In 1649, John Carter came to Virginia after service to King Charles I. He held seats in the House of Burgesses and on the governor’s council during the interregnum. His second son, Robert, starting with a modest inheritance of 1,000 acres, combined his political connections and a sharp eye for land development, notably in the Northern Neck, to create one of the largest estates of the colonial period–333,000 acres scattered over many plantations in a dozen counties, on which there were over 700 slaves, 100 horses, and 2,000 cattle and pigs,. He served in the burgesses, as Speaker of the House, as colonial treasurer, and as a member of the council from 1700 to 1732. He was, indeed, a “king.”
This Vignette Provided By
Ronald Heinemann, Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: The History of Virginia, 1607-2007
