The Carroll family was very prominent in American history. His cousin Charles Carroll of Carrollton signed the Declaration of Independence and was the last surviving signer of that document. He was a great fried of George Washington, and he was responsible for the principle that the President is elected rather than chosen by Congress. He was one of two Catholics to sign the document and his brother, John Carroll, was the first Catholic biship in the United States, the bishop of Baltimore. He was the cousin of Charles (Barrister( Carroll who sat in the Continental Congress and the uncle of Richard Brent who was a Senator and Representative from Virginia.