Benjamin Carpenter (May 17, 1725 – March 29, 1804) was a leader of colonial Vermont who served as an officer in the American Revolution and as lieutenant governor.
Biography Benjamin Carpenter was born in Swansea, Massachusetts on May 17, 1725. He lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island prior to settling in Vermont in 1770.Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont, compiled by Jacob G. Ullery, 1894, pages 63 to 63The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, compiled by Rossiter Johnson and John Howard Brown, 1904, Carnegie -- Carpenter page
Carpenter became involved in the early politics of Vermont, particularly the ongoing dispute between New Hampshire and New York over which one should have the jurisdiction, as well as the ability to sell land grants to white settlers. Siding with those who had purchased land grants from New Hampshire and favored Vermont's independence, Carpenter was kidnapped by pro-New York forces in 1783. He was released on the condition that he petition the Vermont government for release of imprisoned members of the pro-New York group, something he never did.Old Vermont Houses, by Herbert Wheaton Congdon, 1968, page 11Revolutionary Outlaws: Ethan Allen and the Struggle for Independence on the early American Frontier, by Michael A. Bellesiles, 1993, page 213
At the start of the Revolution Carpenter served as chairman of his county Committee of Safety, and was appointed a Lieutenant Colonel in the militia. In addition, he served as a member of Vermont's Council of Safety.Benjamin Carpenter biography, American Monthly magazine, published by Daughters of the American Revolution, October 1901, pages 391 to 393
In 1779 Carpenter was elected Lieutenant Governor, and he served until 1781. Carpenter served as a member of the Council of Censors in 1783.Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States, edited by John Howard Brown, 1900, Volume 1, page 572Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske, Volume 1, 1887, page 530
Benjamin Carpenter was a devout Baptist. In addition to serving as a deacon for more than 50 years, he also took to the pulpit on occasion to lead services and preach sermons.Frontier Feminist: Clarina Howard Nichols and the Politics of Motherhood, by Marilyn S. Blackwell and Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel, 2010, page 31History of the Baptists in Vermont, by Henry Crocker, 1913, page 196
Carpenter died on Guilford, Vermont on March 29, 1804. He was buried in West Guilford's Carpenter Cemetery.History of Vermont: Natural, Civil, and Statistical, by Zadock Thompson, 1842, page 83Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, published by E. P. Walton, Montpelier, Volume 1, 1873, pages 117 to 118Daughters of the American Revolution magazine, Volume 103, Issues 1-10, 1969, page 841Inscriptions on the Grave Stones in the Grave Yards of Northampton and of the Other Town in the Valley of the Connecticut, by Thomas Bridgman, 1850, page 195
Liberty Ship A United States Liberty Ship called the SS Benjamin Carpenter was named for him. It was a standard 10,000 ton Liberty Ship with hull number 2786. It was laid down on 25 March 1944 and launched on 14 April 1944. The ship was scrapped in 1960.
References
External links Benjamin Carpenter page, Find A Grave.com web site, accessed December 24, 2011