Carter Bassett Harrison (1756 – April 18, 1808) was an attorney, planter and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Early life and education

Harrison was born around 1756 at now-historic

Berkeley Plantation Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkele ...

Charles City County, Virginia Charles City County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated southeast of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and west of Jamestown, Virginia, Jamestown. It is ...

(also known as "Harrison's Landing"), the second surviving son of the former Elizabeth Bassett (1730–1792) and her husband,

Benjamin Harrison V Benjamin Harrison V (April 5, 1726April 24, 1791) was an American planter, merchant, and politician who served as a legislator in colonial Virginia, following his namesakes' tradition of public service. He was a signer of the Continental Asso ...

(1726-1791). Both her parents were of the

First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia, or FFV, are a group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia. They descend from European colonists who ...

, wealthy planters who for generations had exercised political and social influence, as well as farmed using enslaved labor. His maternal grandparents were Colonel William Bassett and Elizabeth Churchill, daughter of burgess William Churchill (1649—1710). His name reflects the father of his paternal grandmother (Anne Carter (1702-1791)), Robert ("King") Carter the most powerful and wealthy Virginian of his day, as well as the grandfather of several Virginia governors, including this boy's father. Complicating matters somewhat (and necessitating the middle name use), his uncle Carter Henry Harrison I also served in the Virginia House of Delegates, but represented

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...

(and two descendants with that middle name became powerful politicians, including mayors of Chicago). In any event, before becoming Virginia's governor as the American Revolutionary War ended, this boy's father signed the

American Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

, and later become speaker of the House of Delegates (and represented Charles City County therein) as well as a member of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

. The middle of three sons, Carter Bassett Harrison also had four sisters (three of them older than he). His elder brother Benjamin Harrison VI (1755–1799), trained as a merchant in Philadelphia with the firm of Willing and

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia * St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Man ...

and returned from Europe to become Deputy Paymaster of the Continental Army. Although he like this man served in the Virginia House of Delegates, the family historian considered him self-indulgent and troubled after his wife's death. Their youngest brother,

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

(1773–1841), born shortly before the war began, would become one of the family's most distinguished members, serving as congressional delegate for the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

, and governor of the

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...

before

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

as President of the United States (albeit dying after about a month in that office). Their eldest sister, Lucy Bassett Harrison (1749–1809), married the namesake son of founding father

Peyton Randolph Peyton Randolph (September 10, 1721 – October 22, 1775) was an American politician and planter who was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States. Born into Virginia's Randolph family of Virginia, wealthies ...

). However, possibly because of their father's financial difficulties following the American Revolutionary War, the other three sisters would marry outside the First Families of Virginia. Elizabeth Harrison (1751–1791) married physician William Rickman); Anne Bassett Harrison (1753–1821) married David Coupland, and Sarah Harrison (1770–1812), married John Minge. This Carter Harrison received a private education appropriate to his class before attending the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public university, public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III of England, William III and Queen ...

Revolutionary war

He left college to join the American Army during the Revolution.

Attorney and politician

Following the conflict, Harrison was admitted to the Virginia bar, and would practice law in addition to his political career described below. One of his letters during his representation of William Short survives. Harrison continued his family's political tradition and several times represented Surry County in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

, first winning election in 1784, and serving alongside veteran John Allen, then winning re-election and serving alongside his father Benjamin Harrison before voters replaced both men with John Allen and Lemuel Cocke. While Allen would again and continue to represent Surry County in the House of Delegates alongside various men for several years, Carter Harrison successfully ran for a seat in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

in 1792. He served in Third Congress and won re-election to the next two Congresses, serving from March 4, 1793, to March 3, 1799. Harrison returned to the House of Delegates in 1805, this time representing Prince George County alongside his brother Benjamin and nephew Benjamin Harrison Jr., and both won re-election, thus serving until 1808 when voters instead elected Charles Gee and Allen Temple to represent them.Leonard pp. 241, 245, 249

Personal life

In 1787, in

Surry County, Virginia Surry County is a county in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,561. In 1652, Surry County was formed from the portion of James City County south of the James River. For more tha ...

, Carter married Mary Howell Allen, daughter of William Allen of "

Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...

". Before her death, she bore two sons, William Allen Harrison and Benjamin Carter Harrison, and a daughter, Anna Carter (Harrison) Adams. The Harrisons lived in Surry County. In 1800, Harrison settled in

Prince George County, Virginia Prince George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George. Prince George County is located within the Greater Richmond Region of the U.S. sta ...

at Maycox, along the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

. Rep. Harrison's second wife was Jane Byrd, daughter of Colonel

William Byrd II William Byrd II (March 28, 1674August 26, 1744) was an American planter, lawyer, surveyor and writer. Born in the English colony of Virginia, Byrd was educated in London, where he practiced law. Upon his father's death, Byrd returned to Virginia ...

Westover Plantation Westover Plantation is a historic colonial tidewater plantation located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, United States. Established c. 1730–1750, it is the homestead of the Byrd family of Virginia. S ...

. There were no children by this union.

Death and legacy

Harrison died in

on April 18, 1808, survived by his widow. Carter's burial location is now lost, but he was probably buried at his old plantation, "Maycox," in Prince George County. Jane Byrd Harrison died about 1813. His grandnephew

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

, became the 23rd President.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Carter Bassett 1750s births 1808 deaths Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Carter Bassett 18th-century American planters People from Charles City County, Virginia College of William & Mary alumni Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 18th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly