, is George's second wife. He married his first wife, Lucy Brown on 4 December 1841 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Martha, age 8 and James Robert, age 3 were issues of that union. Although Lucy Carr's grave site has not been located, one could speculate that she died in childbirth (James Robert), in 1847. And, if not, then shortly thereafter.

A word about the spelling of Aminda's name. Although one would think that it is properly spelled Amanda, three separate censuses show the spelling as Aminda. It is believed that Aminda was Aminda Pullen McDonald Carr. Prior to marrying George Miller Carr she was married to a man by the name McDonald and Mary M. McDonald is the child to be born to that marriage. Mary, George's step daughter is shown on the 1850 census, age 6. Note that she is not shown as Mary McDonald. The enumerator assumed that her name was Carr and the person giving the information did not make it clear that Mary was a step-daughter named McDonald. James Robert is shown as James, age 3 years. Henry (Henry Alexander), is the first born son of George and Aminda. Take note that Henry is shown to be one year old and is shown to have been born in Mississippi. The place of birth will become an issue for all of George and Aminda's children. Based on the fact that James Robert was 3 in 1850 and Henry was 1, it would appear that Lucy died around 1847, and that George and Aminda were subsequently married in 1848 or early 1849. However, no record of this marriage could be found in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Perhaps they were married in Marion County, Alabama. Noteworthy is the fact that George's first born was named Martha. Named for his mother?, his grandmother? At any rate, this household is made up of a father, mother and four children under the age of nine.

The other Carr household is much more difficult to analyze. Charles, age 43, is shown to be the sole bread-winner (shoemaker), in the household. Martha at age 76 could easily be his widowed mother. Margaret, however, is eighteen years younger than Charles and could be his daughter. Martha would have been 51 years of age when Margaret was born and could be her mother, but it doesn't seem likely. By the same token, Martha would have been 48 when George was born, and although she could possibly be his mother, it doesn't seem likely. Charles and George have fifteen years between their births so Charles would have only been 15 when George was born. So it does not seem likely that George is Charles' son. If they were brothers, why would there be so many years between their births? George and Margaret might be brother and sister and they could possibly be first cousins to Charles. Martha Miller Carr could be George and Margaret's aunt. Or, she could be George and Margaret's grandmother. If Charles were her son, then Charles would be an uncle to George and Margaret. Or, perhaps Margaret is Charles daughter. Then we have a scenario that has a single man, a widower and the bread-winner, with his elderly widowed mother and his daughter living with him.

But, of course, this is all pure speculation. Just one possible conclusion that might be drawn from the facts known. But, the question remains; is it possible that Martha is the mother of all three, Charles, George and Margaret? Well, I suppose it is possible, but...

Of course, to further confuse the issue, as previously indicated, George and Lucy named their first child, a daughter, Martha. For his mother? For her Mother? Or perhaps for the woman who raised him and his sister after the death of his parents.

Speculation is the ban of genealogist everywhere. But it's my web site and the scenario that I think is most plausible goes something like this: Martha is the grandmother of George and Margaret. Charles we will presume is her youngest son who is a widower and is Margaret's father. In other words, Charles' older brother was George's father. By 1850 George's mother, father and grandfather are dead. George is now living with his second wife and four children in one dwelling (perhaps only temporarily) and his grandmother, first cousin and uncle live in the other residence. Charles may have relocated from North Carolina with his daughter and elderly mother to Itawamba County, Mississippi. George and his new wife and four children were living in Alabama just prior to the 1850 census. They moved on west a short time later. They were in Itawamba for only a short time. Perhaps they paused in Itawamba only because his uncle and grandmother were there. The relationships can not be ascertained until we find George's parents. And that's where it stands.

Yes, all this begs the need for going back to the 1840 census images. But, no, Charles Carr, although 33 years of age in 1840 does not appear as head of household in Itawamba County, Mississippi or in any county in Alabama. Nor did Charles Carr show up in North Caroline in the 1840 census for that state. George would have been 18 and unmarried and likely living in the household of his father, if his father was living. So we need a household with an 18 year old male and possibly a 15 year old girl, if Margaret is his sister. Also in the household could be their mother. Charles could also be in the house. Martha? Well sure she might be in the house as well. That changes the Alabama Carr household considerably. Or not! Charles has not been found in the 1840 census anywhere as head of household. Therefore, he had to be in the household of someone else that was considered head of household. Probably his father. Perhaps he never married. Perhaps we should...

In April 1846 the 'Donner Party', a large group of families; men, women and children consisting of over two hundred wagons formed a party of immigrants that departed Independence, Missouri in route to California. The train extended for a distance of two miles. They had a difficult time crossing the Great Salt Lake and paused at Truckee, California to recoup and gain strength for the passage over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They arrived at a small lake on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where they were trapped by an early snow fall. They could not retreat eastward nor could they proceed west. They were short on supplies and desparate. A small party set out on foot to find help. Finally, in April, 1847 a search party that had departed from Sutter's Fort, Sacramento, California reached what was left of the party. Of the original ninety souls only 48 survived. The lake was later named Donner Lake and the area is now known as Truckee, California. The California Gold Rush would begin in 1849 and thousands would chance the trek across the plains and mountains in search of their fortune in California.
In 1850 Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law, requiring that people who had escaped enslavement be returned to their owners.
In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes "Uncle Tom's Cabin", a novel about the cruelty of enslavement, increasing the desire of many northerners to abolish enslavement in the United States. The book was widely read in both the North and South and was the topic of discussion for a number of years as the question of slavery was debated at every level of humanity.
The next section begins with the year 1860 and follows the migration of the Carr family from Alabama to Mississippi. To continue the journey, select "Migration Continued" from the choices below:
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