Jimmy Carter Family in Wrightsboro
Article Written by Lewis Smith
JIMMY’S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER WILEY CARTER
You know Jimmy Carter is a direct descendent of Thomas Ansley. President Jimmy Carter is the son of James Earl Carter, Sr., the son of William Archibald Carter, the son of Littleberry Walker Carter, the son of Ann Ansley, the daughter of Abel Ansley, the son of Thomas Ansley, Sr. of the Rock House.
But Jimmy is also a direct descendant of Kindred Carter of old Wrightsborough. President Jimmy Carter is the son of James Earl Carter, Sr., the son of William Archibald Carter, the son of Littleberry Walker Carter, the son of Wiley Carter, the son of James Carter, the son of Kindred Carter who settled along Little Germany Creek.
In the early 1700s, the Thomas Cox, William Ansley, Lewis Morris and John Duckworth families lived in Monmouth County, NJ (near Philadelphia). Isaac Carter’s family lived in Hertford County, NC (60m SW of Norfolk). Joseph Maddock’s family lived in Orange County, NC near Hillsborough.
In 1768, Ansley brothers Thomas, William and Benjamin arrived in Wrightsborough from Hillsborough with Joseph Maddock’s Quakers. Wrightsborough was in old Warren County at that time. By mid-1772 those other families had also moved here, all settling on adjoining farms. Brothers of one clan married sisters of another. They were inseparable. James Carter married Nellie Duckworth in old Columbia County in 1798 and moved to a 500 acre plantation along White’s Creek 4 miles north of Thomson. James was a cotton planter, farmer and a Baptist. That was no big deal; only one-third of the residents of Wrightsborough were Quakers.
Their son Wiley married Ann Ansley, the granddaughter of Thomas Ansley, in 1821 and moved to Warren County on the west side of Rocky Comfort Creek near Gibson (now Glascock County). Wiley owned another 400 acres on the east side of the creek and farmed both plantations, raising corn and oats. Wiley and Ann had eleven children, all born in old Warren County. Warren and Columbia Counties bordered each other until 1870 when McDuffie was carved from them.
Four miles east of Wiley lived Carroll Usry, another prosperous farmer and a slave trader. Usry publicly accused Wiley’s wife Ann of adultery which, for some crazy reason, caused bad blood. One of Usry’s slaves was a perfect specimen, and Usry would take him to a faraway slave auction and sell him for $1,000 in gold. The slave would soon run away and return to Usry’s plantation where he was treated royally. Usry would then take him to another auction house in a few months and sell him again. The slave-selling scam was eventually discovered, and Wiley, who was a deputy under Sheriff Augustus Beall (Beall Springs near Jewell) swore out a warrant and joined the Sheriff’s posse.
When the posse arrived at Usry’s place, it was dark. Wiley shouted out to Usry, his bitter enemy, to come on out peacefully, or they’d come in to get him, dead or alive. Usry loaded his gun, and the two men began cussing and threatening each other. Usry said he was coming out at daybreak to send Wiley “to Hell akicking.” Daylight came; Usry opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Wiley was waiting for him a few yards away. Usry raised his gun, and Wiley happily shot him dead. At the trial in Warrenton in April 1844, Wiley was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.
In 1849 Jimmy’s great-great-grandfather Wiley owned 29 slaves and 5,642 acres in eleven Georgia counties. When he died in 1864, he left $22,000 ($300,000 today) to each of his 12 children: all in Confederate money, soon to be worthless.
Wiley Carter was a tough man, as were Jimmy’s great-grandfather Littleberry and his grandfather Billy who were both killed in the prime of life in disputes with business acquaintances. But Jimmy’s mother Miss Lillian was almost as rough. A Northern news reporter interviewed Lillian during Jimmy’s presidential campaign and started making light of Lillian’s religious beliefs. She asked if Lillian had ever told a lie and would that keep her from going to Heaven. Well, Lillian said, “In the South we only tell little white lies that don’t hurt anybody.” The reporter asked, “Just what is a little white lie?” Lillian looked her in the eye and said, “Remember when I met you at the airport, and I said it was so good to see you? That was a little white lie.”
But Jimmy is also a direct descendant of Kindred Carter of old Wrightsborough. President Jimmy Carter is the son of James Earl Carter, Sr., the son of William Archibald Carter, the son of Littleberry Walker Carter, the son of Wiley Carter, the son of James Carter, the son of Kindred Carter who settled along Little Germany Creek.
In the early 1700s, the Thomas Cox, William Ansley, Lewis Morris and John Duckworth families lived in Monmouth County, NJ (near Philadelphia). Isaac Carter’s family lived in Hertford County, NC (60m SW of Norfolk). Joseph Maddock’s family lived in Orange County, NC near Hillsborough.
In 1768, Ansley brothers Thomas, William and Benjamin arrived in Wrightsborough from Hillsborough with Joseph Maddock’s Quakers. Wrightsborough was in old Warren County at that time. By mid-1772 those other families had also moved here, all settling on adjoining farms. Brothers of one clan married sisters of another. They were inseparable. James Carter married Nellie Duckworth in old Columbia County in 1798 and moved to a 500 acre plantation along White’s Creek 4 miles north of Thomson. James was a cotton planter, farmer and a Baptist. That was no big deal; only one-third of the residents of Wrightsborough were Quakers.
Their son Wiley married Ann Ansley, the granddaughter of Thomas Ansley, in 1821 and moved to Warren County on the west side of Rocky Comfort Creek near Gibson (now Glascock County). Wiley owned another 400 acres on the east side of the creek and farmed both plantations, raising corn and oats. Wiley and Ann had eleven children, all born in old Warren County. Warren and Columbia Counties bordered each other until 1870 when McDuffie was carved from them.
Four miles east of Wiley lived Carroll Usry, another prosperous farmer and a slave trader. Usry publicly accused Wiley’s wife Ann of adultery which, for some crazy reason, caused bad blood. One of Usry’s slaves was a perfect specimen, and Usry would take him to a faraway slave auction and sell him for $1,000 in gold. The slave would soon run away and return to Usry’s plantation where he was treated royally. Usry would then take him to another auction house in a few months and sell him again. The slave-selling scam was eventually discovered, and Wiley, who was a deputy under Sheriff Augustus Beall (Beall Springs near Jewell) swore out a warrant and joined the Sheriff’s posse.
When the posse arrived at Usry’s place, it was dark. Wiley shouted out to Usry, his bitter enemy, to come on out peacefully, or they’d come in to get him, dead or alive. Usry loaded his gun, and the two men began cussing and threatening each other. Usry said he was coming out at daybreak to send Wiley “to Hell akicking.” Daylight came; Usry opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Wiley was waiting for him a few yards away. Usry raised his gun, and Wiley happily shot him dead. At the trial in Warrenton in April 1844, Wiley was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.
In 1849 Jimmy’s great-great-grandfather Wiley owned 29 slaves and 5,642 acres in eleven Georgia counties. When he died in 1864, he left $22,000 ($300,000 today) to each of his 12 children: all in Confederate money, soon to be worthless.
Wiley Carter was a tough man, as were Jimmy’s great-grandfather Littleberry and his grandfather Billy who were both killed in the prime of life in disputes with business acquaintances. But Jimmy’s mother Miss Lillian was almost as rough. A Northern news reporter interviewed Lillian during Jimmy’s presidential campaign and started making light of Lillian’s religious beliefs. She asked if Lillian had ever told a lie and would that keep her from going to Heaven. Well, Lillian said, “In the South we only tell little white lies that don’t hurt anybody.” The reporter asked, “Just what is a little white lie?” Lillian looked her in the eye and said, “Remember when I met you at the airport, and I said it was so good to see you? That was a little white lie.”
