The Carter Family have proved quite a challenge to research. For example, they rarely appear in the IGI records of baptisms and marriages. I have therefore had to get out of my chair and get down to some real research in record offices and local history libraries, mainly in London. The result has been that I have ended up with a wealth of information on several generations of my Carter ancestors.

My father has written several accounts of his experiences as a Royal Navy Lieutenant in the Second World War, so that has been very useful. He has also written an article for the  Horological Journal about his days as an apprentice watchmaker.

My grandfather Stanley Cyril Carter left a war diary, in which he wrote an account of the 560 (Hants) Company's part in the First World War. Trinity House also provided me with their records, which enabled me to trace the details of his career as a civil engineer up until he retired as Deputy Engineer-in-Chief at Trinity House.

The name of my great grandfather Frederick Houston Carter was completely unknown to me before I began my research. I found out by chance that he had been a London County Councillor for Lewisham. I went to Lewisham Library and searched through the local newspaper to see if there was any mention of his death. I found two articles - a detailed obituary and a full description of his funeral. There was even a 'cartoon' portrait of him in one edition of the paper. There are also several photographs of him and his home at Sydenham.

I went to the Guildhall Library in search of his father Frederick William Carter and found out that as a tea broker's clerk, he had applied for the Freedom of the City of London. I also found  that as a broker he had fallen into arrears of his broker's rents and subsequently gone bankrupt. I visited his grave at West Norwood Cemetery and found that he shared it with not one but two women - his wife and a lady called Georgina Houston. I pieced together the story behind it, which explained how his son had 'Houston' as his middle name. You can read the article I wrote about this for Practical Family History magazine by clicking here.

I must thank Janet Luffingham, daughter of Walter Noel Carter and grand daughter of Frederick Houston Carter, for giving me the clue that led to uncovering the next generation back. She has a note written at 'Burnage' in Lawrie Park Avenue, which mentioned an 'old Mr Carter', who had died at Blackfriars about October 1842. That note enabled me to find Alfred Carter, staymaker, and his wife Charlotte Sophia. It also mentioned that he was buried in Fulham churchyard. I found out through London Directories and Alfred's will how they had been running two businesses - stay making and boot making. I uncovered the tragic story of how Alfred and his wife died within a year of each other, leaving their two young boys orphaned.

Finally, My wife and I went to visit Alfred's grave in Fulham Churchyard to find that he was not alone. There was his wife Sophia and his father and mother, Richard and Ann Carter. I am still trying to find out exactly who Richard and Ann were. There are several possibilities thrown up by parish records, but no certainties. I would also like to find out more about their other son William, who also seems to have been a stay maker and boot maker and who was supposed to have looked after Alfred's sons when he died.

Unfortunately, the answers are most likely to be found in one of the many record offices to be found in London. If only I lived in London I could get more done!

Fortunately, I have now made contact with another Carter family history researcher. Colin Carter is a descendant of my great grandfather's brother Walter Thomas Carter. He has his own family history website, which is listed below.

Brief Summary

Other Carter Researchers

Colin Carter

Colin Carter's website  www.carter-history.com