Hi, all!
It's great to be back!!!
Frances Carpenter was "compromised" at the age of 14 and gave birth to a son,
George Bradford Carpenter. Records show that her father, Ebenezer, married her to give
the boy a surname... and the birth record shows him as illegitimate.
She died at about age 20, but no one came forward to claim GBC as his son. Hmmmm.
Somewhere, there has to be a diary or letter or something where the real father bragged
about him to someone... GBC became a very prominent citizen during his lifetime.
Here is the info I received from the SDB Historian:
From all indications, it would seem that George B. Carpenter was the
illegitimate son of one of Ebenezer's daughters. Although Carpenter never admitted or
even suggested this fact, his narrative tends to confirm it. he made no mention of his
father; rather he discussed only his mother and grandfather. Additionally, his mother
became pregnant at a very young age. Although being fourteen and pregnant does not
necessarily preclude the possibility of marriage, it does indicate that the circumstances
were probably atypical. This evidence , together with some additional information
supports the idea that Carpenter had no legitimate father. "
...... After his
mother's death, there seems to have been no relative willing or able to take
Carpenter in. No father came forward to care for him. His aunts probably lacked the
means to support him, as they were all young women, no more than twenty years old.
Francis Carpenter, undoubtedly another relative , did not take the boy either, though he
himself lived in the Potter hill area. Consequently George Carpenter found himself
living in the home of the Thomas W. Potter family.... "
From his obit:
Was a member of the Rhode Island Legislature from 1878 - 1884; the moderator for the town
of Westerly, and Post Master for Ashaway, RI for 7 years.
The winter after his return from the army Mr. Carpenter engaged in the general mercantile
business in his home town until 1869. From 1866 until 1872 he was postmaster at Ashaway
and then went to Philadelphia where he represented some Rhode Island and Connecticut
woolen manufacturers, and until 1880 was engaged in the woolen business. For twenty-two
years he was treasurer of the Ashaway Line and Twine company, resigning in 1902, but still
retaining a financial interest in the concern.
For over thirty years he has been moderator of the town of Hopkinton and overseer of the
poor. Besides having served on the town council and board of assessors, he was
representative of his town in the state legislature from 1879 to 1884, refusing to accept
a nomination as senator. He belonged to the John A. Logan post, G. A. R., was president of
the First Hopkinton Seventh-day Baptist church, a member of the board of managers of the
Seventh-day Baptist Missionary society and for several years president of the Ashaway Free
Library and Reading Room association, besides having held other offices.
I find it hard to believe that no one would brag about his being their son!! Again, a
diary or other letter will probably be the only way to prove who his biological father
really was. Since the family was so prominent in the Hopkinton area, I might assume that
a "visitor" might have sired GBC...
Anybody know anything???
Many thanks,
Jan Robison
2nd great-granddaughter of George Bradford Carpenter
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