Thomas Carpenter III was born October 24, 1733, in Rehoboth,

Province of Massachusetts The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of E ...

and died April 26, 1807, in Rehoboth. He was an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

officer who served as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in the

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

Militia (United States) and commanded the First Bristol Regiment from 1776 to 1780. Carpenter was elected as a delegate in 1774 to represent Rehoboth for the

Massachusetts Provincial Congress The Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1780) was a provisional government created in the Province of Massachusetts Bay early in the American Revolution. Based on the terms of the colonial charter, it exercised ''de facto'' control over the ...

and was elected Deputy to the

General Court of Massachusetts The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, w ...

in 1775. Carpenter built the now historic Col. Thomas Carpenter III House for his wife in 1755. It is located at 77 Bay State Road in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1983.

Family

Thomas Carpenter married on December 26, 1754, Elizabeth Moulton (born 1736 Bristol County, Massachusetts, died May 17, 1804, in Rehoboth) and they moved into the then newly built house (now on 77 Bay State Road) before it was fully finished in September 1755. On December 22, 1755, their first daughter Elizabeth was born in their new home.Carpenter, Amos B. ''A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America'', a.k.a. "The Carpenter Memorial", Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, Mass., 1898, reprinted and duplicated by many organizations in print, CD, and DVD formats. Note: This 900-plus page tome was remarkable for its day, but many corrections has been made in the genealogies it contains over the last century. The best compiled corrections to this work and related lines is in the "Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters 2009", data DVD format. Subject is number 775 on page 136 and 137 in the Carpenter Memorial with his family on page 255 and 256 (# 279).Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters 2009 (DVD format). Thomas Carpenter is listed as RIN 20748.Rehoboth, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1642–1896, NEHGS research library, call number REF F74/R3/A6. By August 1776 they would have twelve children born in their house. Unfortunately, several children would also die within the walls of their home. These were an unknown child in 1759, Sarah in 1775 who was age 15, William in 1763 as an infant, James in 1764 as an infant, and Nathan in 1772 who died as an infant. Another Nathan, age 12½, in 1789 may have died due to an accident outside the house. Those children who reached maturity were Elizabeth (born 1755), Thomas (born 1758), Stephen (born 1765), James (born 1767), Rebecca (born 1769), and Peter (born 1772). Colonel Thomas Carpenter was the son of Thomas Carpenter (born 1692 and died 1779 in Rehoboth) and Mary Barstow (born about 1696 and died 1783 in Rehoboth) and he was the great great grandson of the William Carpenter the immigrant who was born in England in 1605 of the

Rehoboth Carpenter family The Rehoboth Carpenter family is an American family that helped settle the town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts in 1644. Note: This book has been reprinted and duplicated by many organizations in print, CD, DVD, & digital formats. This 900-plus page tom ...

Career

"October 3, 1774. The town Rehoboth chose Capt. Thomas Carpenter a delegate to represent them for the

that was organized on October 7, 1774. This was the first autonomous government of the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th cent ...

which later became the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

.Mass. soldiers & sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol 1.Tilton, George H., Rev., ''History of Rehoboth, Massachusetts 1643–1918'', Boston, Mass, 1918. Carpenter was elected Deputy to the

in 1775. Carpenter is listed often as a farmer, but served Rehoboth throughout his life in numerous jobs, committees and positions from the 1750s until the 1890s where his name is no longer seen on various public records.

Revolutionary War

Carpenter was commissioned Colonel of a Bristol

Militaa Regiment on February 10, 1776. He commanded the First Bristol Regiment from 1776 to 1780. Col. Thomas Carpenter had 130 men fit for duty as by returns of General H. Parsons of the Provincial Army dated November 3, 1776.''Massachusetts Historical & Gen. Records'' volume 1-3. The First Bristol Regiment, also known as Carpenter's Regiment, was under Major General Lincoln's command 1776 to 1779. A document dated November 28, 1776, from Boston indicates he marched to New York and he was noted in dispatches. What he was noted for is unknown. Carpenter's name and signature appears on a petition asking for a new choice of officers dated at Rehoboth, June 26, 1728. Carpenter served on the Rhode Island expedition July 24, 1778, serving 1 month and 19 days. Carpenter's Regiment was under Brigadier General Godfrey's Brigade by July 5, 1779. His regiment served at Tiverton, July 26, 1780, for seven days. And served again at Tiverton dated August 1, 1780, for 9 days. On August 18, 1778, Carpenter's Regiment was ordered to Rhode Island for the campaign. On August 29, 1778, his Regiment saw action and he was distinguished for his activity and bravery. Several of his soldiers, residents of Rehoboth, were killed in this action.

Historic house

The Col. Thomas Carpenter III House is a historic

house at 77 Bay State Road in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. It is a Georgian architecture style house built in 1755 and was added to the NRHP in 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Thomas 3 1733 births 1807 deaths People from Rehoboth, Massachusetts Massachusetts militiamen in the American Revolution

Family

Career

Revolutionary War

Historic house

See also

References