King and Queen Court House in King and Queen County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

James Horace Carter Lynched

Photographed by Bessida Cauthorne White, March 30, 2024

1. James Horace Carter Lynched Marker

Inscription. James Horace Carter, a 45-year-old African American husband and father, was lynched on 12 Oct. 1923 a mile southeast of here. Two weeks before the lynching, a white woman had admitted that Carter was the father of one of her children. He was charged with rape and arrested. While being driven by officers to the King and Queen County jail, a mob seized him from the car, shot him ten times (five in the face, four in the chest, and one in the back) while he was still shackled, and left his body in a ditch. Gov. E. Lee Trinkle offered assistance and the case was widely reported, but no one was prosecuted for the murder. The woman’s husband later used her admission of adultery as grounds for divorce.

Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number OB-20.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 12, 1923.

Location. 37° 40.302′ N, 76° 52.647′ W. Marker is in King and Queen Court House, Virginia, in King and Queen County. It is at the intersection of The Trail (Virginia Route 14) and Allens Circle

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( Route 681), on the left when traveling west on The Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17129 The Trail, King and Queen Court House VA 23085, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: World Wars I and II Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); King and Queen County Confederate Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); County Clerks Office Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trice Mill Stones (approx. 0.2 miles away); Eastern View Schoolhouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Carriage House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Newington (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mattapony Church (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in King and Queen Court House.

Photographed by Bessida Cauthorne White, March 30, 2024

2. James Horace Carter Lynched Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2024, by Bessida Cauthorne White of Jamaica, Virginia. This page has been viewed 718 times since then and 82 times this year. Last updated on April 2, 2024, by Bessida Cauthorne White of Jamaica, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 31, 2024, by Bessida Cauthorne White of Jamaica, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.