"Dear Prof Carpenter
Having visited Brussels last week, I have just seen your letter to my wife
Lis. It is not dated, so I don’t know how late this reply may be; if it is
very late, please accept my apologies.
I am sorry to say that Lis died last year, and I am now back in UK.
Although I have transferred as much as possible of her material to disk, and
her books and manuscripts are now at the Vale & Downland Museum in Wantage,
most of the connections were in her head and there is not a lot I can do to
help you.
However, I have checked through the material that I still have, and it
confirmed my suspicion that Carpenter was not a common name around Wantage
in the 15-17th century. I assume from your letter that you have seen the
1522 Muster Roll in which three Carpenters appear (William in East Garston,
Harry in West Ginge and Thomas in Brympton). Apart from those references,
the only Carpenters I can find (in the Wantage records) are Katherine
Carpenter being buried on 4.9.1582, Ione Carpenter marrying William Clement
(which was a very widespread Wantage family) on 31.10.1618, and Isaac
Carpenter (with his wife Dinah and his 3 children) being the subject of a
removal order from Wantage to Chiseldon, Wiltshire, in September 1749.
Sorry I can’t be of more help. You might, however, try contacting the
museum (museum(a)wantage.com) to see whether their family history group has
any more information.
Regards,
John Garnish
**********************
28 Charborough Way
Sturminster Marshall
Wimborne, Dorset BH21 4DH
United Kingdom"
The above information may prove invaluable. William of East Garston should
be the William that appears in Henry of East Locking's will (1529).
Thomas may be a brother. All this information is pre parish registers and
exceedingly precious. I suspect the three were relatives. There is
evidence to suggest William was a cousin of of Henry. Thomas, brother of one
of the two? Questions.
BC