Carter was born at
Eton College, where he was baptised on 16 September 1851. He was the fourth son of William Adolphus Carter (1815–1901) and his wife Gertrude née Rogers (1826–1909). His father was a Master, Fellow and Bursar at Eton College. His father's brother was
Thomas Thellusson Carter (1808–1901), who became a significant figure in the Victorian
Church of England. His own brothers included
William Marlborough Carter (1850–1941), who became Bishop of
Zululand and then
Bishop of Pretoria, before becoming
Archbishop of Cape Town from 1909 to 1930, and Frank Willington Carter (1865–1945), who became a businessman in Calcutta and philanthropist, co-founding the
British Empire Leprosy Relief Association. ==Education==