William Carpenter1

M, b. 1605, d. 2 February 1659/60
FatherWilliam Carpenter b. 1576
     William was born in 1605 in London, County Middlesex, England. William married Abigail (?) circa 1627 in London, County Middlesex, England. In May 1638, William & his wife, Abigail, sailed from Southampton, England aboard the ship, "Bevis", under the command of Captain Robert Batten, bound for New England. Listed among the 61 passengers were William Carpenter aged 33 years, his wife Abigail aged 32 years & there were 4 children under the age of 10, along with his father, William Carpenter aged 62 years & servant: Thomas Banshott aged 14 years..2 William was admitted as a freeman of Weymouth, 13 May 1640. The first settlement of the colony consisted of 58 members from Weymoth who drew lots of land on 31 June 1644. William was one of these men and upon laying out the town, William's house lot was located next to the meeting house. Family and public records indicate that William, William Carpenter of Providence and Gov. Bradford were the principals primarily responsible for the creation of the Colony of Rehoboth. He made his will the 10th day 10th month 1658

p. 8o) The will of " Wiliam Carpenter Senir of Rehoboth late Deceased exhibited before Captaine Thomas Willett Major Josias Winslow and Mr Willam Bradford ; the 21 of Aprill 1659"
"Dated the10th month the 10th Day of the month ; " The year was omitted. Bequests were as follows :
To " my son John Carpenter .. .. the old white mare and my best Dublett and my horsmans Coate and new Cloth to make him a paire of briches Item I give unto his son besides twenty shillings to buy him a Calf e "
" I give to him Mr Ainsworth upon the five bookes of Moses Canticles and Psalmes and Mr Brightman on Revelation and my Concordance ; "
To "my son William the younge gray mare ; or two yearling Conks and five ponds in Sugare or Wampam and my Russett Coate and one suite of Apparrell ; and mr Mayhew on the 4 Evangelists upon the 14 Epistles of Paule ; " also " my lattin bookes my greeke Gramer and lebrew Gramer and my greeke lexicon" also " solb of Cotten woole and to his son John twenty shillings to bee payed within a yeare after my [Decease "
To "my son Josepth 2 of the younger steers of the 4 that was brought to worke this yeare and to his son Josepth twenty shillingWilliam Carpenter and to Josepth I give one of Perkins workes and of Burrowes upon private Contensions Called harts Devisions " also "a suite of lether Clothes to bee given att his mothers Descretion " also "a green serge Coate and so pond of Cotten woole and a matchlock gun ; "
To "my Daughter hannah half e my Comon att Patuxett and one third of my land Impropriate onely my meddow excepted and my homelott ; [p. 81] and that land layed out to Cozen that I had for the low land Cozen Carpenter had by ; " also " one yearling heifer " also "her Bible ; the practice of Pietie and the Returne of Prayers ; and one Ewe at the Band ; and twenty pound of Cotten and six pond of woole; "
To "my son Abyah the Rest of my land att Patuxett and the meddow after my Decease and his mother and Samuel] to healp him to build an house ; because Samuell hath an house built alreddy ; onely if my wife marry againe shee shall have nothing to Doe with that land ; "
To "my Daughter Abigaill one young mare a three yeare old Bay mare and the mare should bee Dead att Springe shee shall have fifteen pond in her stead ; within one yeare after my Decease ;"
" I give twenty shillings to John Titus his son .. . . a yeare after my Decease but if John Titus Come to Dwell and take the house and land ; which I sent him word hee shall have if hee Come ; then hee shall have the land but not the mare ; "
To " my son Samuell one halfe of my land which I now live upon ; and two oxen of the younge steers two Cowes one bedd hee now lies on with his furniture and halfe my working tooles and Abiah the other halfe ; and Samuell to have one booke of Perkins a Dixonary and a gun and my best Coate and one ewe att the Iland ;"
To "my wife the other halfe of my land I now live on her life time and two oxen of the younger steers two Cowes and the use of my houshold stuffe Carts and plowes if shee marry not ; but if shee marry shee shall have a third foot in my land and Samuell the Rest ; and shee shall have foure oxen one mare that is called the black mare [p. 82] four Cowes one bedd and its furniture one pott one great kittle and one little one and one skillett halfe the pewter her life time then to yeild it up to the Children ; and if shee Doe not marry to have the use of my land att Patuxett that which Remaines that which is left which is not given to my Daughter hannah ; and that which is left Abiah to have after my wiles Decease ; if shee marry to have it the Next yeare after "
To "my wife the three bookes of Perkins Called Christs Sermon on the mount ; the great Bible Burroughs Jewell of Contentment the oyle of gladnes ; " also " two hundred of sugar ; It my wife is to have the Rome I now lodge in and the Chamber over it and to have libertie to Come to the fier to Doe her occations alsoe shee shall have the meddow that was made in John Titus lott because it is neare and shee is to have a way to the Swamp through the loft ; and if John Titus Come Samuel] is to have two accars out of his lott that is not broken up and my wife is to have the Rest ; and Samuel] to breake it up for her alsoe I give to my wife my Come towards house keeping and the Cloth in the house towards the Clothing herselfe and Children with her heard of swine that shee hath to serve towards houskeeping " also " three ewes att the hand if they live ; "
To "Abiah a yearling mare Coult being the white mares Coult and one yearling heifer and Ursinus Chatichisme and hellens history of the world ; and one gun and [*] about my wifes occations and soe an ewe att the Eand ; Item when the legacies are payed out the Remainder is to bee Disposed amongst the Children att the Discretion of my wife and the overseers ; Memorandum if my son Titus Come and Doe possesse the land I told hee should have ; as namely the house land and orchyard and Come Josepth had the land in two Devisions the fresh meddow salt and last layed out ; and not the fresh I fenced in ; and to pay the Rates for that hee Doe Injoy and if hee goe from it hee shall not sell it to any but his brother Samuell or his mother ;"
[p. 83] " I make my wife my sole Exequitrice and my overseers to bee Richard Bowin and John Allin and to healpfull to my wife; and I appoint my brother Carpenter to healp and to have ten shillings apeece for theire paines "
The witnesses were John Pecke and Richard Bullocke.
[p. 84] The inventory was taken 21 February, 1658, by Stephen Paine, Sr., Richard Bowin, Sr., and John Allin, Sr., "and willam Carpenter of Patuxett ". It occupies pages 84 to 90. Real estate was appraised as follows : "the house and land and accomodation att Rehoboth " £113o ; " the land and meddow att Patuxett " £6o.

.3 William departed this life on Monday, 2 February 1659/60 in Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. The inventory of William's estate was taken on Friday, 21 February 1658/59.4 His will was probated on 21 April 1659.

Family

Abigail (?)
Children

Citations

  1. [S39] Amos Bugbee Carpenter, A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family In America, pages 35-50.
  2. [S742] Michael Tepper, New World Immigrants - A Consolidation of Ship Passenger Lists & Associated Data From Periodical Literature, May 1638, passengers from Southampton intended for New England by the "Bevis" of [South] Hampton, Mr. Robert Batten - William Carpenter of Wherwell, Haunts, carpenter, age 62, William Carpenter of Wherwell, carpenter, age 33, Abigail Carpenter age 32, 4 children under 10, servant Thomas Banshott 14.
  3. [S1208] Plymouth Colony Wills & Inventories, pages 231-233 - Will of William Carpenter dated: 10 December & probated: 21 April 1659.
  4. [S1208] Plymouth Colony Wills & Inventories, page 233 - Inventory of William Carpenter dated: 21 February 1658.