Carter Bassett Harrison

Carter Bassett Harrison (1756 – April 18, 1808) was an attorney, planter and politician from the U.S. state of Virginia.

Early life and education Harrison was born around 1756 at now-historic Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia (also known as "Harrison's Landing"), the second surviving son of Elizabeth Bassett and Benjamin Harrison V from the Harrison family of Virginia. Robert ("King") Carter I the most powerful and wealthy Virginian of his day, as well as the grandfather of several Virginia governors, including this boy's father. Complicating matters somewhat (and necessitating the middle name use), his uncle Carter Henry Harrison I (1736–1793) also served in the Virginia House of Delegates, but represented Cumberland County (and two descendants with that middle name became powerful politicians, including mayors of Chicago). In any event, before becoming Virginia's governor as the American Revolutionary War ended, this boy's father signed the American Declaration of Independence, and later become speaker of the House of Delegates (and represented Charles City County therein) as well as a member of the Continental Congress.

The middle of three sons, Carter Bassett Harrison also had four sisters (three of them older than he). His elder brother Benjamin Harrison VI (1755–1799), trained as a merchant in Philadelphia with the firm of Willing and Morris and returned from Europe to become Deputy Paymaster of the Continental Army. Although he like this man served in the Virginia House of Delegates, the family historian considered him self-indulgent and troubled after his wife's death. Their youngest brother, William Henry Harrison (1773–1841), born shortly before the war began, would become one of the family's most distinguished members, serving as congressional delegate for the Northwest Territory, and governor of the Indiana Territory before election as President of the United States (albeit dying after about a month in that office). Their eldest sister, Lucy Bassett Harrison (1749–1809), married the namesake son of founding father Peyton Randolph (1738–1784)). However, possibly because of their father's financial difficulties following the American Revolutionary War, the other three sisters would marry outside the First Families of Virginia. Elizabeth Harrison (1751–1791) married physician William Rickman (c. 1731–1783)); Anne Bassett Harrison (1753–1821) married David Coupland (1749–1822), and Sarah Harrison (1770–1812), married John Minge (1770–1829).

This Carter Harrison received a private education appropriate to his class before attending the College of William & Mary.

Harrison continued his family's political tradition and several times represented Surry County in the Virginia House of Delegates, first winning election in 1784, and serving alongside veteran John Allen, then winning re-election and serving alongside his father Benjamin Harrison before voters replaced both men with John Allen and Lemuel Cocke. While Allen would again and continue to represent Surry County in the House of Delegates alongside various men for several years, Carter Harrison successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1792. He served in Third Congress and won re-election to the next two Congresses, serving from March 4, 1793, to March 3, 1799.

Personal life In 1787, in Surry County, Virginia, Carter married Mary Howell Allen, daughter of William Allen of "Claremont".