George B. Cary

George Booth Cary (ca. 1802 – February 26, 1850) was an American politician, horse breeder, and planter. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Virginia. He was also a planter known for breeding thoroughbred horses,

Cary was born c. 1802 at his family estate, Bonny Doon, near Courtland, Virginia.^[1] His mother was the formerly widowed Elizabeth Booth Yates, the third wife of Southampton County planter Miles Cary.^[2] Cary had a slightly younger full sister, as well as half-sisters from his father's previous marriages. His father died in the summer of 1806, followed by his mother in 1815.^[2]

His brother-in-law, John Stith of Petersburg, Virginia, took responsibility for Cary's education.^[2] Cary had a liberal education.^[1] When Cary reached the legal age of 21, he became the guardian of his younger sister until she reached legal age or married.^[2]

Cary inherited 75 enslaved people and three plantations in Southampton County, which he (or his guardians until he reached legal age) operated using enslaved labor.^[2] He may also have been an attorney.^[2] Cary became known as one of the county's leading thoroughbred breeders.^[3][4] He owned about 4,350 acres in Southampton County, much uncultivatable swamp or pine barrens, and about 120 enslave people on his death.^[2]

In 1830, Cary was a trustee of a preparatory board school, located near Jerusalem, Virginia.^[5] In 1836, he served on Southampton's corresponding committee for the Martin Van Buren ticket.^[6]

In 1840, Cary was elected as a candidate for the Virginia's 2nd Congressional district (at the time including Petersburg as well as Greensville, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties) at the Democratic Republican Convention.^[4] In 1841, Cary was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 56.52% of the vote, defeating Robert R. Collier, variously identified as an Independent or Whig.^[7] He served in the Twenty-seventh Congress from March 4, 1841 to March 3, 1843.^[1] Cary supported states' rights, opposed a national bank, and endorsed the veto message for the bank national bank given by fellow Virginian (now U.S. President) Tyler.^[8][9] Cary also unsuccessfully tried to read into the Congressional Record resolutions adopted at a public meeting in Petersburg which denounced protective tariffs.^[2] Cary and fellow Virginian John Minor Botts also sponsored a bill to exempt the Petersburg Railway, then under construction, from new tariffs on iron rails, but the bill failed to pass. Cary did not seek re-election.^[2]

In July 1844, Governor James McDowell appointed Cary one of three Southampton County commissioners to oversee the selection of electors for the presidential and vice-presidential election.^[10]

On March 1, 1825, having reached legal age, Cary signed a marriage bond in Southampton County to marry the young widow Martha P. Blunt Urquhart, who died about a decade later having given birth to a daughter, who died young.^[2] When he married, Cary had a house built, which he called Midfield, near Capron, Virginia.^[2]

Cary spent his final years attending to his plantations and horses.^[1] He committed suicide by cutting his throat, probably at his Southampton County home, on February 26, 1850.^[2][11] He was buried in the family cemetery on Bonny Doon.^[1]