Person:Samuel Carpenter (4)

Notes

Samuel was one of the purchasers in the North purchase, and land was allotted to him in the division of Feb. 5, 1671. From all the gatherings, he was a man of fair ability, reliable, and a worthy citizen. Samuel gave at one time towards the expense of King Philip's war £11, 19 s., 5 d. (see Wikipedia or any number of online articles for more information on King Philip's War).

Samuel Carpenter was a cooper and a yeoman, based on his estate records. He appears on the list of Plymouth County freemen dated 29 May 1670 (Plymouth Court Records, 5:278).^[4]

He held offices in the town of Rehoboth as a surveyor (1663, 1663/4), a way warden (i.e., surveyor of highways, in 1664 and 1680, constable (1666, 1677), coroner's juryman (1668, 1673/4). He was a Plymouth County Grand Juror in 1661 (Plymouth County Records, 3:215).

Estate

Samuel Carpenter's died intestate. The estate inventory was taken on 27 February 1682/3, and widow Sarah swore to its accuracy on 1 March 1682/3. The inventory contains farm land, farm implements, farm animals, and cooper tools and materials. The estate, including real estate, was valued at 436 pounds, 10 shillings, 6 pence. (Plymouth County Probate Records, 4:2:42-44; Rehoboth Property Records 1:13).

On 6 March 1682/3, the Plymouth Colony Governor and Court of Assistants granted letters of administration on the estate to his brother, William, son Samuel Jr., and relict Sarah. The estate was settled the same day, with Sarah to receive a widow's one-third, dower share and 26 pounds to bring up four small children, and the remainder to be divided into eleven parts, the eldest to have a double portion, and the remainder to be divided equally among the children. (Plymouth Court Records, 6:102).

The following records relate to the settlement of Samuel's estate:

Know all men by these presents,- that I, Gilbert Brooks, and Sarah, my wife, of the Town of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol, do by these presents acknowledge the receipt in full and whole part of the third of the estate that was formerly Samuel Carpenter Senior's, deceased, of movables and stock, which is now divided between the said children. and amounting to the sum of £33, 6s. 8 d, likewise £3, 6s., 8 d.. in goods in lieu of her third part of a piece of land at Palmer's River, which the said Sarah had of her brother, John Readaway, as appears by deed of sale all of which amounted to £36, 17 s.. of which we, the said Gilbert and Sarah Brooks do fully acquit, discharge and exonerate William and Samuel Carpenter, administrators to the estate of the aforesaid Samuel Carpenter Senior, deceased, their heirs, executors or administrators of the full and whole part of her third of the said estate, excepting house and land.

In witness whereof, we, the said Gilbert and Sarah Brooks, both set our hands and seal this :20th day of January, 1687 or 1688.

The mark of Gilbert Brooks,-" B."

Sarah Brooks,-"S."

"Be it known unto all men by these presents that I, Gilbert Brooks, of the Town of Rehoboth, in the County of Bristol, Guardian unto Zachariah Carpenter and Abraham Carpenter, children to my beloved wife, Sarah Brooks, have received and had the day of making over the estate, and portions of the said Zachariah and Abraham, which was divided to them by the administrators of the estate of their father, Samuel Carpenter, late of Rehoboth, deceased, in lands and goods and utensils and money amounting to the sum of £58, 16 s., 6 d., of William Senior and Samuel Carpenter, administrators of the estate of the said Samuel Carpenter, deceased, hereby exonerating, acquitting and discharging the said administrators and their heirs, executors, and administrators of all due bequests and legacies due to the said children from their father's estate: to wit, both lands, goods and money, acknowledging ourselves fully satisfied, contented and paid.

In witness whereof, I, the said Gilbert Brooks do set my hands and seal this 17th day of December, "Anno Dom" 1688

The Mark of Gilbert Brooks,-" B."

Whereas Gilbert Brooks, late of Rehoboth, deceased, did on the 7th of December, 1688, retain the sum of œ58, 16s, 6d., in lands, goods, utensils, and money of William and Samuel Carpenter, administrators to the estate of Samuel Carpenter, formerly of Rehoboth, as guardian for two of the children of the said Samuel Carpenter; namely, Zachariah and Abraham Carpenter, as did appear by indication of particulars for which said Gilbert Brooks gave a receipt, as appears upon record upon the ninth and tenth pages of the (record) hook.

Now, know ye, that I, the above, said William Carpenter, with the consent of Captain Nicholas Peck, guardian in trust committed to us by the Court of Bristol, for said children have received in full the said childrens' portion, the whole thereof as above said, and do honorably, fully, and strictly exonerate, acquit, and discharge the said Gilbert Brooks, his heirs, executors, and administrators and every of them by those presents.

Witness my hands and seal this third day of July, one thousand, six hundred and ninety-five.

(Signed) WILLIAM CARPENTER."

Further Reading

Carpenter Sketches includes an article on Samuel Carpenter by Eugene Cole Zubrinsky, which the reader is referred to for more extensive information, as well as source citations. Zubrinsky periodically updates the article, and the reader is encouraged to check it for his latest research.

Amos B. Carpenter's book A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America, brought down from their English ancestor, John Carpenter, 1303, with many biographical notes of descendants and allied families also referred to as Carpenter Memorial also presents a sketch of Samuel Carpenter, but this book is full of misinformation and misinterpretation of data, and should be used only in consultation with the work of Zubrinsky.

1. ↑ Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rehoboth, 1642-1896. (Providence, RI: Narragansett Historical Publishing Co., 1897)
   page 808, Deaths.

   'CARPENTER ...
   Samuel, Sr., buried Feb. 20, 1682'

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Samuel3 Carpenter (William2-1) of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, in Zubrinsky, Eugene Cole. Carpenter Sketches: Links to Sketches And Articles Representing the Most Current and Reliable Scholarship Concerning Early Generations of the Carpenter Families of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island and Their Ancestors. (Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters, 2008).
3.   Brooks, Gilbert and Sarah. Receipt for inheritance from Estate of Samuel Carpenter.
4. ↑ Zubrinsky