Cartwrights of the Southern United States

Genealogies are always enhanced by thorough documentation, scholarly research, well-organized information, lucid writing and creative speculation, but rarely does one find all of these qualities tied up in one package. Ms. Kwasha's outstanding new book would certainly qualify as one of the valuable exceptions. Providing a wide overview of the Cartwrights who were present in the areas of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee during the early years of North American colonization, Ms. Kwasha has divided this book into two parts. The first deals with the Cartwrights of Maryland as descended from Matthew Cartwright, born c.1634 in Holland. The second deals with the Cartwrights of Princess Anne County, Virginia, and Pasquotank County, North Carolina, as descended from John Cartwright, born c.1600. Both lines are followed to seven generations. Each part begins with a genealogical outline, which serves the reader as a point of reference for individuals covered in later chapters. Many relevant documents and records, including several wills never before published, have been transcribed. Among these records, as elsewhere throughout the text, Ms. Kwasha adds her own parenthetical observations about the significance or implications of the information being recorded. Drawing from many varied sources, the author's careful analysis has eliminated many errors from works of previous researchers, and the result is a more comprehensive single volume of Cartwright genealogy than is available elsewhere. This broad, easy to read compilation of data should be an enormous help to anyone who is interested in the vast maze of Cartwrights or their allied lines, such as Albertson, Burroughs, Davidson, Jones, Rogers and Tippett. End-of-chapter bibliographies and an every-name index are included.