George Carrington
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George Carrington | |
|---|---|
| In office May 5, 1783 – May 2, 1784 Serving with Carter Henry Harrison | |
| Preceded by | Henry Skipwith |
| Succeeded by | Edward Carrington |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Cumberland County | |
| In office May 4, 1778 – May 6, 1781 Serving with Joseph Carrington, Beverley Randolph | |
| Preceded by | Beverley Randolph |
| Succeeded by | Creed Haskins |
| Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses representing Cumberland County | |
| In office 1765–1766 Serving with John Fleming | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Prosser |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Trent |
| In office 1752–1761 Serving with Samuel Scott, John Fleming, John Fleming Jr. | |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Prosser |
| Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses representing Goochland County | |
| In office February 1746 – 1752 Serving with Benjamin Cocke, Archibald Cary | |
| Preceded by | William Randolph |
| Succeeded by | John Payne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 15, 1711 St. Philip, Barbados |
| Died | February 7, 1785 Boston Hill plantation, Cartersville, Cumberland County, Virginia |
| Spouse | Anne Mayo |
| Children | 3 daughters, 8 sons including Paul, Edward Carrington |
| Profession | planter, politician |
George Carrington (March 15, 1711 – February 7, 1785), was a merchant, planter and legislator in the Colony of Virginia, who supported independence (as did his sons) and created the wealthy and powerful Carrington family of Virginia.[1][2]
Early and family life
[edit]George Carrington trained as a surveyor and emigrated from Barbados, where his father (Dr. Paul Carrington) was a merchant and physician.[1] His father had emigrated to St. Philip's Parish in Barbados from Britain about 1700, and may have been lost at sea in 1716. His widowed mother (Henningham Codrington) remained in Barbados with other sons until her death in 1744. Genealogists differ as to the relationship between Henningham Codrington and Simon Codrington (who in 1615 had been a shareholder of the Virginia Company), Robert Codrington (Simon's grandson who married Hernaingham Drewry) and John Codrington (Barbados' treasurer and colonel in the Life Guards in the last quarter of the 17th century).[3] Four or five of this man's brothers survived to adulthood, of whom Dr. John, Codrington, Paul and Robert Carrington remained in Barbados. In 1723, this man and his kinsmen Joseph and William Mayo sailed to the Virginia colony.[2]
Career
[edit]Planter
[edit]Carrington initially settled near what became Richmond at the falls of the James River, and assisted Joseph Mayo who operated a store. According to family tradition (but without documentation), this man accompanied Joseph's brother William Mayo on the 1728 expedition to survey the boundary between the Virginia and North Carolina colonies. In any event, Carrington patented (laid claim to and promised to develop) 5,600 acres that became his Boston Hill plantation on the James River, and later another 28,000 acres along the frontier in what eventually became Albemarle, Buckingham, Cumberland and Goochland Counties.[2] Another account has Joseph Mayo deeding the future Boston Hill land to Carrington in 1732 as a wedding present (when he married William Mayo's daughter as discussed below). In any event, this man, William Mayo and William Cabell (1700-1774) soon became three of the largest landowners in southern Virginia, and developed plantations which (as in Barbados) operated using enslaved labor. Carrington lived at a plantation called Boston Hill in what was then Goochland County but became Cumberland County.[2]
Local official and burgess
[edit]Carrington held local offices in both Goochland and Cumberland counties, including as justice of the peace, surveyor, sheriff and coroner.[2] His statewide legislative career (part-time in that era) began in 1746, when Goochland County voters elected Carrington to replace burgess William Randolph, who had died. Carrington won re-election many times. In the 1764 session, he resigned in order to accept the office of county sheriff, and Thomas Prosser replaced him, but fellow burgesses expelled him, so in the following session Carrington again served and this part of his legislative career ended in 1766 (a year after that of his eldest son Paul began).[4] When Cumberland County was created, Carrrington served as the president of Cumberland's justices of the peace (which jointly governed counties in that era) and was colonel in the county militia.[2]
Patriot
[edit]From 1774 until 1776, Carrington helped organize and chaired the Cumberland County Committee of Safety. In 1775 he also became County Lieutenant (the highest executive office at the time, and responsibly for ordering out and supplying the militia, which were led by a colonel (his former position and often the honorific used to distinguish him from his grandson).[2] He represented Cumberland County in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1778 until 1781 and again in the 1783 sessions, and served on important committees including that of Courts of Justice, Claims (including as ranking member), Propositions and Grievances, Privileges and Elections (including as ranking member) and Trade, as well as chaired the Committee for Religion.[5] However, in that last 1783 session, he declined an opportunity to substitute for the Speaker of the House.[2][6]
Personal life
[edit]Joanna (Anne) Mayo, the eldest daughter of William Mayo, bore eleven children during her marriage to this George Carrington, but most died. Their sons Paul, Edward and Mayo Carrington inherited many acres (which they operated as plantations using enslaved labor) and served many terms in the legislature. Paul Carrington also became a judge of the new state's highest court, and named a son after his father. That George Carrington (sometimes "Jr." per convention in that era because his powerful grandfather was still alive as his own public career began) also served in the Virginia General Assembly and with his father in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788 (not long after his namesake's death, and although father and son aligned with opposite sides).
Death and legacy
[edit]Carrington died at Boston Hill on February 7, 1785, and his widow eight days later.[7] They were buried together in the cemetery. However, he died without completing his will, so his children (especially his firstborn son Paul, who otherwise would have inherited everything) tried to divide his property equitably among themselves. One estimate claimed his estate included about 32,000 acres and personal property worth more than 1,300 pounds sterling (including 18 slaves).[2] His many sons served in the Virginia militia, and Edward had a distinguished career in the Continental Army before helping to found the Society of the Cincinnati and beginning his political career. The Library of Virginia holds the family's papers dating from 1756.[8] The Virginia Historical Society also holds some family papers.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Tyler, Lyon Gardiner (1915). Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Vol. 1. p. 204.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Deal, John (2006). "George Carrington (1711-1785)". Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Vol. 3. pp. 37–38.
- ^ John Frederick Dorman, Adventures of Purse and Person (4th edition)(Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 2004). vol.1 p. 712.
- ^ Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978) (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 78, 81, 83, 86, 88, 91
- ^ Leonard, pp. 129, 133, 137, 147
- ^ Noting that some historians in the 1930s and 1940s incorrectly state that he served in the Virginia Revolutionary Convention, or confusing him with his grandson of the same name see below.
- ^ obituary in Richmond Virginia Gazette March 5, 1785
- ^ "A Guide to the Carrington Family Papers, 1756-1843 Carrington Family Papers, 1756-1843 20459". ead.lib.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-05.