Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The Chain of Longevity — Amos Carpenter

B. 6 Nov 1693 in Northampton, Massachusetts
M. 23 Oct 1718 in Coventry, Connecticut
Wife: Deborah Long
D. Jul 1792 in Coventry, Connecticut

In 18th century America, it was fairly unusual when someone lived past 80-years-old. Medical knowledge was primitive, living conditions were often unsanitary, and other dangers could wreck a person’s good health. That’s why the lifespan of someone like Amos Carpenter makes you wonder what he did differently. 

Amos was born to Benjamin Carpenter and Hannah Strong on November 6, 1693 in Northampton, Massachusetts, the third of twelve children. When he was 14-years-old, the family moved to Coventry, Connecticut, a new settlement where Amos would spend the rest of his life. He bought some land from his father in 1717, and on October 23rd of the following year, he married Deborah Long. Between 1719 and 1744, they had 14 children. 

Like all New England towns, every man in Coventry was expected to perform some civic duty, and starting in 1721, Amos was assigned to jobs such as “lister and inspector,” collector, and tithingman. After 1739, his name no longer appeared in town meeting notes. There is little else noteworthy about his life; he didn’t fight in any wars, and he didn’t make trouble in the community. He was a farmer who seems to have kept a low profile

But Amos did do one thing: he lived nearly a hundred years. After his wife Deborah died at an unknown date, he passed away in July 1792 in his 99th year. How could someone born that long ago live to such an age? There’s reason to believe that genetics played a part — Amos was part of a chain of people who lived to near-90 or older. There must have been something in the DNA Amos inherited and passed to his descendants that led to his longevity. 


Children:
1. Seth Carpenter — B. 18 Jul 1719, Coventry, Connecticut; D. young

2. Mary Carpenter — B. 18 Jul 1719, Coventry, Connecticut; D. (probably) young

3. John Carpenter — B. 20 Feb 1721, Coventry, Connecticut

4. Seth Carpenter — B. 13 Apr 1723, Coventry, Connecticut

5. Elisha Carpenter — B. 27 Apr 1725, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 1816; M. Deliverance Meraugh (~1728-?), 14 Apr 1748, Coventry, Connecticut

6. Timothy Carpenter — B. 5 May 1727, Coventry, Connecticut; D. Sep 1793, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Miriam Parker, 8 Feb 1759, Coventry, Connecticut

7. Rachel Carpenter — B. 29 Mar 1729, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 28 Feb 1816, Westhampton, Massachusetts; M. (1) Joshua Boynton (1723-1752), 9 Nov 1749, Coventry, Connecticut; (2) Ebenezer French (1731-?), 5 Sep 1754, Coventry, Connecticut

8. Phebe Carpenter — B. 20 May 1731, Coventry, Connecticut

9. Joshua Carpenter — B. 30 Jun 1734, Coventry, Connecticut, D. 19 Jun 1781; M. Submit Webster (1734-1815), 15 Jan 1755, Lebanon, Connecticut

10. Anna Carpenter — B. 22 Sep 1736, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Benjamin Fenton, 24 Feb 1786

11. Ephraim Carpenter — B. 1 Apr 1738, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Wheeler, 21 May 1761

12. Simeon Carpenter — B. 23 Mar 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 21 Oct 1830, Waterbury, Vermont; M. Anna Burton (1750-1841), 11 May 1769

13. Dan Carpenter — B. about 1742, Connecticut; M. Rebecca Smith

14. Azubah Carpenter — B. 13 Sep 1744, Connecticut; M. Perez Sprague, 16 Dec 1782, Coventry, Connecticut

Sources:
Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, familySearch.org
Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
Carpenter Cousins [website], carpentercousins.com
History of Northampton, Massachusetts: From its Settlement in 1654, Vol. 1, James Russell Trumbull and Seth Pomeroy, 1898
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave.com