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Descendants of Richard Carpenter


108. JESSE14 CARPENTER (JOSEPH13, SAMUEL12, JOHN11, WILLIAM10, WILLIAM9, ROBERT8, JOHN7, JAMES6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1740 in Chester, New York151, and died Abt. 1815151. He married SALLY SEELEY151.

Notes for J
ESSE CARPENTER:
Jesse lived near Goshen until after 1806. Then he moved to Chemung County and bought a farm about six miles southeast from Elmira and here died.

He was a Revolutionary soldier; was captured at Fort Washington and was imprisoned in the old sugar house in New York. Another account says: "He took some part in the Revolutionary struggle for liberty; he was a soldier at Fort Washington on the Hudson River and taken prisoner by the British and taken to New York and put in the old sugar house prison and kept through the winter; he suffered extremely with the cold and ran up and down stairs many a night to keep from freezing."




More About S
ALLY SEELEY:
Residence: Of Orange County, New York151
     
Children of J
ESSE CARPENTER and SALLY SEELEY are:
189. i.   JOSEPH15 CARPENTER, b. Abt. 1784, Chester, New York; d. May 21, 1829.
190. ii.   JESSE CARPENTER, b. Abt. 1787, Chester, New York; d. July 11, 1859.
  iii.   CLARISSA CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Chester, New York151; m. DAVID ROE152.
  More About DAVID ROE:
Residence: Of Chester, Orange, New York152

  iv.   HANNAH CARPENTER, b. Unknown153; m. DAVID ROE154.
  Notes for HANNAH CARPENTER:
It is so reported to the compiler, she might have been his 2nd wife.


109. SAMUEL14 CARPENTER (SAMUEL13, SAMUEL12, JOHN11, WILLIAM10, WILLIAM9, ROBERT8, JOHN7, JAMES6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1734 in Jamaica, Long Island, New York154, and died Abt. 1800 in Florida, New York154. He married BETSEY ALLISON154.

Notes for S
AMUEL CARPENTER:
He lived on a farm about a mile from Goshen, N.Y. He died at Florida, N.Y. when on a visit to his son Daniel.

He volunteered at the battle of Minisink and was appointed Captain to guard the women and children at the Goshen Court House; hence was not in that disastrous battle. Military: Samuel is no doubt the Samuel who enlisted as Sergeant in Capt. George White's Company, 2d battalion, New York, at Fort George, Oct. 13, 1775. We think it was the same Samuel who enlisted as private in Capt. Denton's company, 3d New York, commanded by Col. James Clinton, June 28, 1775. This regiment was raised in Orange county, N.Y.



     
Children of S
AMUEL CARPENTER and BETSEY ALLISON are:
  i.   SAMUEL15 CARPENTER, b. 1754, Goshen, Orange, New York154; m. ANNA UNKNOWN154.
  Notes for SAMUEL CARPENTER:
He enlisted in the Revolutionary war when he was 21 years of age July 9, 1775 from Goshen, Orange Co., N.Y. He applied for pension Sept 27, 1832, when he was 78 years of age; he was then residing in Licking Co., Ohio. His pension was allowed for ten months and six days service as a private in the New York troops.
A part of the time he served under Captain Denton and Colonel Clinton. His widow Anna also received a pension for the services of her husband as above.



  More About SAMUEL CARPENTER:
Residence: Licking County, Ohio154

191. ii.   BENJAMIN CARPENTER, b. May 20, 1767, Goshen, Orange, New York; d. 1833.
192. iii.   DANIEL CARPENTER, b. April 26, 1771, Goshen, Orange, New York; d. August 10, 1863.
  iv.   ABBY CARPENTER, b. August 10, 1775, Goshen, New York154.
193. v.   WILLIAM ALLISON CARPENTER, b. April 05, 1781, Goshen, Orange, New York; d. December 21, 1858.
194. vi.   MARGARET CARPENTER, b. July 25, 1784, Goshen, Orange, New York; d. 1809.
195. vii.   MARTHA CARPENTER, b. Unknown.
  viii.   MARY CARPENTER, b. Unknown154; m. (1) UNKNOWN ENSIGN155; m. (2) STEPHEN SEARS155.
  Notes for MARY CARPENTER:
Moved to the state of New Jersey. She was living in 1797.


  ix.   PEGGY CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York156.
196. x.   POLLY CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York.


110. JOSHUA14 CARPENTER (SAMUEL13, SAMUEL12, JOHN11, WILLIAM10, WILLIAM9, ROBERT8, JOHN7, JAMES6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1740 in Jamaica, Long Island, New York156. He married HANNAH LUDHAM157.

Notes for J
OSHUA CARPENTER:
He bought land in Jamaica in 1756. Joshua removed from Jamaica and settled near Elmira.
     
Children of J
OSHUA CARPENTER and HANNAH LUDHAM are:
  i.   RUTH15 CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Jamaica, Long Island, New York157.
  ii.   HANNAH CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Jamaica, Long Island, New York157.
  iii.   JUDITH CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Jamaica, Long Island, New York157.
  iv.   RACHEL CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Jamaica, Long Island, New York157.
  v.   MILLICENT CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Jamaica, Long Island, New York157; m. BENJAMIN VAUGHAN157, October 05, 1809, Warwick, Rhode Island157.


111. RICHARD14 CARPENTER (SAMUEL13, SAMUEL12, JOHN11, WILLIAM10, WILLIAM9, ROBERT8, JOHN7, JAMES6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1745158. He married ELIZABETH BRACKETT159 in King's Chapel159.

Notes for R
ICHARD CARPENTER:
When a General takes the command of an army, the first measures taken are to learn the strength and plans of the enemy. This is accomplished generally through the agency of spies. According to the rules of war, spies are not treated as prisoners of war, but are tried and if convicted are immediately executed. There are only a few persons who are willing to run the risk of being taken prisoner and executed. The importance of such a mission cannot be estimated. No person would be selected unless he was well known and trustworthy. He must be a person of courage, capable of assuming and representing different characters, cunning, shrewd and discreet.

The compiler believes that When General Washington took the command of the Continental forces, all the above qualities were found in the person of Richard Carpenter, of Goshen, N.Y. and that it was by the solicitation of General Washington in person that Richard consented to comply with his request, considering freedom worth more to the colonist than life. Without the usual parting words with his friends he starts off with Washington for Boston. It would not be prudent for his friends to know his mission. We can find no record or even a tradition to show that Richard of Goshen and Richard the Spy are one and
the same person.

There is a tradition that Richard the spy was taken by the British and accused of being a spy and imprisoned on an English war vessel in Boston Harbor, he claiming to be an Irishman, an emigrant from Ireland, and was not connected with the Revolution, imitating the Irish brogue so accurately that they were unable to convict him but kept him a prisoner, he was taken sick and died a prisoner, claiming to the last that he was an Irishman.

Richard resided on a lot of 100 acres near where his father lived, in the same school district about two miles from the village of Goshen.

Another tradition that he was taken prisoner and convicted of being a spy and was executed about 1781 or 1782, and his wife with the younger child in her arms was permitted to visit him the night before he was executed, both traditions agree that he claimed to be an Irishman, and is called Richard the spy.

His descendants who mostly reside in Boston know no more of his connection with the Carpenter family than is contained in the above traditions.

From all we have been able to gather from tradition and records of the family we think it will convince the reader beyond a reasonable doubt that Richard of Goshen is Richard the spy.

Richard of Goshen was b. about 1748, son of Samuel Carpenter, also Richard's eldest brother was named Samuel, a family of nine children. The father died in 1752 before Samuel, his eldest, was 2 I years of age. Richard was the sixth son. The seventh child was a daughter named Abigail. She probably Was a twin to Richard as given in the record of the family,

Richard married and settled on a 100 acre lot in district No.10, about two miles from the village of Goshen; a daughter Phebe was born in 1774. His father's estate was in the same district or vicinity.

Three of his brothers, via., Samuel, John and Benjamin, resided in the same district and a widow Mary Carpenter.

It appears that nearly all of the brothers of Richard served in some capacity in the Revolution. After the death of Richard's wife in 1774, no trace can be found of Richard in or about Goshen; on tax list, sale of the 100 acre lot or the settlement
of his estate.

It is evident that the 100 acre lot went out of the possession of the family as Phebe, the only heir, when married moved to Michigan where she died.

The family of descendants of Richard the spy have a record intermixed with tradition in which we have full confidence of its correctness, viz.: Richard the spy married Hannah or Elizabeth Brackett of Boston a most estimable woman, an
acquaintance of General Washington who on all occasions when called to Boston visited them, also gave her many valuable presents, and after the death of her husband, he found her a situation in Governor Hancock's family as house-
keeper, and furnished all necessary wants till her children were large enough to support her.

Richard the spy had by his wife Hannah or Elizabeth Brackett, (her correct name is probably Hannah), 1, Samuel, probably named after Richard's father or brother Samuel; 2, William, named after Richard's brother William; 3, Richard; 4, Abigail,
she was no doubt a twin to Richard and named after the twins in his father's family; 5, Sophronia, probably named after his first wife.

Hon. George 0. Carpenter lately deceased, great-grandson of Richard the spy, states that his great grandfather m. Elizabeth Brackett at King's Chapel, had sons Samuel, William, Richard, Abigail and Sophronia; Samuel and Abigail were baptized Jan.12, 1780 or 1800, no doubt but they were the children of Richard the
spy.

Extracts from a letter from Mrs. Esther M. Woodward of Boston a Sister of George 0. Carpenter to Rev. C. C. Carpenter of Andover, Mass. "If I remember right, my great-aunt Catherine Carpenter used to tell us of her brother Richard who married a lady in Philadelphia, he must have been a son of Richard the spy." She further States in a second note, "I did not mention the other children as I was not sure about them. Samuel son of Richard had a brother William." In a letter to the compiler, she States, "I do not know of any tradition in regard to his (Richard) not being an Irishman, I have such a tradition but not from my ancestors. I have no record as to when he was married to Hannah Brackett nor of his being taken sick, etc. The information I wrote to Rev. C. C. Carpenter is traditional but unquestioned. I am sure of his having three children viz.: Samuel, Richard and Catherine and not as sure of William and Abigail."

We think it will be almost universally admitted that they are all very uncommon names to appear in an Irish family, an migrant from Ireland. Nor can another instance be shown in an American family where the names of the children appear in such regular order of their father's brothers and sisters unless they are the
same family. We think it is our duty to record Richard the spy, in the Carpenter genealogy, as, the Richard of Goshen, N.Y. The compiler regrets very much that he cannot show a more extended account of his imprisonment and death.

(An extract from a letter from Daniel H. Carpenter, of Maplewood, N. J. in 1895.)

"I have been thinking, cogitating and looking over the record I have of the Goshen Tribe, and am now fully persuaded that the 'spy' Richard Carpenter of Revolutionary fame, is no other than the son of Samuel of Orange County. Everything points that way. I doubt if an Irishman could by any means be persuaded to name a daughter Abigail. Washington in every time of pressing danger gave the well known order 'Put no one but Americans on guard tonight', and do you think that he would send out any foreigner on so hazardous an errand as Carpenter is supposed to have undertaken. No, no, I say emphatically. Of course it is greatly in be regretted that we have no direct proof concerning
Carpenters nativity or of his service to the American Colony, but I reckon that if Carpenter had given the slightest sign of a connection with the Orange County family, he would have at once been executed.

(Signed) DANIEL H. CARPENTER."

The compiler will approbate every word written by Daniel H. Carpenter, and in fact has no doubt in his own mind, of the identity of this Richard Carpenter with "Carpenter the spy."

He served as a spy under Washington's special directions and request and he died as a spy; therefore It appears to be a necessity to cover his identity as an American.

Washington showed great interest and affection for the family by making them many valuable presents when he visited Boston, which would indicate that Richard Carpenter was something more to him than a "foreigner."

     
Children of R
ICHARD CARPENTER and ELIZABETH BRACKETT are:
  i.   PHEBE15 CARPENTER, b. October 25, 1775, Goshen, Orange, New York159; d. June 10, 1853, Michigan159; m. WILLIAM DILLON159; b. April 16, 1769; d. July 26, 1814, Michigan159.
  Notes for PHEBE CARPENTER:
It appears that Phebe's fathers home farm did not fall to Phebe for when she was married she and Mr. Dillon moved to Michigan and died there.


197. ii.   SAMUEL CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York; d. Abt. 1837.
  iii.   RICHARD CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York159.
  Notes for RICHARD CARPENTER:
Mrs. Woodward states that her great-aunt Catherine, a sister of Richard, told her that he went to Pennsylvania and married a lady from Philadelphia.



  iv.   ABIGAIL CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York159.
  Notes for ABIGAIL CARPENTER:
Probably a twin to Richard.

  v.   CATHERINE CARPENTER, b. Unknown, Goshen, Orange, New York159.
  Notes for CATHERINE CARPENTER:
Catherine never married and lived with her nephew George W. B. Carpenter from 1825 till she died.


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