Samuel Carr

Samuel Carr (October 9, 1771 – July 26, 1855) was an American politician, soldier, and planter with holdings and service in Virginia and Maryland. He served in several legislative bodies, including the Maryland House of Delegates, the Virginia House of Delegates, and the Virginia Senate.

**Early Life and Family Background**

Born in Goochland County, Virginia, at Spring Forest plantation, Carr was the middle son of Dabney Carr, a Virginia politician, planter, and lawyer, and Martha Jefferson Carr. Martha was the sister of Thomas Jefferson, making Samuel Carr Jefferson's nephew. Carr's father died when he was less than two years old. His mother initially attempted to raise her children at Spring Forest but relocated to Monticello, Jefferson's plantation, by 1781. Jefferson served as an executor of Dabney Carr’s estate and arranged for Carr’s education through Overton Carr, married to Anne Addison, who inherited a plantation in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

**Inheritance and Plantation Life**

Samuel Carr was promised a plantation called Dunlora in Albemarle County, Virginia, which had been patented in 1730 by his great-great grandfather Thomas Carr. Carr inherited the plantation from his uncle, Samuel Carr (1746–1777), who served as a lieutenant in the 9th Virginia Regiment before commanding Marines during the American Revolutionary War. Carr farmed at Dunlora using enslaved labor, owning multiple slaves over the years, including 33 slaves in Albemarle County as of the 1810 census and 29 slaves in 1840. His agricultural operations and property were expanded and maintained over his lifetime.

**Personal Life and Family**

Carr married Ellen Boucher, with whom he had four children before her death in 1815, including Martha, John, Dabney Overton, and James Lawrence. He was a widower for approximately three years before remarrying in December 1818 to Maria Watson Dabney. They had one son, George Watson Carr, and two daughters. Carr may have fathered children with Judath Barnett, a free woman of color, with whom he had at least two sons, Miles and Zachariah, though he never publicly acknowledged these relationships.

**Military Service**

Carr served as a captain of cavalry in Albemarle County from 1792 to 1802 and again during the War of 1812, with service culminating in 1814 under Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph. His military roles primarily involved local defense, with little recorded combat.

**Political Career**

His political service included terms in the Maryland House of Delegates (1801–1803) representing Prince George’s County and later roles in Virginia's legislative bodies, including the Virginia House of Delegates (1818–1819) and the Virginia Senate (1835–1839). Additionally, he held the position of justice of the peace in Albemarle County.

**Controversies**

Historical discussions have linked Carr to the Jefferson-Hemings controversy, a posthumous debate regarding claims that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings. Despite rumors suggesting Carr or his brother Peter may have been the sire of Hemings's children, DNA testing conducted in 1998 indicated neither Carr brother was the biological father of any Hemings descendants.

**Later Life and Death**

Carr died on July 26, 1855, in Charleston, which later became part of West Virginia. He was interred at Monticello near his parents. His children, particularly those who survived into the Civil War period, served on the Confederate side. His son James attained the rank of Major, while George served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War, as well as in the Crimean War and the Confederate Army.

**Legacy**

Carr’s plantation, Dunlora, was preserved through the Civil War and Depression but was eventually demolished in the modern era. The familial and historical records surrounding Carr, including claims about his connection to Sally Hemings, continue to be subjects of scholarly discussion.