BIO: Giles CARPENTER, Ephrata Township, Lancaster Co., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Bill Walters wdwalte@aol.com Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lancaster/ _______________________________________________ Author: William D. Walters, Jr. GILES CARPENTER 1800-1857 Giles Carpenter was a prolific Pennsylvania millwright. He was born in 1800, the son of Joel Carpenter (1754-1831) and Margaret Defenderfer, (perhaps Killheffer). He married Jane McClintock [McClintic] (1809- 15 February 1879) in Ephrata Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was a native of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. Giles lived in Ephrata Township where he operated a mill, worked as a wheelwright, and farmed. A scarlet fever epidemic in Spptember1851 took the lives of his son Hiram and his daughter Cinsanna. Giles Carpenter died in 1857. Thirteen children were born to the couple. 1. Amanda Molvinia Carpenter, born 27 October 1832; She married Solomon H. Weaver in 1854, and died in Elkhart County, Indiana, 5 January 1894 [see separate biography]. Soon after their marriage they moved to Seneca County, Ohio, where Solomon worked as a farm laborer. In 1862 they moved to Elkhart County Indiana. Solomon died of disease while on duty with the Union army in 1865. On 9 March 1868 Amanda married Jesse L. Manahan and lived in New Paris, Elkhart County, Indiana. By 1870 they were no longer living together and were divorced in 1873. On 9 July 1878 Amanda married a cooper, Nathaniel Moorehouse. She died in January 1894 and is buried in Violett Cemetery near Goshen, Elkhart County, Indiana. Amanda and Solomon had the following children: A) Lydia Ann Weaver (1854-1862); B) Henry Albert Weaver (1856-1912) married Mary A.B. Wolfe in 1879 [one child] and Mary F. Hale in 1882 [seven children];C) Sara Jane Weaver (1858-1844) married Adam Mikel and later John Stutsman [two children]; D) Almina Rachel Weaver (1861-?) [one child]; E) Milton Alby Weaver (1862-1946) [two children]; F) Solomon H. Weaver [Jr.] (1865-1935) [never married]. Amanda and Jesse Mannahan had one son G) Charles (1868-1912) [two children], married twice, last name sometimes listed as Weaver. 2. Margaret Ann Carpenter, was born on 20 June 1834, and died in 1919; she married Philip Lash (12 April 1828 – 12January 1885) , probably in the early 1850s. In 1860 they were living in Decatur, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where Philip had a farm worth $1600. In 1880 the family was in Sturgis, Michigan. Philip Lash died in Sturgis, Michigan in 1885. In 1910 Margaret Ann Lash was living in Sturgis with her son Clayton L. Lash. I know of the following children, all were born in Pennsylvania: A) James Sylvester Lash (ca1853 -?) who married Mary Miller, children Carl Lash and Claude E. Lash; B) Clayton Lash (1854), who married Nellie Peek on 17 October 1881 in St. Joseph County, Michigan, their children were Florence and Carlie; Howard Carpenter (ca 1857), and Mary J. Lash (ca 1859); C) Hilbert [Wilbert?] M. Lash (ca.1861), married Mary C. Craw; D) Homer M. Lash (ca. 1862), married Olive H. Harwood on 13 January 1889 – they were living in Sturgis Michigan in 1900, one child known George H. Lash; E) Jacob Lash (ca 1862); F) William Lash (ca 1865); G) Maggie Lash (ca 1866); H) John Lash (ca 1869). 3. Sylvester Carpenter was born on February 8 1836 and died December 27 of the same year. 4. James Joel Carpenter, born on January 13 1837. In 1860 he was living with his sister and her husband Amos and Belinda Sellers. He married Hettie [Hatty] Barton. He lived in Cincinnati and was often separate from his wife. He worked as a huckster selling meat, poultry and eggs. By 1893 he was blind and working as a huckster in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. On 10 December 1893, while working in a wooden building behind his house, which he used for s shop, James was viscously beaten with a wooden club and had his throat slit by his son James Barton Carpenter and his body was then moved on a sled belonging to the neighbor’s boy to Juniata Creek where it was dumped. A trail a blood and bits of clothing lead from the shop to the creek. His son was also found in possession of his father’s gold watch. During his trial, the son denied he was guilty, but twenty minutes before he was to be hanged confessed to the crime. The execution took place in June 1894 in Mifflintown. Hettie, who had frequently discussed wirh her son how a body could be placed in a river and never found, was sent to prison for two years as an accessory after the fact. James and Hettie had one son, the murderer James Barton Carpenter who was born 21 May 1871 and who married Dora Naylor in Juniata, Pennsylvania on 28 February 1891. They had no children. 5. Martha Hester Carpenter was born January 13 1839. About 1860 she married Isaac [I.B.] Beard (born ca 1826 in Ohio). Until about 1867 they lived in Indiana. In 1870 they were living in Taberville, Osceola County, Missouri, where Isaac was a farmer. In 1880 they were in Girard, Macoupin County, Illinois, where Isaac was working as a carpenter. In 1903 Martha was living in Illinois. I know of the following children with approximate birthdates: A) Minerva ? Beard (1862 born IN); B) Isaac Newton Beard (born ca 1863 IN); C) Susan C. Beard (born ca 1865 IN); D) Alta Beard (born ca. 1867 IN); E)Norman E. Beard (born ca. 1871 MO); F) Ida E. Beard (born Ca. 1878 IL). 6. Belinda Carpenter was born on February 3 1840 and married Amos E. Sellers, born ca 1836. He was a butcher who lived in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1860 Amos and Belinda were living in Ephrata Township; with them were Belinda’s siblings: Alvin Carpenter, James Carpenter, and Ann (probably an error for Jane) E. Carpenter. From 1860 until at least 1903 Belinda and Amos remained in Lancaster County. Belinda Sellers Carpenter was living in Lancaster County in 1903. In 1900 Amos was working for the city of Lancaster. Belinda died 13 May 1925. Their children include: A) Elam Sellers, born ca 1862; B) Emma Sellers born ca. 1864;C) Elizabeth Sellers born ca 1868;D) Mary Sellers, born ca. 1874; E) James Carpenter Sellers (“Carp”), born ca.1876; 7. Alvin McClintic Carpenter was born on August 12 1841. He was a teenager when his father died.1860 he was living with his sister Belinda and her husband Amos Sellers, in Lancaster County. At age 16 Alvin began to learn the trade of cabinetmaking, which he worked at for fifteen years. He moved to Adamsburg in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. On 29 July 1866. he married S. Ellen Feese, born ca. 1837, daughter Reuben and Eliza (Middleworth) Feese of Beavertown, Pennsylvania. In 1870 and 1880 Alvin was a farmer in Snyder County, PA. He was a farmer living in Beaver Township, Beavertown, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. In addition he practiced huckstering - buying and selling produce - he was an excellent mechanic, carpenter and painter Alvin also taught singing. He was active in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Alvin was still alive in 1920. Their children include: A) John. Palmer Carpenter (18 October1867- 4 March 1954) who attended the state normal school in Bloomsburg, PA, became a lawyer and solicitor for the township of Sunbury, and who married Hanna Minerva Whitmer on 14 June 1894, children Anna E. and Alvin W.; B) Charles E. Carpenter, born ca. 1869, who in 1903 was living in West Virginia; C) Gertie Mae Carpenter, born ca. 1871; D) Reverend Sandford N. Carpenter, born ca. 1873, who was a minister in Carthage Illinois in 1910; Johnstown PA in 1920, and in 1930 at the Paston Christ English Lutheran Church, Birmingham Alabama, his wife was Elizabeth, he had a son Ralph Carpenter; E) Elsie E. Carpenter, born. Ca. 1874; who married George C. Walker a Beavertown farmer; F) Harry M. Carpenter; G) Ira Jacob Carpenter, born ca. 1879, who worked in railroading; H) Bessie E. Carpenter, born in July 1885, who married Roy E. Eisenhouer (ca 1885-?) of Sunbury Pennsylvania, they had daughter Dorothy L. Eisenhauer (born ca 1912) and Grace L. (born ca 1915), in 1910 Roy was working in baggage for the Pennsylvania R.R. 8. Arabella Carpenter was born on March 16 1843 and married Adam Good; they lived in Farmersville, Pennsylvania. She died on February 24 1863 or 24 September 1879. 9. Samuel Lutz Carpenter was born on 1 October 1844. He worked for a neighboring farmer, John Oberholtzer for $1.50 a month and by age 18 taught school in West Earl Township. At age 18 he worked in the Construction Corps of the United States Army. He enlisted as a private in the 21 Pennsylvania volunteer Cavalry and took part in the campaigns of Richmond and Petersburg. He worked as a farmer and a Carpenter. In 1876 he opened a butcher shop and then began processing hides and tallow. He also dealt in livestock, working out of the Leopard Hotel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. On 5 September 1869 he married Mary McCloud, daughter of Reuben and Susannah (Shriker) McCloud of West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Samuel died on 27 February 1930 at Brownstown, Lancaster County. The only child of Samuel and Mary was Stella J. Carpenter born 8 March 1871 who married Lemon Shrik of West Cocalio Township. A grandson Samuel Carpenter was born 13 December 1899. Samuel L. Carpenter was member of the New Mennonite Church and a school director. 10. Louisa Carpenter was born on January 16 1846 and died on September 2 1857. 11. Hiram Carpenter was born on March 17 1847 and died on September 19 1851. 12. Cinsanna Carpenter was born on October 10 1848, and died on September 12 1851. 13. Milton Carpenter was born on July 6 1850 and died on August 13 of the same year. SOURCES For Giles Carpenter see Federal manuscript Census Lancaster County, 1850; Seymour D. Carpenter, Genealogical Notes on the Carpenter Family in America (Springfield: Illinois State Journal, 1907) 184-185. Online sites include: "Carpenter’s Graveyard" "John P. Carpenter" [Alvin’s Son] in FIES-L Archives has much information on Alvin and some on Giles and on the other children of Giles, this biography available in Roots Web, Northumberland County, Biographies, this biography has some information on the other children of Giles Carpenter and is the source for the death of the two young children by scarlet fever; “Samuel L. Carpenter” Biographical Annals of Lancaster County (Chicago: J.H. Beers, 1903) 522-523), also available online; “ “Amos E. Sellers” [Belinda’s Husband] was at one time available online. Detailed references for Amanda Molvinia Carptenter and James Joel Carpenter are available on their biographies on this site. Other information on the children of Giles comes from the Federal manuscript Census of the counties where they resided. I have not been able to trace Martha Hester Carpenter [Beard] after 1903. One online source gives an alternate death date for Arabella Carpenter [Good].