Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

man's allotment might be taken up according
to his person and estate, and also
that each should bear his share of the
public charges both for the present and
future. In this list the name of William
Carpenter, individual No. i6, stood as
No. 48, and the value of his estate was
estimated at two hundred and fifty-four
pounds, ten shillings. The houses of this
colony were built in a semicircle around
Seekonk Common and open toward Seekonk
River. This semicircle was called
"The Ring of the Town."
At a meeting of the proprietors in 1644
it was voted that nine men should be
chosen to order the prudential affairs of
the plantation, and that they should have
the power to dispose of the lands in lots
of twelve, eight, or six acres "as in their
discretion they think the quality of the
estate of the person do require." This
applies to house lots. It was further or-
dered that no person should sell his improvements
"except to such as the Town
shall accept of." It was also ordered that
"the meeting house shall stand in the
midst of the town." It appears evident
by tradition that the first meeting house
was built in the old graveyard near where
the tomb now is and probably faced toward
the South. William Carpenter,
No. 18, and Samuel Carpenter, No. 23,
were buried near the entrance to the
church. The residence of William Car-
penter, No. 16, appears by the description
given in his will and by tradition to have
been located in the "Ring" directly east
of the meeting house. "The 'Ring' at the
present time (1896) is indicated by tradi-
tion and by some twelve or more buttonwood
trees that were set out at an early
day in front of the houses ; the stumps or
roots of two of the trees are all that is
left to indicate where William and his
son Samuel resided."
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
74
At a meeting the same year (1644) it
was ordered "for the time past and to
come that all workmen that have worked
or shall work in any common work or for
any particular person shall have for their
wages for each day's work as follows : For
each laborer from the first day of Novem-
ber until the first day of February, 18
pence per day and for the rest of the year
20 pence per day except in harvest ; for six
oxen and one man seven shillings and sixpence
per day, and for eight oxen eight
shillings. The price fixed for wheat was
four shillings and six pence per bushel.
Wampum was fixed at eight for a penny."
William Carpenter and his wife Abigail
were the parents of seven children, the
first three of whom were born in England,
the next three were born in Weymouth,
and Samuel, the youngest, was born in
Rehoboth, Massachusetts. They were:
John, William, Joseph, Hannah, Abiah,
Abigail, and Samuel.
(II) Abiah Carpenter was the twin
brother of Abigail. They were born in
Weymouth, April 9, 1643. The New Eng-
land Register refers to "Abia daughter,
and Abraham son, born February 9, 1643,
children of William Carpenter." William
Carpenter had by his wife Abigail a son
and daughter born as stated above ; one of
the two appears on the records sometimes
as Abiah and sometimes as Abijah, but always,
on all records except the above, as
a son and not a daughter. Abraham could
not be the daughter, therefore our natural
conclusion is that the name Abigail was
given wrongly as Abraham when re-
corded. The records of Rehoboth do not
mention an Abraham, and in the will of
William Carpenter we find Abigail men-
tioned next after Abiah. We can come to
no rational conclusion but that Abiah and
Abigail were twins, born as stated above.
Abiah was probably married, about 1659,