1820. I believe both of Lewis' parents have died; the guardian for he and his sisters is his uncle John Carroll. The 1820 Census lists the household of John Carroll which includes himself age 45+, his wife presumably age 26-45 and these younger persons: 1 male under 10, 3 10-16, 1 16-26 (who is also 16-18) and 3 females under 10, 2 10-16 and 1 16-26. The youngest of these children are no doubt John’s own but Lewis age 12 and his two sisters seem quite possibly to be present too.

1840. Lewis Carroll lives in Sampson County. He is 30-40, his wife 20-30. Two very young females and one very young male live with them as do one female 15-20 and one female 60-70. The latter, I believe, is possibly Priscilla Bass, Catherine Elizabeth's grandmother.

1850. Lewis is listed in Sampson County as age 40, a farmer with 16 slaves. His wife Catharine, age 30, is living with him and daughters 14-year-old Mary, and 12-year-old Rachel and five other children.

1860. Lewis Carroll, farmer, age 52 lives in Turkey District, Sampson County. His wife Catherine (nee Lamb, as annotated for Sampson County) is 42. Nine children are present in the household, but not daughter Mary who has married and moved out. Rebecca 16, Francis M 20, James L 18, Amma B 14, George W 10, William J 8, C F 6, H S 2, Maria A 11 (?). Immediately next door is Rebecca Lamb 72.

1870. He is there with "Kate" in the 1870 Census, he is now 62, she 52.

Here are the directions to the Carroll Cemetery. Take 421 South out of Clinton for 1 mile, turn left at Bill Peterson farm, go 7 miles, turn right for 3 miles. Lewis Carroll 24 Mar 1808 - Aug 1873 (since his will was proved in Nov 1872, I think they meant Aug 1872); Catherine Carroll 1 Nov 1818 - Apr 1906. Also buried here is Margaret Bundy 1820-1882.

LDS Film 553554. Deed books 35-36. In three separate deeds dated 3 Nov 1868, Lewis and Catherine Carroll give land to their three sons: Francis M, James L and Amma B. All lots are described as on the East side of Six Runs on or near the run of Big Branch. 133 acres to Francis, 105 to James and 125 acres to Amma B.

LDS film 1578983, Original NC Wills. The will of Lewis Carroll was written 16 Jul 1872. He leaves most everything to wife Eliza (also said to be Catherine E) during her natural life or widowhood and then after that: to son George W the land above the road on Clear Run Branch adjoining A B Carroll's land. To son William J land adjoining G W Carroll's. To son C Tate land adjoining Wm J Carroll and others. To three youngest sons: Geo W, Wm J and Cornelius T furnishings. Other personal property to his two daughters: Rebecca P Merriman and Moriah A Southerland. As to the rest of his children: Mary E Croom, Rachel C Royal, Frank M, James L and Amma B -- have already been taken care of.

24 Mar 1808. Lewis Carroll was born, according to his tombstone. He was born in Sampson County, the son of Jesse Carroll Jr. and Margaret Merritt.

5 Jan 1832. Lewis married Catherine Elizabeth Lamb.

Census tells his story.

1820. I believe both of Lewis' parents have died; the guardian for he and his sisters is his uncle John Carroll. The 1820 Census lists the household of John Carroll which includes himself age 45+, his wife presumably age 26-45 and these younger persons: 1 male under 10, 3 10-16, 1 16-26 and 3 females under 10, 2 10-16 and 1 16-26. The youngest of these children are no doubt John’s own but it seems quite possible Lewis age 12 and his two sisters are present too.

1840. Lewis Carroll lives in Sampson County. He is 30-40, his wife 20-30. Two very young females and one very young male live with them as do a couple f extra females.

1850. Lewis is listed in Sampson County as age 40, a farmer with 16 slaves. His wife Catharine, age 30, is living with him and daughters 14-year-old Mary, and 12-year-old Rachel and five other children.

1860. Lewis Carroll, farmer, age 52 lives in Turkey District, Sampson County. His wife Catherine (nee Lamb, as annotated for Sampson County) is 42. Nine children are present in the household, but not daughter Mary who has married and moved out. Rebecca 16, Francis M 20, James L 18, Amma B 14, George W 10, William J 8, C F 6, H S 2, and Maria A 11 (?).

1870. He is there with "Kate" in the 1870 Census, he is now 62, she 52.

1868. In three separate deeds dated 3 Nov 1868, Lewis and Catherine Carroll give land to their three sons: Francis M, James L and Amma B. All lots are described as on the East side of Six Runs on or near the run of Big Branch. 133 acres to Francis, 105 to James and 125 acres to Amma B.

16 Jul 1872. Lewis wrote his will which was then probated 16 Nov 1872. He leaves most everything to wife Eliza (also said to be Catherine E) during her natural life or widowhood and then after that: to son George W the land above the road on Clear Run Branch adjoining A B Carroll's land. To son William J land adjoining G W Carroll's. To son C Tate land adjoining Wm J Carroll and others. To three youngest sons: Geo W, Wm J and Cornelius T furnishings. Other personal property to his two daughters: Rebecca P Merriman and Moriah A Southerland. As to the rest of his children: Mary E Croom, Rachel C Royal, Frank M, James L and Amma B -- he says they have already been taken care of.

Aug 1873 is given for his date of death (according to the tombstone transcription). I think he died Aug 1872 since his will proved later that year.

The family cemetery where Lewis is buried is located west of a county road a little west and parallel to Six Runs and I believe Lewis Carroll spent his entire life living in that immediate area. I think I have pretty accurate directions as to how to find that cemetery but have never been able to find it including having driven round the fields at that location, off-road.

I believe the life of Lewis Carroll can be well documented and there is no question he was the son of Jesse Carroll Jr. and father of Mary Eliza Carroll and husband of Catherine Elizabeth Lamb.

Lewis Carroll was born 24 Mar 1808 in Sampson County where he lived his entire life and was a farmer. This birth date is given in a transcription of his tombstone and the date of Aug 1873 is given for his date of death (according to the transcription). I think he died Aug 1872 since his will proved later that year. Lewis married Catherine Elizabeth Lamb 5 Jan 1832.

An LDS citation for Lewis also says 24 Mar 1808.

His will was written 16 Jul 1872 and probated 16 Nov 1872. He provides for his wife Eliza, 6 sons and 2 daughters and then mentions 3 more daughters and two more sons, already provided for. One of the latter daughters is Mary E Croom.

A Sampson County book with tombstone transcriptions gives the location of the Lewis Carroll cemetery. I am certain we have found it, but it is back a dirt road to an old farmhouse (probably once his) behind a more modern house. We have never seen anyone outside at that house to seek permission to go back to that cemetery, someday we will.

The cemetery is located west of a county road a little west and parallel to Six Runs and I believe Lewis Carroll spent his entire life living in that immediate area.

1880. Eliza C Carroll is age 63 and lives in Magnolia with her daughter Rebecca.

Dr. James Milton Carroll wrote a long letter about the family history of the early Carroll’s in 1924. It is based in part on visits he made to Sampson County in 1895. He says, regarding, Catherine Elizabeth (Lamb) Carroll: “I met Eliza, wife of Lewis Carroll, and from her got very much information concerning the Carroll family. She is the oldest one of the family now living. She knew well our father and grandfather and our grandfather’s relatives. She now lives in Magnolia, NC.”

The father referred to by Dr. J M Carroll was John Carroll, Lewis’ uncle.

Catherine Elizabeth Lamb was born 1 Nov 1818 in Sampson County and died there 6 Apr 1906. The information as to her death and birth dates is from her tombstone, beside her husband in a very small family cemetery south of Clinton in Sampson County. Catherine Elizabeth has quite an interesting group of ancestors including Philip David one of the earliest recorded Jews in Wilmington, here when the town was founded in 1739 and John Basse who married a Native American princess in 1638 and whose father Nathaniel Basse was present in Virginia by 1619.

I almost went bonkers when I first found this line. The Fennell tree on NHC Webpage shows Mary Carroll, daughter of Lewis Carroll and Elizabeth Lamb. A search of Genealogy Library found Lewis Carroll and Catherine E Lamb, she being a descendant of the Pilgrims.

There were no relevant dates on the Fennell tree but...the dates for Carroll/Lamb are very similar to the dates of the parents of Mary Carroll's husband...same generation and timeframe.

Everything on her ancestors came first from the "Pilgrims" book: "Lineages of Hereditary Society Members, 1600's-1900s Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims, Volume III". Aha, it turns out the word Pilgrims here includes early VA residents. Nathaniel Bass arrived in 1619.