John Carter family papers (Carter papers)

The collection consists primarily of the correspondence of John and Amey (Crawford) Carter and their nine children, including Dr. Benjamin Bowen Carter, a supercargo for the Brown family's China trade vessels and Ann (Carter) Brown, wife of Nicholas Brown (1769 – 1841). Letters between other family members, including the interrelated Brown, Danforth, and Jenckes families, and with associates, including William and Mary Katherine Goddard of Philadelphia, are also represented.

The collection also contains a limited number of deeds, legal settlements, and other business related material. The majority of the material concerns family news, particularly as John Carter's sons embarked on their various maritime adventures.

The bulk of material spans from 1769 to 1844, and is calendared with a card file index. After 1844, the material primarily consists of correspondence by Carter's sons-in-law Nicholas Brown and Walter Raleigh Danforth (1787-1861).