GENERATION 8

GENERATION 7

Biography

BENJAMIN CARPENTER II was born in Northampton, Hampshire, MA, on Oct. 3, 1695. The family moved to Coventry, Tolland, CT, in 1709. The town of Coventry dates from about that year when sachem, Joshua of the Mohegans gave the right to make settlements there to a number of Hartford families. The town was incorporated in 1712. It was named after Coventry, England, and is best known as the birthplace of Nathan Hale.

BENJAMIN married REBECCA SMITH, Apr. 12, 1727, in Coventry, and they settled in North Coventry, near the Bolton line, on the lot of land lying between Isaac Keeney's and the West school house. The distance to the church in Coventry was so great that in 1739, BENJAMIN, his brother Jedediah and several of their neighbors, wishing to be in the town of Bolton, petitioned the people of that town to assist them in having the dividing line between the towns changed. This was not done, but about 1745, a church was built in North Coventry, and called Coventry Second Church. Unfortunately the early records of the church have been lost, so that little is known about some of the families of this district.

BENJAMIN was a corporal in the Connecticut militia during the French & Indian War, assigned to the 1st Company of the 2nd Regiment, under Col. Nathan Whiting. He was in the Campaign of 1760, during the final stages of the war, probably at Ft. George, NY.

BENJAMIN and REBECCA died in North Coventry and were buried at the old Porter Farm Cemetery, now called the Silver Street Cemetery, just South of Route 44 in North Coventry. Interments were made in this cemetery from 1773 to 1810, when the people decided to abandon it because of the flooding of the graves by springs. Unfortunately, no care was taken to preserve the place. By 1912, "the little cemetery was completely covered with trees, with a tangle of underbrush hiding the prostrate tombstones." However, the cemetery has been restored and now is in good repair.

"to his wife Rebecka, and to his sixth son Levi Carpenter, who now lives in the house with me, all my land, dwellings, and buildings I die possessed of in Coventry".

"Unto Dan Carpenter, Elijah Carpenter, Comfort Carpenter, Levi Carpenter, Reuben Carpenter, Esther Porter, Lois Baker, the heirs of my son Benjamin Carpenter and the heirs of my son Joseph Carpenter, deceased, and the children of my daughter Mary Jewett, all my moveable estate to be equally divided considering the heirs of my dead children as one of my children. My sons Dan and Levi Carpenter sole executors."

Witnesses: Daniel Badger, Ichabod Marshall, Olive Pierce.

Will probated: June, 1785.

In the distribution of the estate Sep. 13, 1794, Esther Porter is called Esther Cook ye oldest daughter of Benjamin Carpenter."

An intention of marriage was made between REBECCA SMITH and BENJAMIN CARPENTER on July 22, 1726, in Suffield, MA (now Connecticut).

REBECCA SMITH was born between Feb. 3, 1705 and Feb. 3, 1706 based on the inscriptions on her tombstone at the Old Porter Cemetery in Coventry. She died in the "83 year of her age". For years she was thought to have been the daughter of Philip Smith and Mary Bliss. There is now some evidence that shows that Rebecca Smith (daughter of Philip Smith) was married to Jonathan Pitkin of Hartford. One other Rebecca Smith was born during the known one- year period of birth, the daughter of Nathaniel Smith and Mary Dickinson. That particular Rebecca Smith was born Apr. 4, 1705, in Hatfield, Hampshire, MA. According to Sylvester Judd, she married Jonathan Wells, but no date is given, nor is the parentage of Jonathan Wells.

Rebecca, daughter of Philip Smith, was born in Hadley, MA and lived in Springfield, MA. Rebecca, daughter of Nathaniel Smith, was born in Hatfield, MA. BENJAMIN lived in Northampton, MA, before settling in Coventry. His father, BENJAMIN Sr., moved to Coventry about 1709.