Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameThomas Carroll
Birth20 January 1772, Sampson Co, NC
Deathbefore 20 November 18161149,1150
FatherJesse Carroll (-<1809)
MotherMary Rachel Gavin (~1751-1811)
Spouses
Birthabout 1788, Wayne Co, NC
Memo(gave her age as 62 on 18 Dec 1850 in affadavit in support of her mother’s pension application)
Death7 January 1861, Sampson Co, NC1142,1143
FatherJoshua Bass (~1760-1829)
MotherPriscilla Turner (1764->1850)
ChildrenElizabeth (1810-)
Census History notes for Thomas Carroll
1810. Thomas Carroll lives in Sampson County, age 26-45. He has no wife nor young daughter.
My Comments notes for Thomas Carroll
Thomas Carroll is an interesting person in the Lawther ancestry. He is not a direct ancestor but plays two ancillary roles. He is a son of Jesse Carroll Sr. and thus brother of Jesse Jr. And his second wife was Rebecca Bass who married John Lamb after the death of Thomas Carroll. Rebecca Bass and John Lamb are Lawther ancestors.

All of the Carroll family write-ups say that Thomas married Mary Royal and had one daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth is said to have been born about 1807 or 1808.

This no doubt is the same Thomas Carroll who is a neighbor of John and Jesse Carroll (and Joshua Bass) in Sampson County in the 1810 Census. The problem is that no females are reported in the Thomas Carroll household.

Moreover, there is an estate document dated 16 Nov 1818 reporting on the division of the estate of Thomas Carroll deceased between his widow Rebecca Lamb and his minor daughter Elizabeth Carroll. Rebecca was awarded her one-third share.

So, I suspect that perhaps Thomas married first Mary Royal, by whom he had daughter Elizabeth. Mary died before 1810 and Elizabeth perhaps was sent to live with someone else. Then shortly after 1810, Thomas married 2nd Rebecca Bass but he died soon thereafter and Rebecca married second John Lamb -- who himself had been married previously.
Census History notes for Rebecca (Spouse 1)
1850. Living with Rebecca is her 90 year old mother Priscilla Bass and Liza age 40. Liza is not daughter Catherine Elizabeth, I think she may be Elizabeth Carroll -- but it is not clear whether the Census taker intended her name to be Bass or Lamb -- but she was not listed as Carroll.
My Comments notes for Rebecca (Spouse 1)
Another interesting family in the Lawther lineage is the Bass family. It is interesting because they are among the earliest arrivals to America (1619) of all family branches. And it is interesting because it weaves some Native American heritage into the Lawther lineage; John Basse married an Indian princess of the Nansemond Nation. The current chief of the Nansemonds is named Barry Bass. One line (not the Lawther line) of descendants of John Bass and his Indian princess married other full-blooded Nansemonds and over the years had to officially prove to the State of Virginia time and time again that they were of English and Indian heritage and not blacks or mulattoes as some accused them of being. The whole Bass line makes an interesting story.

The Lawthers are linked to the Bass line because Mary E Carroll’s mother Catherine Elizabeth Lamb, wife of Lewis Carroll, was the daughter of Rebecca Bass and John Deloit Lamb.

Rebecca Bass was born 18 Dec 1788 in Wayne County, NC and died before Feb 1861 in Sampson County. Her will was written 6 Dec 1859 and probated Feb 1861. She left instructions for her estate to be sold, including ”to sell all Negroes one by one, except mothers with sucking child shall be sold together.” The money raised was then to be divided equally among her five children including Catherine E Carroll, wife of Lewis. Here is another will that neatly ties generations and marriages together. Wills that do this are wonderful proof of relationships over several generations. Rebecca’s father was Joshua.

Another source that ties people together is the pension application and supporting documents of Priscilla Bass which refers to Joshua's will and lists daughter Rebecca who married John Lamb. Rebecca filed an affadavit in support of her mother's pension application affirming she was 62 (agrees).

Interestingly, she was John Lamb's second wife. Interestingly, John Lamb was her second husband, she had been married to Thomas Carroll earlier.

There is a source that says that she had a son Thomas Carroll Lamb by her first husband. I don't know if this is accurate. If so, he died young.

Certain dates associated with the marriages of Rebecca Bass are a little unclear and different sources have a wide range of dates. As no females are present in the household of Thomas Carroll in 1810, I believe his first wife has died and he has not yet remarried. I cannot account for the absence though of Elizabeth, said to be his daughter by his first wife.

Court documents shed some light. On 19 Aug 1817 she was named Rebecca Carroll and then on 16 Nov 1818 she was named the widow Rebecca Lamb. From her daughter's tombstone, I believe Catherine Lamb was born 1 Nov 1818. So she got married it would seem in late 1817 or very early 1818. So the very specific date I have seen of 2 Dec 1814 just cannot be true.
Last Modified 11 October 2014Created 19 June 2022 using Reunion for Macintosh
19 June 2022
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