About John Carroll

The John Carroll Connection to the Guilford Quarry Cemetery

We know that Eliza Marlow was connected to the cemetery through marriage to John Carroll. But how did John Carroll come to this land and be buried in the cemetery? This story starts in 1760 with Joseph Watson, a shoemaker and farmer, who bought Jones Fancy from John Ducker (who bought it from the original patent owner John Jones) and also bought a portion of Wincopin Neck north of the river from Elizabeth Ridgely (the daughter of one of the original patent owners).

Joseph Watson's Will

Joseph Watson’s will stated that:

 “I give and devise to my daughter-in-law, Mary Polton, daughter to my late dear wife Mary, and wife to John Polton, shoemaker, all that tract or parse of land called Jones Fancy where I now live…also that part of a land called Winkopin (sic) Neck lying on the north side of the north branch of Patuxent River, which is now in my possession”. 

Also in his will, Watson stated that neither John Polton, Mary’s husband, nor Gideon Gary, Mary’s son from a previous marriage, shall “not receive or enjoy any part of my estate, either real or personal”.  In fact, Gideon Gary contested the will in court and lost, leaving the land to his mother.

Mary Polton's Will and Charles Carroll

The key to the John Carroll mystery is in Mary Polton’s 1811 will. Her will revealed many things including that her son was Charles Carroll stating that:

 “I give and bequeath unto my grandson James Carroll son of my son Charles Carroll”... 

It slowly began to make sense of why the Carroll family was on this land and buried in that cemetery.

Charles Carroll was listed in each census from 1790 to 1820 next to (or within a line) of someone from the Polton family. In 1790 Charles Carroll was paired with Mary Polton, in 1800 he was with John Polton, and then again in 1810 he was next to Mary Polton. In 1820, after Mary Polton’s death, Charles Carroll was with Zachariah Polton – his brother - the son of John and Mary.   

Piecing together different wills and other documents we know the names of several of Charles’ children. There was Charles, James, John, Lemuel, Zachariah, David and Mary that we know about, and based on census records there could have been more children.  Based on  information from the census sheets, Charles Carroll was born between 1755 and 1765.

James Carroll Will

John's brother James died in 1814 and his will included the following:

"I give and devise unto brother Lemuel Carroll ..."
"I give and devise the residue of my estate to after my just debts are paid to be equally divided between my father, Charles Carroll and my sister Mary Carroll..."
"Lastly I constitute and appoint my uncle Zachariah Polton whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament..."

John died in 1829 and we believe Zachariah also died in 1829 and were buried in the cemetery with their headstones displaying the initials of JxC and ZxC (see below).  David Carroll’s infant son, David Lemuel Carroll, is also buried with his family (see below).

John Carroll's will mentions his wife Eliza and sons William Henry Carroll and Charles Carroll. 

We have much more to learn about this Carroll family including identifying Charles’ wife, his father (assuming it wasn't John Polton) and the birth dates of the Carroll siblings. We will continue researching available records and looking for more headstones.