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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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He was born on the 16 th December 1741 , and in September 1763 , was elected an alderman of this borough . About the year 1768 or 9 , he began to act as a magistrate ; and never was there one who attended to the duties of that
important office , with tnore assiduity , impartiality , and zeal for the interests and honour of his country , for the accommodation and comfort of his neighbours , or the prompt and mild administration of
justice to all . At Michaelmas , 1769 , he was first chosen mayor of this borough . In th * j summer of 1773 , during hris second mayoralty , the king made his first visit to Portsmouth , where he was received
with much greater , marks of affection and loyalty , than he had been given to expect . Desirous to make some return to his good people of Portsmouth for their attentions to him , he wished to confer the honoiar of knighthood on their mayor ; a title , at that time , held in higher estimation than , from its repeated prostitution , it now is . Of this honour , Mr Carter was not in the least
ambitious ; , and , indeed , so averse from it were both he and Mrs . Carter , that he declined it . He was informed that his Majesty considered this refusal z . s proceeding- from a disregard in the Carter ramiiy to the * royal favour ; this
consideration , and the earnest persuasion of his friends , induced him to yield a relufant compliance : he was accordingly knighted on the 23 d of June 1773 . * the summer of 1782 , his father retired from Portsmouth into Sussex , atid left the direction of the Carter
influence * in the corporation to this , bis oldest son . This influence he invariably used with the greatest possible disinterestedness , with the nicest sense of honour , with the purest principles of independence , and with the most
scrupulous integrity . Wholly u , namhitious , he sought neither to promote his own interests , nor the aggrandizement of any part of his family ; neither for whom nor himself would he ever ask a favour . The interests and welfare of others were uniformly the objects of Uis pursuit .
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In the year 1784 , he was appointed SherhTofthe county ; which honourable office he filled to the entire satisfaction of all parties , with and dignity to himself . In the years 178 a , 6 , and 9 , he was severally elected to the office of chief magistrate in this town ; and again in . 1 793 * it was duringthis , his 6 th mayoralty , that the king , in the summer of
1794 , made his \ third and last visit to this pfif t . His majesty ' s person on this as on his former visits , was immediately attended by the peace-officers of the corporation ; and . what few of the military accompanied him in his walks , always followed the civil power . Duripg the mutiny at Spithead , in the spring of 1797 , Sir John Carter rendered a very essential service to the
town and country by his mild , conciliating , and patient conduct . The sailers having lost three of their comrade-, in consequence of the resistance made to their going on board the London , then bearing the flag of Admiral Colpoys , wished to bury them in Kingston church-yard , and to carry them in procession through the town of Portsmouth . This request
was most positively refused them by the governor . They then applied to Sir Jo hn Carter , to , grant their request , who endeavoured to convince the governor of the propriety and necessity of complying with it , declaring that he would be answerable for the peace of the town and the orderly conduc t of the sailors . The
governor would not be prevailed on , and pr / ip ' ared for resistance , and resistance , ¦ on both sides , would , most probably , have been resorted to , had not the calmness , the perseverance , and forbearance of Sir J ohn Carter at length compromised the affair , by obtaining permission for the sailors to pass through the garrison of Portsmouth in procession , but the bodies to be landed at the
Common Hard , in Portsea , where the process ion was to join them . For soliciting and obtaining this indulgence to the sailors , he wa ^ stigmatized as a ** jacobin /* and loaded with many opprobrious epithets by persons whose high stations , at least , should ha \ e taught them better , and which he , though possessing the
* The writer of this article- purposely avoids entering into the long and severe contest between the Carter interest and the late Lord Sandwich , then first JUprd of the Admiralty , for this influence , as not ^ laciajj the character of Sir John Carter in Any new point of view .
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Obituary . m ^ r
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Sir J $ bn Carter , Knt .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1808, page 343, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2393/page/51/
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