Thomas Carter

Black male, born about 1863. He was around 60 years old and was widowed at the time of his death at 6:00 a.m. on 15 July 1923 in Pensacola, Florida. He died on East Bobe Street, between 11th and 12th streets. He had lived in Pensacola for 40 years by the time he died. He worked as a cook. He was born in Alabama, as were his father, Thomas Carter, and his mother, Dorcas Jackson. The informant on his death certificate was Virginia Copeland of 513 N. E Street. His cause of death was mitral regurgitation with parenchymatous nephritis as a contributing cause. His death certificate was isgned by Dr. V.R. Nobles. He was buried by F.R. Pou in the Escambia County Poor Farm cemetery.

Thomas Carter’s biography is clearer nearer his death than in his youth, so I have worked backward with him.

He appeared in the 1921 Pensacola City Directory, living at 223 N. Oliva and working as a laborer. In 1919, Thomas Carter, laborer, lived at the rear of 813 South G Street. In 1916, Thomas Carter lived at 1212 N. Cevallos. There is no Thomas Carter listed in the Pensacola City Directory in 1913. In 1911, a Thomas Carter worked as a porter for M. Jacoby, no address given. There is no Thomas Carter listed in the 1910 Directory. In 1909, a Thomas Carter is listed as an officer of the US Navy, and appears to be white. In 1908, this same officer is listed, along with a Thomas Carter, a man of color, working as a waiter at the Old Mill Inn. There is no listing for him in 1907. In 1905, a Thomas Carter is listed working as a drayman and living at 1208 W. Gonzalez St. In 1903, Thomas Carter worked as a laborer and lived at 512. W. Strong St. In the 1898 Directory, Thomas Carter worked at Stratton Ice Works, and lived on Babcock near D St.  In the 1890 Directory, Thomas Carter was a laborer who lived at the east end of Gregory St. In the 1885 directory (the earliest extant Pensacola City Directory), Thomas Carter, laborer, lived at the east end of Gregory St.

The next earliest record in which I found Thomas was the 1880 U.S. Census for Pensacola, FL. His name was given as “Thomas C. Jackson.” He lived in the home of Andrew Jackson at 245 Wright Street. This census gives his birthplace as Mississippi rather than Alabama, though it indicates both of his parents were born in Alabama. He was 15 years old at the time of the census and he did not work outside of the home. Andrew was 38 and worked as a laborer, though he had apparently been unemployed for 4 months out of that year. He was unable to read or write. He was born in Alabama of two parents born in Alabama. His wife Dorcas, was 30 and was a homemaker. She was also unable to read or write, and was born in Alabama of two parents born in Alabama.

I do not find Thomas Carter (or Thomas Jackson in the household of Dorcas Jackson) before this census – or indeed, in Thomas’ case, after this census.

Dorcas may have been married to Thomas Carter as a very young woman, but I have not found a marriage record for them. Neither have I identified Thomas Carter, the father of the subject Thomas Carter. I find a marriage record in Quitman County, Mississippi for 13 July 1889 for Mrs. Dorcus Carter and Andrew B. Jackson, both people of color. The date contradicts other records – including the 1880 census – and I am skeptical of the sudden location change; however, it would not be impossible for this to be Thomas’ mother and stepfather.

Dorcas appears in the 1898 Pensacola City Directory. She worked as a cook and lived at 709 N. Barcelona St. In the 1890 Directory, a Mrs. Darkus Jackson, laundress, lived at Barcelona above Jackson St.  Andrew Jackson worked as a laborer and lived at 524 N. Coyle.  In 1885, Mrs. Darkus Jackson’s listing was the same as in 1890, but Andew Jackson, laborer, lived at the corner of DeVilliers and Wright St.

A newspaper article in the Pensacola News for February 24, 1897 reported that a small roof fire had been put out by the fire department the evening previous at a house occupation by Dorcas Jackson on North Barcelona St. The article said the house had “caught from sparks” and were extinguished using buckets of water. “The damage was trifling.”

A Dorcas Jackson was ennumerated in the 1900 U.S. Census for Wilcox County, Alabama, living in Pine Apple. She gave her age as 65 (born March 1847) and her marital status as widowed. She indicated she had given birth to one child, who was still sliving, and that she was born in Alabama. Also in her household was a son, whose name appears to be Come E., born August 1879 in Alabama of two parents born in Alabama. Both were farm laborers. While Dorcas Jackson was not a common name – and Pine Apple is not terribly far from Pensacola – given the abrupt location shift and sudden appearance of a son who is not Thomas, I am skeptical that this is the same woman.

Pensacola City Death Records show a Dorcas Jackson, a 52-year-old woman of color, died of heart disease on 27 October 1902. She was born in Alabama, had lived in the city of 18 years, and worked as a cook. She was buried by J.E. Wolfe at Zion Cemetery.

 

SOURCESS:

Florida Certificate of Death for Thomas Carter (No. 8359), Florida Deaths, 1877-1939. Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Marriage Record of Dorcus Carter and Andrew B. Jackon. Marriage Records of Quitman County, Mississippi. V. O, 1 1877 – 1899 (colored), p. 217. FamilySearch.org, accessed 31 AUG 2024.

The Pensacola News (Pensacola, FL). 24 FEB 1897, p. 2.

Death Record of Dorcas Jackson, Pensacola births and deaths, 1891-1910, Escambia County (Florida) Health Department. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.