Eleanor Kearny Carr

William Eleanor Kearny Carr (March 1, 1840 – March 29, 1912) was an American planter and political hostess who served as the First Lady of North Carolina from 1893 to 1897 as the wife of Governor Elias Carr. She was a charter member and librarian of the first North Carolinian chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Early life and education

Carr was born William Eleanor Kearny on March 1, 1850, to William Kinchen Kearny, a wealthy planter in Warren County, and his wife, Maria Alston. She was a granddaughter of William Alston, who represented Bute County at the North Carolina Provincial Congress and served as a lieutenant colonel in the 3rd North Carolina Regiment during the American Revolution. Kearny grew up at Huntersville, her family's plantation, and was raised in the Methodist faith. She instructed her children in religious education and hired private tutors for schooling before sending her children to private schools.

In 1871, while waiting for a train in Weldon, North Carolina, Kearny reportedly sat in a barroom.

In 1893, Kearny's husband was elected as Governor of North Carolina. She was relatively uncomfortable in the role as hostess of the executive mansion, so her daughter-in-law, Martina Van Riswick Carr, assisted her in her role.