The Carpenter Family of Long Island

    William Carpenter of Amesbury Wilshire England migrated to the New World, with his wife Elizabeth Arnold and Eldest son Joseph (born approx. 1635). They departed Dartmouth England on Friday, May 1, 1635 arriving in Hingham Massachusetts June 24, 1635. They stayed there until moving to Providence Rhode Island as it is known now, Arriving April 20,1636. This is where there eldest daughter Lydia was born about 1638. The family moved again to Pawtucket Rhode Island. There the other children were born Ephraim 1640, Timothy 1643, William 1645, Priscilla 1648, Silas 1650 and Benjamin 1653. William was one of the original 12 "friends & neighbors" who with Roger Williams established "Providence Plantations" for the sum of 30 shillings each.
    William was a founding member of the First Baptist Church in America. Along with Ezekiel Holyman, William Arnold (his father in law), William Harris, Stukley Westcott, John Green, Richard Waterman, Thomas James, Francis Weston, Thomas Olney and their leader Rodger Williams.
     William had been a scribe and preacher in England. He performed one of his daughter's wedding ceremony's and was recognized as a "Lay Minister" of the First Baptist Church.
     William was the "Engineer" of the colony so to speak, laying out boundary lines for roads, bridges and lots. Also he was elected to the General Court on March 10, 1658 and re-elected 1665 through 1672. Also he was chosen assistant to the General Assembly and was Deputy in 1679.
     When King Philip's War was threatening to annihilate the colony the General Assembly, on April 4,1676 passed the following resolution. " It was voted, that in these troublesome times and straits in the colony this assembly desiring to have the advice and concurrence of the most judicious inhabitant, do desire at there next sitting the company and counsel of William Carpenter." The War was disastrous to the colony; 1675 through 1677 were years of terror. On June 28, 1675, the Indians burned 200 houses at Providence 50 at Warwick and 50 at Pawtuxet. On January 27,1676 they made off with 200 sheep, 50 head of cattle and 15
horses from William. He killed one of the Indians in the raid. Soon afterwards approximately 300 Indians attacked. William's house was built as a "Block House" for defense, all his neighbors took refuge with the family. The Indians set fire to the roof, but the defenders extinguished the flames and fought on! At last they retreated, but sadly two of the occupants were killed. One of them was his son William.
     Not withstanding these serious losses we find William at the close of the war busily engaged in repairing the damages done to his estate. If we compare the statement made by him to the town council on August 12,1674, with the provisions made for his children in his will, we find that in a great measure he had regained his prosperity and was able to leave "houses" as well as lands to his heirs. Probably the last public service he performed bears the date April 25, 1683 when as last survivor of the Thirteen Proprietor's, He gave deeds to the heirs of his fellow Proprietor's for lands which had been held in joint ownership by the Proprietor's.
     He was now an aged man. He had made his will February 10, 1680, but by reason of the death of his eldest son, Joseph in 1683, a codicil was added on March 15, 1684 and on October 1, 1685. William Carpenter died September 7, 1685. Contained in his will was a provision for the care of his wife Elisabeth, of interesting note her eldest brother Benedict was Governor of the colony from 1663 to his death in 1678. In Cranston Rhode Island there is a family burial monument with the
following inscription:
    Erected in 1860 by Earl Carpenter youngest son of Nathanial in memory of those of his ancestors buried here, and of his eldest brother Daniel born July 4, 1773, died December 25,1775, His Grandfather Benjamin a descendent of William one of the first settlers of Rhode Island, Died December 16 1766, age 73 years, and his Grandmother Prudence Died July 29 1801, age 87 years.
    The monument is located near the original home site. In 1982, I, Thomas Clifford Carpenter visited the monument. I am 12 generations forward from William. As of this writing in September 1999, I hope to again visit and photograph the monument. I have discovered that this site is recognized as an historical cemetery and is protected. Also it was formerly believed that Elizabeth Arnold was buried here. It is now known that she was laid to rest at Mineral Springs Cemetery Pawtucket Rhode Island a short distance away.

Thomas Carpenter b. 1726 m. 1. Anne Stocker and 2. Lucretia Quintard in 1781. Thomas died in 1831, he named 7-8 grandchildren in his will, including two with the Carpenter surname, His son by his 1st wife, Anne Stocker m. Edith Bunce and Mary "Betsey" Houseman. After completing much research and contacting other descendants of Thomas Carpenter and Lucretia Quintard, it has been discovered that "our" Thomas Carpenter was born in England, he was a sergeant in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards ( Grendadiers) and arrived in New York with the rest of the British troops in July 1777 (on Staten Island or Long Island). He fought in all the major campaigns as a British soldier. In June, 1780, he was commissioned as an Ensign in Gen. Delancey's 3rd battalion. The purpose was to both advance promising NCO's ( who rarely could become officers in the regular British army) while supplying needed military leadership to the loyalist troops- in this case, Gen. Delancey. The confusion arose b/c there were two Thomas Carpenters married in St. George's Church. The first one married Anne Stocker ( whose family were members of the church) in 1748 well before the Revolution. And the British Thomas Carpenter married Lucretia Quintard in 1781 also at St. George's, however, at that time, the church was loyal to the king and the Church of England and many British soldiers stationed on Long Island married local girls in the church during that period. Although this was not common, to transfer (or promote) British soldiers to loyalist troops, it did occur and thus caused the confusion down the generations. So Sgt. and then Ensign Thomas Carpenter was not an American or a loyalist.
So, it looks like it is necessary to remove Lucretia Quintard, her father, Isaac, and her daughter, Elisabeth from the Carpenter genealogy to save future descendants from being as confused as I was when I began this project. The fact that he was never a member of this particular family has now been well documented and now I have to find his parents in England! Your Thomas did not die in 1831 in Lansingburg, NY. I don't know when he died but he was the son of Joseph Carpenter born in 15 Feb 1725/26. John Carpenter's website may have more information on that if you need it.

Jeanette Carpenter Covington has also started a Carpenter Family Genealogy Ring. For information on what the ring is and how to join go to http://homepages.infoseek.com/~tncracker/joinwebring.html To visit the Ring go to http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=onetnrose;list