mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Way to Retire-Chico’s Wampum
February 21, 2013
— 2 Comments
My friend Chico lives in Cape Cod and makes wampum, a currency and an art. He turns the shells of particular beauty into individual pieces of jewelry art. The town of Falmouth, where he lives, has a big tourism business in the summer. To complete the experience the town hosts an art market. Chico is there to offer shoppers a truly local art and perfect souvenir of Falmouth. Next month he will retire from his day to day work and be a man of his own currency. While many face retirement without a good relationship to nature and life, wondering how to handle the free time they anticipate, Chico has created art as currency, and currency as art. It is light weight, tucks into a suitcase, and has historical meaning. He calls his art business Chico’s Wampum Revealed. I predict much will be revealed.
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- Chico himself
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- bracelet
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- anklets
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- at the Falmouth market
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- anklet
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- bracelet
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- necklace
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- anklet
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- anklet
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- wampum
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- wampum
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- anklet
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- wampum
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- wampum singles
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- wampum pendants
Richard Carder of the Portsmouth Compact
February 21, 2013
— 4 Comments
Portsmouth Compact
The Puritans left England for religious freedom. As soon as they arrived in New England some of them needed to be religiously free of the Puritans in Plymouth. These ultra free people formed their own “Plantations” in Rhode Island. One such Bodie Politick was Portsmouth, which made it’s political agreement in 1638 with God Himself.
The Portsmouth Compact
The following is quoted from the book Story of Dr. John Clarke; The Founder of The First Free Commonwealth of the World; on the Basis of “Full Liberty in Religious Concernments” by Thomas W. Bickness, published by the Author, Providence, R. I., 1915; third edition. Note: In the book is a picture of the compact which has been scanned in color for these pages. The transciption has been corrected to spell Phillip Shearman’s name with two “L”s and to add the words “his mark” as they appear next to Henry Bull’s name and under his mark “+”.
Prior to leaving Boston, a compact was drawn up, under date of March 7, 1638, by which a number of the leading men of the proposed Colony incorporated themselves into “A Bodie Politik” to the end that they might go to their new Plantation in a formal organization, under a chosen leader or Governor.
The compact is as follows:
The 7th Day of the First Month, 1638
We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly in the presence of Jehovah incorporate ourselves into a Bodie Politick and as He shall help, will sub- mit our persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given in His Holy Word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby. William Coddington John Clarke William Hutchinson, Jr. John Coggeshall W illiam Aspinwall Sa muel Wilbore John Porter John Sanford Edwa rd Hutchinson, Jr. Esq. Thomas Savage Willi am Dyre William Freeborne Ph illip Shearman [ John Walker Richa rd Carder Willi am Baulston Edw ard Hutchinson, Sr. + H enry Bull [“his mark” written next to name] Randal l Holden
Exodus, 24c., 3:4.II Cron., 11c., 3. II Kings, 11:17.
This compact was signed originally by twenty-three persons. The original paper is in the keeping of the Secretary of State, at the State House, Providence, a photograph of which appears on the opposite page. Four names,– Thomas Clarke, brother of John, John Johnson, William Hall and John Bright-man, Esq.,– follow the nineteen that appear above. Erasure marks have been made over these names, the reason for which it is not easy to understand as the first three were among the first recorded settlers of Newport, and Mr. Brightman may have been.
Neither was a Constitution nor a Bill of Rights for a Colony. Boston called the compact an act of incorporation. Plymouth called theirs a covenant, Boston did the act in “the presence of Jehovah,” Plymouth wrote “in the presence of God.” Boston formed a “Bodie Politick,” Plymouth called theirs a “Civill Bodie Politick.” Boston submitted their “persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ.” * * * ** “And to all those perfect and most absolute lawes of His given us in His Holy word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby.” Plymouth promised submission and obedience to such “just and equal lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices” as might be enacted, constituted and framed. Each compact had for its purpose the formation of a civil state under an orderly government. The Boston paper was probably written by Dr. John Clarke, whose piety and purpose lent a strongly religious sentiment to the document, so much so that some historians have called it theocratic. But Dr. Clarke did not classify The Christ as a theocrat, for all his writings make the great Teacher the interpreter of a new Democracy in which soul-liberty is established and enforced.
Samuel G. Arnold, our Rhode Island historian, has given a very clear and just interpretation of the Portsmouth Compact. He says, “So prominent indeed is the religious character of this instrument, that it has by some been considered, although erroneously, as being itself ‘a church covenant, which also embodied a civil compact.’ Their plans were more matured than those of the Providence settlers. To establish a Colony independent of every other was their avowed intention, and the organization of a regular government was their initial step. That their object was to lay the foundation of a Christian state, where all who bore the name might worship God according to the dictates of conscience, untrammelled by written articles of faith, and unawed by the civil power, is proved by their declarations and by their subsequent conduct.” * * * *
My 10th great grandfather was on the list signing the document breaking up totally with England, church and state. They were disarmed and put in jail by the Puritans for praying in the home of Anne Hutchinson. They decided to leave.
Richard Carder (1604 – 1675)
is my 10th great grandfather
daughter of Richard Carder
son of Mary Carder
daughter of Malachi Rhodes
daughter of Dorothy Rhoades
son of MARGARET HAMMETT
son of Benjamin Sweet
son of Paul Sweet
daughter of Valentine Sweet
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
son of Jason A Morse
son of Ernest Abner Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Portsmouth Compact
St. Verena, Coptic Healing Saint
February 21, 2013
St Verena of Egypt
I first knew St. Verena because I stayed many times a year for many years at her hotel in Baden Switzerland. It is a fantastic Belle Epoque building with plaster elephants on the dining room ceiling and a direct access to the hot spring mineral baths. Verena served one of the best ever Swiss breakfast buffets, which is saying a lot. The Swiss hotel breakfast buffet is designed to wow you, fill you, and make you a loyal customer of the establishment. As a vegetarian I do not care about all the cold cut and caviar stuff, but am an expert in knowing a good muesli bar when I find one. Verenahof had everything, but the stairs were noisy and creaky, the elevators smelled highly of sulpher, and the surrounding hotels had closed. Now it looks like Baden, with a history of spa since Roman times is having a grand reopening. I am so pleased to know that Verena will once again be serving breakfast at the bad.
I did not think too much about her until I visited Bad Zurzach on the Rhine a few years ago. She is buried there in a church. The mineral spring there was not discovered until relatively recently, but Verena was a big deal there for centuries. I saw all kinds of statuary and art of Verena, and made an attempt to read about her in German (ha!). It looked like she was from Egypt and lived in a cave in Switzerland ( aka Rome) where she became a magical healing saint. Since that was way too weird, I decided I must be translating very badly. I went to her grave and lit some candles and hung out all by myself with her a few times at the church. She does have a heavy vibe, based on the people who have come here to see her for centuries. When I arrived in the states I looked up her story and read about Coptics in the Roman army in English. Her story is even wilder than I could have imagined.
Verena grew up in Luxor and traveled to Italy to receive a Christian education. When she learned of the fate of St Maurice she went to Switzerland to look for the Theban legion. They had been decimated by the Roman Emperor Maximian. Since her army was slaughtered, she found herself in a strange land with no language skills, so she went into a cave to pray and meditate. She came out of the cave healing like crazy, and was even imprisoned for it. She is typically depicted as holding a water vessel and a comb, symbols of her work with the sick and the poor. Today you can visit the cave where she had her big empowerment. Who would guess that a third century Coptic saint would end up at Swiss spas? Another great reason to visit Bad Zurzach, where the healing complex is extensive and elegant, is the hand organ festival which they hold each year.
God Archetype
February 20, 2013
— 5 Comments
Jung’s Kundalini
One of Carl Jung’s most controversial theories was his view of the God within. He was drastically disappointed in his first communion at the Swiss Reform Church. His father was the pastor and Carl was a faithful member of his church. He expected something more, or different, when he attended that communion. He basically never stopped pursuing that ecstasy he had wanted through religion for the rest of his life.
His later years were consumed with individuation, which he considered to be the meaning of existence. He used artistic expression, dream journaling, and isolation in a primitive tower built by his own hand to achieve his own individuation. He studied ancient alchemy and philosophy. His belief that symbols contain the most direct and deep meaning lead him to study ancient texts and charts. To Jung individuation was not a substitute for God, but a deep search for the divine nature of self.
His investigations were deep and lengthy. He stated that he only studied of God as a psychological archetype and not as religious doctrine. His idea of the collective unconscious is that images and symbols are primordial. We absorb symbolic messages but do not analyze their meaning. That is why Jungian therapy can include sand box drawing, word association, and art to discover archetypes. Dream work is a pivotal part of Jungian analysis. In his tower, reading about ancient alchemists, living without modern conveniences, Jung came close to living in a dream. Most cannot afford such an extravagant personal quest for the divine, but we can all do a little dream investigation. Does God enter your dreams?
dream spiral
Captain John Whipple of Providence, Rhode Island
February 20, 2013
— 2 Comments
Providence, RI
My 10th great grandfather came to America as a teenaged indentured servant. He worked for a carpenter, and established himself in the new world. It is likely that his work during the indenture included building the first water powered grain mill in Rhode Island. He also caught and sold fish for his master. When he became a freeman (conditional on church approval and the satisfaction of his indenture) he had a farm. It is not known why he moved his large family to Providence. It is possible that Puritans pushed him like Roger Williams before him. John and his wife Sarah are centrally located at the North Burial Ground on Main Street in Providence, after having been removed from their graves in the family home garden. I look forward to visiting them when I go on ancestry round up, Puritan style, in Cape Cod and Rhode Island. I have a very high concentration of dead peeps to visit there. There is some mystery about Sarah’s birth, but we know exactly where she died.
John Whipple (1617 – 1685)
is my 10th great grandfather
Son of John
Daughter of John
Daughter of Dorothy Whipple Rhodes
Daughter of Dorothy
Son of MARGARET
Son of Benjamin
Son of Paul
Daughter of Valentine
Son of Sarah LaVina
Son of Jason A
Son of Ernest Abner
I am the daughter of Richard Arden
John was born ca 1617 based on his age at the time of death, probably in England. In 1632 he came to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in service to Israel Stoughton, carpenter. He married by about 1640, Sarah . Since John was a young, unmarried servant when he first arrived in Dorchester, it is not surprising that he does not appear in the records very often during the 1630s. However, he also generated remarkably few records between 1640 and 1658, during which period he lived in Dorchester as a married man.
On October 3, 1632 the General Court ordered that “Alex: Miller & John Wipple shall give iijs iiijd apiece to their master, Israell Stoughton, for their wasteful expense of powder & shot”. On January 2, 1637/8 John was granted eight acres in Dorchester about the mill. “John Whiplle” was the last of the Dorchester proprietors to sign his name to an agreement submitting to arbitration a dispute over the fencing and division of land.
In 1641, John and Sarah became members of the Dorchester church. On November 15, 1658 “John Whiple of Dorchester…carpenter” sold to George Minot of Dorchester “his now dwelling house and housements scituate and being in Dorchester near the River Naponset together with thirty-seven acres of upland more or less thereto adjoining,” also “eight acres of salt marsh more or less lying near the place commonly called the penny ferry”; “Sarah the wife of the said John Whiple” relinquished her dower rights.” John then moved his family to Providence, Rhode Island.
On July 27, 1659, he was received in Providence as a purchaser. On February 3, 1661/2 John Whipple Sr. petitioned for a piece of land next to his orchard, but his will was referred to the next court. On July 27, 1662 John Whipple Sr. was permitted to exchange sixty acres at Mashapauge Pond for lands at Loquasqussuck. These lands were probably the eights acres at Loquasqussuck laid out to him by Thomas Harris Sr. on April 13, 1667. On November 23, 1663 John Whipple Sr. of Providence deeded to “my son John Whipple” a houselot formerly owned by William Arnold excepting two acres, two shares of meadow, six acres of upland, sixty acres of land at Loquasqussuck. On February 19 John Whipple Sr. drew lot #45 in the division of lands east of Seven Mile Line.
On November 13, 1666 John Whipple Sr. was granted permission to exchange his sixty acres at Tare Breech Plain. On February 24, 1674 John Whipple St. gave a deed of gift to his “son Eliezer Whipple”. On April 12, 1675 he drew lot #43 in the lands on the west side of Seven Mile Line. On January 27, 1674/5 John Whipple Sr. was granted permission to change a fifty-acre division of upland. On May 24, 1675 he drew lot #91 in the land on the east side of Seven Mile Line. He was among those who “stayed and went not away” in 1676 and as such was entitled to share in the disposition of Indian captives, whose services were sold for a term of years. On June 6, 1681 John Whipple Sr. was granted permission to exchange his twenty-five acres at Goatum valley “which he bought of Mr. Benedict Arnold”. On March 4, 1683/4 John Whipple Sr. made a deed of gift to his “son David Whipple”.
John was a carpenter and tavern-keeper. In 1669 John Whipple, Sr. was paid 10s. to allow the town council to meet at this house. In 1670 the amount was raised to 20s. He took the Oath of allegiance (freeman) May 31, 1666.
John held several offices in Providence. He was Deputy to the General Court, September 4, 1666. He served on a Petit jury October 19, 1670. John was a Providence selectman, 1670, 1674, and on April 27, 1676 he was made moderator. He served as Treasurer, June 1, 1668 and Surveyor, June 6, 1670-71. John was on the Committee to run the line, January 27, 1663/4 and on the Committee to consider building a new town house. He was on a jury, May 12, 1663. He was appointed to confer about mending a bridge, January 27, 1664/5, October 28, 1667. He was appointed to a Committee to arbitrate over fences, December 2, 1666. John was an arbiter in the matter of the estate of Resolved Waterman, deceased, January 9, 1700/1. He served on the Committee to “demand & receive at every garrison what was taken from the Indians,” September 7, 1676 and on the Committee to lay out a common, April 27, 1678.
John died on May 16, 1685 at Providence. Sarah predeceased him, dying sometime in 1666.
In his will, dated May 8, 1682 and proved May 27, 1685, John Whipple Sr. of Providence “being in a great measure of health…having many children & to prevent all differences that otherwise may hereafter arise…having formerly given unto three of my sons all my lands…namely Samuell, Eliazer & William equally to be divided among them…only excepting thirty acres which I gave unto my son John at the northwest end”; to “my three aforenamed sons, namely Samuell, Eliazer & William, each of them a quarter part of one right of commoning for pasturing, cutting of timber, & firewood”; to “my son Benjamin a right of lands in the late division which is already laid out unto him”; to “my son Jonathan one division of lands”; to “my son Joseph my dwelling house & my three home lots & the garden next the river, also a six acre lot…also twenty acres near Thomas Clemence his dwelling, also I give unto my son Joseph my share of meadow near Solletarey Hill & two six acre lots…also a five acre lot lying near where William Wickenden formerly dwelt; also one division beyond the Seven Mile Line…also I do give unto my son Joseph all other divisions which shall hereafter belong unto two rights throughout”; to “my sons John, Samuell, Eliazer, William, Benjamin, David & Jonathan unto these seven twelve pence to every of them”; to “my three daughters (namely) Sarah, Mary & Abigall unto every of them ten shillings”; to “my son Joseph all my right of lands in the Narragansett Country”; to “my son Joseph” residue; “my son Joseph my executor.”
In May of 1685, Thomas Olney, Town Clerk of Providence, deposed that he had gone to John Whipple, at his request, and obtained clarification of some of the bequests:
That upon ye sixteenth day of this instant may John whipple senior of the aforesaid towne of Providence sent for to speake with him; This deponant sayth he Emediatly went to him: the said John whipple then shewed him this paper & the writeing which on ye other side of this said paper is written down, desireing this deponant to peruse it. This deponant saith he then did peruse it, & haveing well perused it, he asked the said John whipple what his mind was concerning ye lands which in ye said writeing he had desposed of to his severall sons, whether or no he did intent by that writeing, or will that ye said lands should be unto his said sons & theire Heirs & Assignes for Ever, or only unto his said sons for terme of life, he Emediatly made this Answer; That how Ever it was worded in ye said writeing yet his mind & will was that his sons Each one of them should have those lands house & Rights which hee in ye said writeing unto Each one of them had desposed, to be unto them, theire Heirs & Assignes for Ever to despose ye same or any part thereof at any time as they see cause. & that ye same was his Mind & Will when ye said will was written: And further, that whereas in ye said Will it was omitted to be inserted that his son Jonathan should have one of his Rights of land & Comoning on ye west side of ye seven mile line, yet that was his mind & will; That his son jonathan whipple should have one of his Rights of land & Comoning on ye west side of ye seven mile line to be unto him his Heires & Assignes for Ever; and that was his mind when ye said will was written, how Ever by ye scribe it was omitted. And whereas in ye first part of ye said Will there is an Exception made only of thirty acres of land to his son John by him formerly given, that he owned to be a mistake, & that ye Exception must be of sixty acres which formerly by deede of Gift he had given to his son John whipple; and all the remainder of his said farme lieing about Loquasqussuck should be devided Equally betweene his said three sons (viz) Samuell, Eliezer, & william; This saith this deponant is trueth, & that hee tooke it Emediatly from ye said John whipple his mouth & wrott it downe. And also that whereas the said Will Expresseth a quarter part of a Right of Comoning to Each of his three sons, (namely) Samuell, Eliezer & william, he said his Meaneing intent & will was that it should be so farr westward as ye Seven mile line & no further; And that the said John whipple was then when hee did declare the Same of Sound mind & of Good memory May ye 27th: 1685 upon Oath…
The inventory of John Whipple Sr. was taken May 22, 1685 and totaled £41 11s. 10d., including no real estate, viz: yoke of oxen, 2 cows, 2 yearlings, 2 two years, 2 calves, steer, 3 swine, feather bed, 7 pewter platters, 5 pewter porringers, 3 old spoon, chisel, gauge, augurs, etc.
Captain John Whipple is buried in the Whipple family plot in the North Burial Ground on Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island. Some sources indicate that John and his wife Sarah were initially buried in the garden burial site near their home. Their bodies were moved to the North Burial Ground when it was established in 1700. The headstones of John and his wife Sarah are located approximately 48 feet west-south-west of the “Dahlia Path” sign in the cemetery. On the tomb stones of John and Sarah Whipple, in the north burial ground in Providence, are the following inscriptions:
In Memory ofCapt. John Whipple, whowas born in England &Died in Providence Townye 16th Day of May AnnoDom. 1685. About 68years of age
In Memory of Mrs. SarahWhipple, wife of Capt.John Whipple. She wasborn in Dorchester, inNew England, & Died inProvidence, Anno Dom.1666. Aged about 42years
Many published genealogies state John Whipple married Sarah They or Darling ca 1639. (He would have been 22-23, she 15-16.) No evidence has been found to confirm that Sarah’s maiden name was either They or Darling. Neither appears among early Dorchester surnames; the closest being Thayer. Sarah’s tombstone states she was born in Dorchester and died in Providence in 1666, aged about 42 years. The stones do not appear to be very ancient and may have been erected fifty years or more after the decease of Capt. Whipple and his wife. But if the year and age are correct, she would have been born ca 1624. Thus, she could not have been born in Dorchester, unless she was a Neponset Indian, since Dorchester wasn’t founded until 1630. English settlers didn’t marry Indians in those days, so we can presume she was white. With a birth date of 1624, we can be sure that if she was born in New England, it must have been in Plymouth, which was settled in 1620. Travel by a ferry at a cost of a penny per person between Dorchester and Plymouth was common in 1638.
Red Book
February 19, 2013
— 2 Comments
“My friends, it is wise to nourish the soul, otherwise you will breed dragons and devils in your heart.” ~Carl Jung, Red Book, Page-232.
Carl Jung changed the history and the practice of psychiatry. His work is used today by some who are not even aware of his influence or the story of his life. The Red Book was published posthumously after being locked in a bank vault in Switzerland for many years. Finally out of the shadows itself, the book serves as a deep reference as well as an artistic guide to the underworld. How would the Red Book of your soul look? When do you plan to create it?
Drawing Red Book
Healing vs Stagnation
February 19, 2013
— 3 Comments
There is a tendency to avoid truth and maintain status quo in an effort to stay in control. This habitual use of the lowest common denominator to define reality is detrimental to wellbeing. Bernie Seigal notes in the above video that to forget is to get something for yourself. To forgive is to give something to another. The gift that everyone has to give is responsibility. We have selective memories and stories that we tell about ourselves and our circumstances. The story about the wound is the one that keeps the wound alive, whatever it may be.
Woundology is the currency exchange that places value on damage. The currency of pain only has value if you accept it and give it. Carolyn Myss coined the phrase and noticed a growth of the epidemic. Her work as a medical intuitive has been to explain and teach Why People Don’t Heal. I believe that there is a codependent heath and fitness industry that feeds the insecurity and pain as a way to make a living. I have seen this in action, although I do not think the participants had awareness of their folly. If your health and fitness story is not a clean, clear and happy one, the good news is that you can change it. Change your story by refusing to allow the past to define your present. Trade in the wounds for a brand new set of possibilities.
Passionate and Determined
February 18, 2013
Feet of Culture Clown
Zappos Insights
The number nine core value at Zappos is about passion and determination. This one may be the determining factor in my quest to make Floatli the official sport of Zappos. I am positive that many have, are currently, and will pursue a spot in Zappos future. In order to make my offer stand out in a giant crowd I accept the challenge of showing more passion, and ultimately more determination, than others who are vying to be the provider of the official sport of the company.
With any luck I will be the only one applying for this position. Zappos is full of healthy employees who enjoy working and playing. The presence of the company coach supports this balanced lifestyle. Employees can schedule coaching sessions for work or personal reasons. The popular program is much utilized, therefore a waiting list exists for appointments with her. I admire this kind of development program because a passionate determined employee is a content and personally fulfilled employee.
Zappos Education Dept
As the most insightful capitalist venture I have ever seen, Zappos screams sport. The minute you walk into the place the vibe is all about personal expression and fashion extravagance. The team spirit is overwhelming. My guide, Culture Clown, told us how she and her firefighter husband enjoy Lake Meade and participation in outdoor fitness events. She had completed a tough mudder with Marines that impressed me greatly. The reason Floatli is the perfect team sport for Zappos is that it is non competitive. What gravity does, Floatli remedies. The more you wear shoes and play tough games on land, the more you need to reverse that action. Floatli downshifts the joints and prehabilitates the body to do more sports without risk of injury. Summer is hot in Vegas, but they still have a big beautiful Lake Mead, as well as millions of pools.
I want the chance to to market Floatli with Zappos. More fun even than that would be to organize an exciting alternative fitness program that enhances staff levels of health and satisfaction within the company. The integrity of the company comes from taking care of the employees so they can deliver happiness to customers. I want to deliver some happiness to the discriminating employees to give them a new way to chill and stay fit. I am passionate and determined to get an audition.
Jessica Breton, L.Ac
February 18, 2013
— 5 Comments
Jessica Breton, L Ac
Last week I had a treatment from Jessica Breton at my hospital/spa. She does acupuncture at the Supportive Care for Healing at U of A Cancer Center. I recently overcame my fear of needles to try acupuncture and am now a huge fan. It has had a very salubrious effect on me. I expect when one is very ill it might be super curative. Jessica is like the other practitioners I have met at the hospital, extremely competent. She has additional skills that she uses in her private practice that are not employed at the hospital. As my treatment progressed I already felt good, but when she commenced to to cranial sacral work while I wore my needles I just loved it. It was noticeable to me that this was only my third acupuncture treatment and I was relaxed and looking forward to the boost of euphoria that I now associate with it. I had a big fear of needles that had existed since early childhood. I still do not want anyone to give me a shot or take my blood, but these needles are really super friendly.
Jessica has a low key style that made me feel very relaxed. In fact, at one point I asked if the needles were still in because I had no sensation of them. The resulting effects were not subtle. I noticed a freeing and balanced feeling that I am starting to know comes from acupuncture. In her private practice she does cupping and moxa as well as Tui Na. These modalities are similar in that they diagnose by reading pulses and your tongue. They address the balance of chi in the meridians. Tui Na works on the ligaments to restore balance and order. Each can be powerful alone, but combined they make an effective treatment more beneficial for the body.
To reach Jessica for an appointment at Zylla Acupuncture in Tucson you can call 520-221-6559 or reach her at zhenpoints@gmail.com. She is punctual, polite and professional.
William Carpenter
February 16, 2013
— 6 Comments
Ship Bevis log
Buried in Newman Cemetery, one of the oldest in Rhode Island, along with his parents, is William Carpenter, who was a carpenter and also the town clerk. He sailed to America with his parents on the ship Bevis, arriving in 1638. He lead an active public life.
William Carpenter (1631 – 1703)
is my 8th great grandfather
Daughter of William
Son of Priscilla
Son of Benjamin
Son of Benjamin
Son of Paul
Daughter of Valentine
Son of Sarah LaVina
Son of Jason A
Son of Ernest Abner
I am the daughter of Richard Arden
Old Rehoboth Cemetery
William Carpenter was a notable town clerk of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He is from the Carpenter family that became large and influential in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts by the 1700s.
Early Life
William Carpenter, Jr. was baptized on November 22, 1631. His parents were William Carpenter, III and Abigail Briant (sometimes erroneously reported as Bennett or Sale/Seals/Searles), both originally from Wiltshire. Since his family was able to bring a servant with them to Plymouth Colony, it is likely that they came from some affluence.
Carpenter’s place of baptism is variously recorded as Shalbourne, Berkshire, England or Southampton, Wiltshire, England. (Sources also differ on whether it was the Shalbourne in Berkshire, Wiltshire, or the non-existent “Whitshire.”) Professional genealogist Eugene Cole Zubrinsky, author of the Carpenters’ Encyclopedia, maintains that it was Shalbourne, Berkshire based on primary source records. The confusion could be blamed on Shalbourne having been split between Berkshire and Wiltshire around 1841, since it had straddled the line, with some records going to one county and some going to the other. Southampton, meanwhile, was the family’s departure port from England, explaining why some list Carpenter as having been born there.
Arrival in America
By May 2, 1638, Carpenter and his family set sail from Southampton, Hampshire, England on the Bevis, arriving at Boston in July or July. (The passenger list said that by May 2, “they had been some Dayes gone to sea,” so the exact date of departure is unknown.) The family’s full entry said:
William Carpenter 62 Carpenter of Horwell, William Carpenter Jr. 33 Carpenter of Horwell, Abigael Carpenter 32 and 4 children 10 and under, Tho: Banshott 14 Servant
A scan of the log can be seen in the “Photos” section of this profile; a more legible transcription is available throughOlive Tree Genealogy.
The family first settled in Weymouth, and then moved to Rehoboth in 1644.
Marriages & Children
Carpenter’s first marriage was to Priscilla Bennett on October 5, 1651 at Rehoboth. It is unclear whether she was the daughter or widow of Edward Bennett of Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony. She died on October 20, 1663 in Rehoboth.
His second marriage was to Miriam Sale on February 10, 1663/4. (It is sometimes recorded as December since the original record, following the old calendar, called February the “12 month.”) She was born c. 1645 and died on May 1, 1722 at Rehoboth. She was the daughter of Edward sale of Weymouth and Rehoboth and was approximately 20 years old at the time of her marriage.
With his first wife, Carpenter had (all in Rehoboth):
John Carpenter, b. October 19, 1652, d. probably April 9, 1713 in Dedham, Massachusetts
William Carpenter, b. June 20, 1659, d. March 10, 1718/9 in Attleborough, Massachusetts
Priscilla Carpenter Sweet, b. July 24, 1661, d. 1745 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Benjamin Carpenter, b. October 20, 1663, d. April 18, 1738 in Coventry, Connecticut
With his second wife, Carpenter had (all in Rehoboth):
Josiah Carpenter, b. December 18, 1664, d. February 28 or 29, 1727/8 in Rehoboth
Nathaniel Carpenter, b. May 12, 1667, d. Rehoboth or Attleborough
Daniel Carpenter, b. October 8, 1669, d. September 14, 1721 in Rehoboth
Noah Carpenter, b. March 28, 1672, d. Attleborough
Miriam Carpenter Bliss, b. October 26, 1674, d. May 21, 1706 in Rehoboth
Obadiah Carpenter, b. March 12, 1677/8, d. October 25, 1749 in Rehoboth
Lt. Ephraim Carpenter, b. April 25, 1681, d. April 30, 1743 in Rehoboth
Hannah Carpenter Chaffee, b. April 10, 1684, d. after January 19, 1767 probably in Rehoboth
Abigail Carpenter Perrin, b. April 15, 1687, d. January 15, 1781 in Rehoboth
The Carpenter family house was on the left-hand side of the road from Rehoboth to the East Providence meetinghouse, “some 50 or 60 rods from the crossing of the Ten Mile river.”
Professional Life
Carpenter was propounded on June 6, 1660 in Weymouth but not admitted as a freeman until June 1, 1663.
Fitting with his surname, Carpenter was originally a carpenter. Records show him owning a “long Cross cutt saw” that he used at his home and which he later willed, along with assorted tools, to his son John, also a carpenter.
For nearly 35 years, Carpenter served as the town clerk of Rehoboth. His records are notable due to his exceptional handwriting and general literacy, which point to some formal education in his background. He also owned a small library of mostly theological books.
Records show that, while serving as clerk, he oversaw the highways, served as constable and juryman, was appointed to settle boundary disputes, helped hired the schoolmaster, served as magistrate, and was otherwise involved in all aspects of local governance.
Deacon or Deputy?
In his 1898 genealogy, Amos Carpenter said that William Carpenter was a deacon of the Rehoboth church and a deputy to the General Court of Plymouth Colony in 1668. Although these “facts” continue to be passed down through some branches of the family, Zubrinsky has conclusively shown that neither could have been true. Although Carpenter’s father served as deputy to the General Court in 1656, Carpenter himself never appears on any list of deputies. Furthermore, the original records of the Rehoboth church list a Deacon Cooper, not Carpenter. Even though he served as neither deacon nor deputy, he continues to be popularly known as “Deacon” simply due to the number of years for which the myth was propagated.
Death & Legacy
Carpenter’s will was dated November 10, 1702 and was proved April 20, 1703. His entire estate, including housing and lands, was worth £215 5s. 4d., or roughly £16,500/US$27,700 in 2011 figures.
Carpenter was buried at Newman Cemetery, one of the oldest (established in 1643) in present-day Rhode Island but which was, at the time of its founding, part of Rehoboth and Plymouth Colony. His parents are also buried in the same cemetery.
Additional Reading
Zubrinsky’s profile of William is perhaps the best available. It is uploaded in the “Documents” section of this profile.
The Wikipedia on the Rehoboth Carpenter family is a good starting point for learning about the family’s spread and influence over time.
Amos Carpenter’s A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America, often referred to as “The Carpenter Memorial,” was printed in 1898 and serves as the basis for most modern genealogies. Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, Mass., 1898) However, due to the problems noted above with his biographical sketch of Carpenter, it must be read with caution.
Sources
Beers, J. H. Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1912.
Carpenter, Amos B. A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Amherst, Mass.: Carpenter & Morehouse Press, 1898.
Zubrinsky, Eugene Cole. “William Carpenter of Rehoboth, Massachusetts.” Carpenters’ Encyclopedia, updated January 18, 2011.
This biographical profile was written in May 2011 by J. Ashley Odell for Geni. It should not be reposted elsewhere without full attribution.
Grave of William Carpenter
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