USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV > Part 136
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141
Mr. Thayer married Lucy Flagg, daughter of John and Lucy (Curtis) Flagg, and she survived him. Her public-spirited generosity equalled that of her husband, and she was noted for her charity and benevolence. During the Civil war she aided much in relieving the wants of the soldiers, and otherwise providing for their comfort. She died at her home in Thayer's Court, June 24, 1874. Andrew E. and Lucy (Flagg) Thayer were the parents of several children, of whom are now living : Lucy F. and Katharine M. Thayer.
(For Ancestry See Pages 869-71.) (V) John, third son 'of Tristram BARNARD (2) and Dorothy Currier Barnard, was born February 29, 1747, in Amesbury, and died in that town in 1794. His will was executed on the 19th of September of that year, and proved on the 27th of the following month. He had purchased a farm in Weare, New Hampshire, but died before his removal thither. His farm . in Amesbury was sold to Daniel Barnard. The inten- tion of his marriage to Dorothy Challis was pub- lished. and it is presumed that she became his wife. His children were: Moses, John and Eliphalet.
(VI) Moses, eldest son of Tristram and Doro- thy (Challis) Barnard, was born in 1781 in Ames- bury. He removed to Acworth in 1800, and in 1802 settled on a farin, where he resided with his wife sixty-two years. He married Polly Gove, who was born March 13, 1785, in Weare, daughter of Elijah and Sarah (Mills) Gove. Elijah Gove was born May 20, 1752, in Hampton, New Hampshire, and died in Weare. He was one of the signers of the association test in that town, and served two enlistments in the Revolutionary army. His first service was one month in a New York regiment, and he was later a private in Captain Samuel Phil- brick's company. Colonel Moore's regiment, which marched from Weare to Charlestown, New Hamp- shire, on the Alarm in July, 1777. He was a son of Jonathan Gove, who was born in 1695, and mar- ried (first), Mary Lancaster; and (second) Han- nah Worthen. He was a son of John Gove. (See Gove, III). The children of Moses Barnard were : Sarah, Dorothy, Mary, John (died young), Mel- vina, Squier Page. Emily M., Lucina. John M., George, William C., and an infant daughter deceased. (VII) Dorothy, second daughter of Moses and Polly (Gove) Barnard, was born in 1803, in Weare, and was married (first), to Sylvanus Miller, and (second), became the first wife of Reuben Shep- ardson. (See Shepardson, VIII).
(For Ancestry See Pages 837-8.)
(VIII) Jeremiah, eighth child and FOLSOM third son of Deacon John (2) and Abigail (Perkins) Folsom, was born probably in 1685, and died in 1757. He settled about
1712 on a farm of one hundred acres which he in- herited from his father, just south of Newmarket Village, where in 1719 he built a brick house which was standing in 1874. He was a good farmer and an enterprising business man and left much land to his children at his death. He married, probably in 1705, Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown. Their children were: Nathan, Jeremiah, Elizabeth, Susan, Abigail, Sarah, Ann and John.
(IX) Colonel Jeremiah (2), second son and child of Jeremiah (I) and Elizabeth Folsom, was born in Newmarket, July 25, 1719. and died in 1802, aged cighty-three years. In 1767 he was an inn- holder in Newmarket. He held very strong views on religion, was punctual in attendance at church, and a devoted follower of the Evangelist Whitefield. He married, March 28, 1742, Mary Hersey, and they had ten children: Jeremiah, John, Peter, Simcon, Josiah, Levi, Enoch. Jacob, Mary and Samuel.
(X) Levi, sixth son and child of Colonel Jere- miah and Mary (Hersey) Folsom, was born in Newmarket, July 12, 1753, and died June 21, 1844, aged nearly ninety-one years. He removed in 1779 to the new settlement in Tamworth. He married, in Newmarket, December 4, 1777, Joanna Weeks, of Greenland. She was born December 31. 1755, and was the orphan daughter of Dr. John and Martha (Wingate) Weeks, of Hampton, and was brought up and educated by her brothers and sisters. She died in Tamworth, July 17, 1826, aged seventy-one years. Both were born in affluent circumstances, but received scarcely anything from the estates of their parents, and found it hard in a new settle- ment to provide for their nine children. She was better qualified to instruct them in the knowledge of books than to provide for their material wants, and left them the influence of an intelligent chris- tian mother. She was much loved and highly re- spected by those who knew her best. The children of Levi and Joanna were: Ward Weeks, Jeremiah, Elizabeth, John Weeks, Levi, Joanna, Mary. Mar- tha Wingate and George Frost.
(XI) Colonel Levi (2), fifth child and fourth son of Levi (1) and Joanna (Weeks) Folsom, was born in Sandwich, April 11, 1788, and died Decem- ber 9, 1841. He was a farmer and a lumberman, and erected mills on the Bearcamp river. In both civil and military life he was a leading citizen, and held various offices. He married Lydia, a daughter of Thorn Dodge, of Wenham. Massachusetts. (see Dodge, VIII). She died of fever, May 7, 1824. at the age of thirty, leaving six small children: Eliza- beth, Joanna Weeks, John Thorn Dodge, Martha, Levi Woodbury and Lydia D.
(XII) John Thorn Dodge, third child and eldest son of Colonel Levi (2) and Lydia (Dodge ) Fol- som, was born in Tamworth, April 6, 1818. He married. April 14, 1842, in Wenham, Massachusetts, Asenath Whipple, and settled in South Tamworth, where for many years he was postmaster. Ascnath Whipple was born February 27: 1822, in New Bos- ton, New Hampshire, only daughter of Dr. Robert Whipple, and is still living. She has living four daughters, ten grandchildren and eight great-grand- children. She had six children: Lydia D., Judith M. (died young), Judith Madeline, Elizabeth Ann, Helen Asenatlı and Joanna Weeks.
(XIII) Helen Asenath, fifth daughter and child of John T. D. and Ascnath (Whipple) Folsom, was born in Tamworth. August 15, 1854, and mar- ried September 14, 1876, Charles H. Smart, of Ossi- pee Center, (see Smart second family, III), and
2034
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
has : Annie May, Charles Ellis and Harry Preston.
(For Ancestry Sce Page 832.)
(II) Edward, third son of James
ORDWAY and Anne (Emery) Ordway, was born September 17, 1653, in New- bury, and resided there, where he was married De- cember 12, 1678, to Mary Wood.
(III) Edward (2), son of Edward (I) and Mary (Wood) Ordway, was born about 1695, and passed his life in Newbury. He was married there August 1, 1728, to Katherine Hill.
(IV) Edward (3), son of Edward (2) and Katherine (Hill) Ordway, was born July 15, 1742, and died in 1834. He was a Revolutionary soldier, joining the ill-fated expedition against Canada un- der Benedict Arnold in the winter of 1775-6. In relating his experience of that terrible winter he used to say, "A man is hungry when he can eat his boots." He became totally blind before his death, which occurred at his home in Sutton, New Hamp- shire, June 21, 1834, at the age of ninety-four years. He was a pioneer settler in Sutton, where he cleared up a farm. He was married December 29, 1776, to Elizabeth Eaton, who died on the same day that he did, at the age of eighty-two years. They were buried in a cemetery at Warner Village, near the present railroad station. Their children were : Giles, Joseph, Edward, Daniel, Betsey and Han- nah.
(V) Giles, eldest child of Edward (3) and Elizabeth (Eaton) Ordway, was born October 4, 1777, in Haverhill. Massachusetts, and was an old- time carpenter and joiner, which in his day in- cluded painting and glazing, all the 'work being done bv handicraft. He moved from Haverhill to Bow, New Hampshire, about 1820, and to Concord in 1821. He built a set of buildings on the east side of South street, near Bow line, where both he and his wife died. He was married December 2, 1802, to Elizabeth Webster, who was born January 29, 1779, a daughter of James and Mehitable (Rollins) Webster. (See Webster V). She died October 5, 1834 and he survived her more than twelve years, passing away May 31, 1847. Their children were: Eliza. Giles, Webster, Harriet and Albert.
(VI) Eliza, eldest child of Giles and Elizabeth (Webster) Ordway, was born December II, 1808, in Haverhill, and was married September 18, 1826, to Benjamin (2) Wheeler, of Bow. (See Wheeler VII).
(For Ancestry See Pages 516-18.) (IV) William, eldest son of PICKERING Thomas (2) and Mary (Janvrin) Pickering, was a farmer in New- ington and Greenland. He was born in 1745. and died May 16, 1795. He showed the true stock and spirit of his ancestors, and though not a man who made a show in life he had a good property, and his children were brought up to do credit to the family name. He married Abigail Fabyan, of New- ington, and had ten children, three of whom, John, Stephen and Daniel, became residents of Wolfbor- ough.
(V) Daniel, son of William and Abigail (Fa- byan) Pickering, was born in Greenland, November 22, 1795. and died in Wolfborough. February 14, 1856. The following excellent sketch of him is taken from the History of Carroll County. edited by Georgia Drew Merrill. He passed his early life in Greenland, and was educated at the Brackett Academy of Greenland, and Phillips Exeter Acad-
emy. On arriving at maturity he went to Wolf- borough, where his brother John had previously located, and built a hotel, and there at once en- gaged in merchandising. He was successful, and soon erected the store at Pickering's Corner, oppo- site the "Pavilion," and continued in business as a merchant for thirty-five years. He carried the larg- est stock of goods in Carroll county, and drew trade from a territory of thirty miles in radius. At one time he had three stores in active operation : that at Wolfborough village, one at Goose Corner, and one at Tuftonborough. For many years much of the pay for goods was given in products of the farm and forests, and Mr. Pickering had many teams engaged in drawing these to Portsmouth and returning with the goods. He was a natural sales- man. It is said that "He was the pleasantest man that ever waited on a customer," and he made the hearts of the children glad by his plenteous gifts of "goodies." He always gave a liberal allowance of the commodity sold, and the wealth he acquired was untainted with short weight or false measure, and the confidence of the community was secured by his fair dealing. About 1840 he formed a partner- ship with John N. Brackett, Ira P. Nudd and Moses Thompson to carry on the manufacture of shoes for Boston parties in connection with merchandising. The firm was Pickering, Brackett & Company for two years, when Freeman Cotton succeeded Mr. Brackett, and the firm name became Pickering, Cot- ton & Company. The amount of business trans- acted by Mr. Pickering as a merchant was very large, and he was also connected with every branch of commercial activity in the town. He carried on the manufacture of brick on a large scale. In con- nection with his brother Stephen he originated and was a large owner of the Pickering Manufacturing Company, whose woolen and satinet mills were lo- cated at Mill Village, now Wolfboro Falls.
He purchased wide tracts of timber land, and carried on extensive lumbering operations, was one of the incorporators of the Wolfborough Bank, and its president. and one of the stock company that built the steamer "Lady of the Lake." He did much to develop the growth of the village of Wolfbor- ough and Mill Village. He owned a tract of land running from Pickering's Corner to the site of the Greendon House, and a large farm. He laid out his land in lots, was willing to sell one at a reasonable price, and built many houses. He lived to see a beautiful place spring up as the result of his pub- lic spirit. He erected a number of buildings in Mill Village, and aided others to build. He was the prime mover in the erection of the Pavilion Hotel. In 1820 he was one of the three persons named in the act of incorporation of the Wolfborough and Tuftonborough Academy. He sold the lot for its site at a very small price, and was later one of the trustees. The council that organized the Congrega- tional Church met at his house, and he and his wife were of the first twelve members. He was devoted to religion, was a prompt and regular attendant at all meetings, and contributed freely to build up and sustain the church and its works. He gave the lot on which the church stands to the Congrega- tional Society as long as it should be used for church purposes, and his house gave bounteous and open hospitality to its clergymen. He was an "old line" Whig in politics, and was postmaster for years, keeping the office in his store. In person he was somewhat above medium size, with dark hair and eyes, and while quiet and a man of few words in business he was very pleasant and social in society, and every one was at ease in his presence. He was
2035
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
a kind and considerate employer. a lenient creditor and benefactor to the poor, and in the circle of his home was the soul of kindness. A shrewd and far- seeing financier, he accumulated wealth. He was a valued adviser in business affairs, and the personifi- cation of punctuality, promptitude and system in all transactions. When the lamp of his life went out suddenly, while going from his some to his store, the poor lost a friend and the better element of the community one of its chief pillars.
Daniel Pickering married, June 26, 1822, Sarah C. Farrar, who was born March 3, 1801, and died November 12, 1867. daughter of Joseph and Mehita- ble (Dana) Farrar, of Wolfborough (see Farrar, VI). They began housekeeping and always lived in the building erected by John Pickering as a hotel. Three children were born of this union: Joseph W., Eliza M. and Caroline D. The first two died young. Caroline D., born August 10, 1824, married, January II. 1848, Charles Rollins, of Boston. (See Rollins, VII). She died September 2, 1907, at Wolfborough, New Hampshire.
(Preceding Generations on Page 584.) (XI) William (4), second son CARPENTER and child of William (3) and Abigail Carpenter, was born 1631. in England, and came with his father Rehoboth. He was a man of much ability, a val- uable counselor in the colony and had some educa- tional attainments, as evidenced by his excellent writings and the good condition and form of the records kept by him. He was elected town clerk of Rehoboth, May 13, 1668, and with the exception of one year continued in that capacity until 1693. In 1668 he was deputy to the general court, and in the same year was made deacon of the church. He was on the committee to settle the boundary be- tween Taunton and the North Purchase in 1670, and was one of the proprietors of the North Pur- chase and drew Meadow Lot, May 16, 1668. He was clerk to the community of the North Purchase in 1682, and was one of the committee appointed to sell the meeting house in 1683. In that year he was elected surveyor of the North Purchase and laid out eighty-three fifty-acre lots. By occupation he was a farmer. His house was located on a rise of land on the left of the road leading from the East Providence meeting house to Rehoboth, about fifty rods from the crossing of Ten Mile river. He died January 26, 1703, in Rehoboth, aged seventy-two years. His estate was valued at two hundred pounds. five shillings and four pence. He was mar- ried, October 5, 1651, to Priscilla Bonet, who died October 20, 1663, on the day her son, Benjamin, was born. William Carpenter was married (second), December 10, 1663, to Miriam Searles, who died May 1, 1722, aged ninety-three years. in Rehoboth. His children were: John, William, Priscilla, Ben- jamin, Josiah, Nathaniel. Daniel, Noah, Miriam, Obadiah, Ephraim (died young), Ephraim, Han- nah and Abigail.
(XII) Nathaniel, fifth son and sixth child of William Carpenter, and second child of his second wife. Miriam Searles was born May 12, 1667, in Rehoboth, and lived most of his early life in Se- konk, Rhode Island, and died in 1713, at Attleboro, Massachusetts. He was representative to the gen- eral court in 1724-29-33-35. He was, evidently, a good business man and became possessed of consid- erable property. His will disposes of interests in Wrentham and Rehoboth, and Ashford. Connecti- cut. To the Rehoboth Church he left "a good
tanker" (tankard) and another tanker the church at Attleboro, to be purchased out of his es- tate. He was married September 19, 1693, to Rachel Cooper, who died July 9, 1694, aged twenty-three years. He was married (second), November 17, 1695, to Mary Preston, of Dorchester, who died May 25, 1706. aged thirty-one years. His third marriage occurred July S, 1707, to widow Mary Cooper, who died April 9, 1712, aged thirty-six years. His fourth wife was Mary Baker. His chil- dren were: Nathaniel (died young), Ezekiel, Ezra, Elijah, Dan, Rachel, Nathaniel and Mary, twins; Nathaniel. died when twenty-seven days old; and Mary, died when one year old.
(XIII) Ezra, third son and child of Nathaniel and Mary (Preston) Carpenter, was born March 20, 1698, in Rehoboth, and graduated from Har- vard College in 1720. He entered upon the chris- tian ministry and was ordained at Hull, November 24, 1725, and was dismissed from the pastorate there November 23, 1746. He settled, as pastor, at Swanzey, New Hampshire. October 14, 1753, and was dismissed March 16, 1769. The same dates ap- ply also to Keene, which would indicate that he was in charge of two parishes at the same time. Keene parish was then called Upper Ashuelot, and Swan- zey, Lower Ashuelot. He died at Walpole, New Hampshire, August 26, 1785, in his eighty-eighth year. He was chaplain of the state troops from 1749 to 1763 in Massachusetts. He was married, November 28, 1723. to Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Thomas Greenwood. She was born April 5, 1704, and died March 12. 1766, in her sixty-second year. Their children were: Elizabeth, Elijah, Theodosia, Greenwood, Preston, Olive, Content, married John Kilburn, and Rachel.
The following was taken from the cemetery in Walpole, New Hampshire, located on the south middle of the old lot, near where the old Kilburn stone used to stand :
"In memory of the Rev. Ezra Carpenter, Born Attleborou April Ist. 1698. Educated at the Uni- versity of Cambridge-36 years pastor of ye church of Christ-21 at Hull and 15 at Swanzey. An able Divine, sound in ye faith, and a rational preacher of the gospel, respectable for his erudition of manners, easy and polite in his conversation. Pious and entertaining. A faithful shepherd. A kind husband, affectionate parent, a lover of good men, given to hospitality. As Christ was his. hope of glory, so in the full assurance of ye mercy of God to eternal life, he died at Walpole Aug. 26, 1785, Aetatis 88 Dum Pulvis Christo Chartes, Huec dulce dormit, Expectaris Stellum Matutinam."
(XIV) Greenwood, second son and fourth child of Rev. Ezra and Elizabeth (Greenwood) Carpen- ter, was born March 31, 1733, in Hull, Massachu- setts, and died February 3: 1809, in Swanzey, New Hampshire. He first resided in Charlestown, Mas- sachusetts, and about 1756 removed thence to Swan- zey, New Hampshire, where the remainder of his life was passed. He was taxed upon property in Charlestown in 1756 for the last time. He enlisted July 12, 1779, in the Continental army, for one year, from Swanzey, in the Sixth Regiment, and his com- pensation was recorded at five pounds per month. On March 21, 1781, he enlisted for three years, un- der Captain Ried, in the third company from Swan- zey. He was married February 10, 1753. to Sally Leathers and (second), to Susan Hammond, who died February 3, 1809. Four of his children were born in Charlestown, and the remainder in Swan- zey, namely : I. William, born at Charlestown,
2036
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Massachusetts. married Lucy Sumner, of Swanzey, New Hampshire, died at Potsdam, New York. 2. Betsey, born at Charlestown, Massachusetts, mar- ried Sylvanus Hastings, of Charlestown, New Hampshire, she died in Lashute, Canada East. 3. Olive, born at Charlestown. Massachusetts, married Joseph Barrows, of Walpole. New Hampshire, she died in Ohio. Children of second marriage: 4. Theodosia, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire, Oc- tober 24, 1774; she married Dr. John Jackson, of Lebanon, New Hampshire; she died at Swanzey, New Hampshire, August 7, 1822. 5. Hastings, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire, March 22, 1776; he married Maria Hooppole, of Schenectady, New York; he died at Canada, March 1, 1815. 6. Abi- gail, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire, October 7, 1777, married Eber Hubbard, of Glastonbury, Con- necticut ; she died at Fulton. New York, March 5, 1839. 7. Elijah, born at Swanzey, New Hamp- shire, December 23, 1779; he married Fanny Part- ridge, of Montague, Massachusetts; he died at Swanzey, New Hampshire, October 24, 1861. 8. Consider, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire, Feb- ruary 19, 1781. married (first), Thankful Belding, of Swanzey, New Hampshire; she died at Swan- zey, New Hampshire, March 6, 1815. He married (second). Fanny Leonard, of Keene, New Hamp- shire. He died at Swanzey, New Hampshire, De- cember 31, 1857. 9. Daniel, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire. October 26, 1782, married Roxana Crof- ford, of Potsdam, New York. He married (sec- ond), Sally Baker, of Potsdam, New York. He died at Potsdam, New York. 10. Ezra, born at Swanzey, New Hampshire, July 27, 1784, died at Schenectady, New York, August 23. 1805. II. Su- san, born in Swanzey, New Hampshire, September 10, 1786, died at Seneca Hill, New York, July 31, 1871. 12. Sophronia, born November 29, 1788, died in Swanzey. New Hampshire, April 18, 1810. 13. Preston, born May 3, 1782, died at Genesee, New York. September 5, 1814.
(XV) Elijah, son of Greenwood and Susan (Hammond) Carpenter. was born December 23, 1779, in Swanzey, and died October 24, 1861, in that town. where he was a farmer on the paternal home- stead during all of his life. This farm consisted of one hundred and fifty acres, and by his industry and judicious management it was made to give him a good income. He was an extremely conscientious man, making the golden rule his guide in life, and he enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his fellows to a marked degree. He was possessed of consider- able legal knowledge, and because of this and his natural ablity he exercised a wide influence. He was a member of the legislature several terms, was a state senator and served ten years as high sheriff, and was deputy sheriff until after he was sixty years old. He was spoken of as "Squire" Carpen- ter, and according to the custom of the times wore a sword while attending court in the capacity of high sheriff. Mr. Carpenter was married, Decem- ber II, 1815, to Fanny Partridge, daughter of Amariah Partridge. She was born November I, 1787, in Montague, Massachusetts. and died March IO. 1876, in Algona, Iowa. Her children were: Thankful G., born February 14, 1817, married (first), Joshua Wyman; (second), Zebina Knights. Harriet R., born May 4, 1819, married Nathan Watkins. Julia A., died in infancy. Julia A .. born May 15, 1823, married Cyril R. Aldrich. Elizabeth G., born December 20, 1825. George, mentioned be- low. Elijah P., born April 10, 1831, died in Keene, October 31, 1872.
(XVI) George, sixth child and elder son of
Elijah and Fanny (Partridge) Carpenter, was born September 13, 1828. in Swanzey, where he still re- sides. He attended the common schools of his na- tive town and Mount Caesar Seminary and acade- mies at Ludlow and Saxton's River, Vermont. He engaged in roofing business at Springfield, Massa- chusetts, and continued there about two years, his work being distributed over a wide district in the vicinity of Springfield. In 1852 he went to Califor- nia, and remained three years. In 1885 he returned to his native town and settled upon the paternal homestead, which is known as Valley View Farm, and located at Swanzey Centre. Mr. Carpenter has always been a student and has kept abreast of the progress of his time, through study and reading. With his wife he began the Chautauqua course in 1883, and graduated in the "Pansy Class" of 1887. He subsquently pursued a university course a num- ber of years under able instructors. He has been much interested in questions of political economy, and has been identified with various movements cal- culated to promote reform in the national govern- ment. He was reared a Democrat and has been af- filiated with the Greenback party, which nominated him for congress in 1882, and for governor in 1884 and 1886. In 1892 he was a candidate of the Peo- ple's party for presidential elector, and continued his alliance with that organization and supported William J. Bryan for the presidency in 1896.
The Carpenter homestead is one of the most in- teresting points in Swanzey, being the location of an old Indian fort. It has been in the possession of the family since 1753, one hundred and fifty-four years, and has been handed down for four genera- tions. Mr. Carpenter's water supply is obtained from the same spring which supplied the fort. The farm now contains about two hundred acres of land and in addition Mr. Carpenter has acquired about four hundred acres of outlaying timber land. The old farm is still divided into fields by the original heavy stone walls. Much of the ground is now per- mitted to grow up timber and but a limited amount is devoted to the growth of crops. The buildings are pleasantly located, surrounded with majestic pines and are indicative of the comfort and refine- ment which are characteristic of the best New Eng- land homes.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.