GENERATION 10

GENERATION 9

Biography

Dea. WILLIAM CARPENTER came to America with his parents in 1638, and settled in Rehoboth, Bristol, MA. He married PRISCILLA BENNETT (sometimes spelled BONNET) on Oct. 5, 1651. He was elected Town Clerk of Rehoboth, May 13, 1668 and held that office until his death, with the exception of the year 1693.

WILLIAM was sent a deputy to the Plymouth Court in 1668. He was one of the purchasers of the north purchase, and drew his lot in the meadow, May 26, 1668. During the same year he was sent to the General Court of Plymouth as deputy and later the same year was defendant in that court; also in 1668, he was chosen deacon of the church. In 1670 he was one of a committee to settle the bounds between the town of Taunton and the north purchase. He was clerk of the community of north purchase in 1682, and in 1683 was one of a committee to sell the meetinghouse.

In 1685 WILLIAM was chosen to survey the 83 fifty-acre lots for the shareholders of the north purchase. He was a man of superior ability, accurate in all of his business transactions, and a reliable councillor in the colony; and he was noted also for his superior penmanship, as all of his writings show. His house stood on the left hand side of the road leading from the East Providence meetinghouse to Rehoboth, some 50 to 60 rods from the crossing of the "ten mile river", on a rise of land, which was one of the most pleasant spots for a house in the locality. His estate amounted to more than 215 pounds.

PRISCILLA died Oct. 20, 1663, the day she gave birth to BENJAMIN. WILLIAM married second, Miriam Sale, on Dec. 10, 1663 at Rehoboth. He died Jan. 26, 1702/03. Both WILLIAM and PRISCILLA are buried at Newman Cemetery, East Providence, RI (formerly Rehoboth, MA).