This book represents an effort to locate and trace the descendants of ALEXANDER CARTER from the time of his emigration to Chester County, South Carolina until the present time. I feel that a great portion of Alexander's life was spent in another area before it can be established that he was the owner of a farm in Chester County. Deeds show him buying land in Mecklenburg County, Virginia as early as 1771. Alexander's Chester County farm consisted of 212½ acres and was located about 9 miles northeast of Chester, the county seat of Chester County. Alexander's sons and grandsons owned farms adjoining his. His home was in the same community shared by WILLIAM and JAMES MCKINNEY who are ancestors of our Carroll County, Tennessee MCKINNEY's.
The intermarriage of the MCKINNEY
and CARTER families began as far back as the 1700's when MARY CARTER, daughter
of ALEXANDER CARTER married WILLIAM MCKINNEY. This WILLIAM is believed
to be the son of WILLIAM MCKINNEY and BARBARA CULP, but this is not proven..
Intermarriages have continued to take place since ALEXANDER's son emigrated
to Carroll County, Tennessee.
More on Alexander Carter
On one of our trips to Chester
County, my husband and I found an account of visits by bishop FRANCIS ASBURY,
a prominent early Methodist founder, to some meeting houses in Chester
county in the winter of 1789.
Bishop ASBURY says in his journal, "We traveled a barren path and came to ALEXANDER CARTER's upon Fishing Creek, a journey of about thirty miles. He stopped with ROBERT WALKER on his way from SEELLY's to CARTER's." This was the second of the three churches referred to.
"It was at the CARTER's that Bishop CAPERS, in the first year of his ministry had some very dramatic experiences. However, he says of this church, "Afterward to the close of the year, there was no place where my ministry was more favored than at CARTER's.. This seems to have been a strong church. CARTER's was located about three miles north of the present town of Fort Lawn and was in the northeastern section of the county."
The third meeting house was HEATH's. Bishop ASBURY says he had preached to about four hundred souls at WAXHAW's and came to HEATH's where he found a ‘Log cabin scarcely fit for a stable.' This cabin was located on Fishing Creek near Great Falls. It got its name from WILLIAM HEATH.
CARTER's and HEATH's were combined in the twenties into a congregation called Union. This location was near CARTER's but between the two places. Later this church was divided to form the present Methodist Churches of El Bethel and Mount Prospect.
Alexander's wife was named ANNA. I suspect that her maiden name was ANNA MINSKIPE as their middle names.
ALEXANDER CARTER's will states that he a ANNA had the following children: MARY MCKINNEY, ELIZABETH WHITE, RIVES, THOMAS, ALEXANDER, JOHN, JESSE, and REUBEN; a total of three daughters and five sons. Three of his sons, THOMAS, REUBEN, and JOHN, emigrated to Tennessee in 1830. Deeds in South Carolina indicated hat THOMAS and REUBEN sold land in South Carolina in February 1827 and December 1829. After ALEXANDER's death, THOMAS and REUBEN settled in the southern part of Carroll County near Carter's Chapel in the fifth district. Thee they remained until they died. John moved on to Missouri where he remained until he died. I have traced as well as I could, the family of THOMAS and REUBEN.
We are assuming that ALEXANDER and ANNA are buried on the farm they lived on in the north eastern part of Chester County, South Carolina.