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The FamilyTemple–CatchingsCarpenter

Adam Carpenter

1804–1877

Catherine Spears 1760–1848Adam Carpenter 1760–1806Anna Sophia Schulteli 1735–1783George Zimmerman\Carpenter, Sr. 1725–1778Anna Barbara Kercher Leupolden 1705–1787Johannes (John) Zimmerman Carpenter 1700–1782
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✦ direct ancestorOwen's 4×-great-grandfather · Carpenter line

Life

Born
8 Jul 1804 · prob. Lincoln, Kentucky, USA
Died
14 Sep 1877 · Johnson, Missouri, USA

Parents

Marriage & children

SpouseMary Ann Jones (1818–1897) m. 5 Mar 1834 · Casey, Kentucky, USA
Margaret Carpenter (1841–1908)
Larkin H. Carpenter (1853–1854)
Mary Ann Carpenter (1859–1924)

Timeline

Records behind this page

Unnamed source
Will Book 1 pp. 468-474; film 004819947 images 253-256 of 568; margin 'Catharine Carpenter's Will'
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WILL READ ON THE MANUSCRIPT IMAGE 8 Sep 2026 at full resolution (register K543; 13 image bands on disk at ancestry/sources/casey-lincoln-ky-trip-2026-09-08/catharine-carpenter-will-1846-casey-wb1-pp468-474/). Casey County, Kentucky, Will Book 1 pp. 468-474 -- Ancestry 'Kentucky, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989' (dbid 9066), Casey > 'Wills, Vol 1-2, 1809-1866', film 004819947, images 253-256 of 568 (the same 568-image filming as FamilySearch 'Casey, Kentucky. Wills 1809-1866'). Original county clerk's record book. Located through the Casey 'General Index to Wills' (film 004817407, image 9: 'Carpenter Catharine -- will 1/472'). OPENING (p. 468, margin 'Catharine Carpenter's Will'): 'I Catharine Carpenter of Casey County and State of Kentucky being in usual health & of sound mind and disposing memory do make publish and ordain this my last will and testament'. Items 1-4: $700 in trust to 'my friend James A. Fisher'; manumission of Joseph and, on emigration to Liberia, the other enslaved people, who are NAMED on pp. 468-469 (not transcribed here; see the images). THE CLAUSES THAT STATE THE PARENTAGE. Item 7 (p. 469-470), land bought of Randolph Peyton 'lying in Casey County Kentucky on the head waters of the Big South Fork of the Rolling Fork of Salt River' to Joseph for life, then sold, 'the proceeds to be equally divided amongst my nine Legatees herein after named the Children of my Last Husband Adam Carpenter'. Item 9: all other lands sold, proceeds 'equally divided among my nine legatees as herein after named the children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter'. Item 15 (p. 471-472), the residue 'be divided among my nine Legatees the children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter equally share and share alike (to wit) my deceased son William Carpenter's Children are to have one share to be equally divided among them share and share alike, George Carpenter, Conrad Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter, Christiana Funk formerly Christiana Carpenter..., Margaret Carter formerly Margaret Carpenter who married Shadrack Carter and Catharine Dinwiddie formerly Catharine Carpenter who married William Dinwiddie each one share, Sally Cunningham formerly Sally Carpenter who married Ephraim Cunningham one share'. Item 17 (p. 472): 'I do hereby appoint my sons George Carpenter, Conrad Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter Executors of this my last will and testament'. Item 18: 'my three sons George Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter Executors' to convey to 'my son Conrad Carpenter' the tract sold him 'in Casey County ... near to Mulloy's(?) Gap', the contract 'in the hands of my son Henry Carpenter'. Item 19 (p. 473), lapse clause: 'either of my nine Legatees the Children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter' dying without issue, the share goes to 'the Balance of my nine Legatees the Children of my Last Husband Adam Carpenter as aforesaid or their Descendants'. THE FRYE CHILDREN (her first marriage). Item 11: 'I will and devise to my son John Frye the sum of Twenty Dollars which is all that I intend him to have of my Estate.' Item 12: 'I will and devise to my Daughter Leah Carpenter's Children formerly Leah Frye and who married Jacob Carpenter twenty Dollars which is all that I intend them to have of my Estate'. Item 13: daughters 'Sally Cunningham formerly Sally Carpenter who married Ephraim Cunningham, and Christiana Funk formerly Christiana Carpenter who first married Nathaniel Spraggins and after his death married Daniel Funk' take $125 each first, to equalise advancements; Item 14 and Item 20: George Carpenter (and substitutes) trustee for Sally. Item 16: the executors hold the deceased son William's children's share at 6% until 21. EXECUTION (p. 474): 'In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty seventh day of May 1846. Witness William E Darley, Will F Lee(?), Jno Ely. Catharine (her X mark) Carpenter (seal).' PROBATE (p. 474): 'At a county court held for Casey County on the 10th day of April 1848 the foregoing instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Catharine Carpenter Dec'd was produced to the court and proved by the oaths of Wm E Darley & Jno Ely witnesses thereto ... ordered to be recorded. Attest Joel Sweeney Clk.' ⚠ The Carpenter book (p. 40) gives 'May 7, 1846'; the image reads 'twenty seventh'. The image governs. WHAT IT PROVES HERE: for [216] Adam Carpenter (1804-1877) both halves -- MOTHER [734] Catharine (the testatrix: 'my sons ... Adam Carpenter') and FATHER [733] Adam Carpenter Sr ('the children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter') -- stated in one instrument. Owen graded BOTH PARENTS = DIRECT on 8 Sep 2026; the grade, the five identity legs (C6950, K545, [750] William DINWIDDIE Carpenter, the F325 sibship, and the K548/K549 census count: exactly one adult Adam Carpenter in Casey Co. in 1840 and 1850, and he is [216]) and the nine-vs-ten note ([738] Mary b. 1792 is the F325 child not among the nine legatees) are in this Audited note. ⛔ WHAT THE WILL DOES NOT ESTABLISH, so nobody re-hunts it: it names neither Catharine's own parents (George and Christina Spears stay INFORMANT on the KHS finding aid) nor Adam Sr.'s; it names no grandchild of Jacob x Leah Carpenter by name, so it does not reach [956] directly; and it does not itself say WHICH Adam Carpenter is 'my son Adam' -- the identity rests on the legs above, not on the will. Ring-7 riders, read not graded: [1004] Leah Frye <- [734] MOTHER ('my Daughter Leah Carpenter ... formerly Leah Frye'), F391's marriage stated by the bride's mother, and [3366] 'my son John Frye'.
1850 United States Federal Census
1850 U.S. Census — District 2, Casey Co., Kentucky, dwelling 93: Adam Carpenter household
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READ FROM THE RECORD PAGE BY CLAUDE 31 Jul 2026 (URL line checked in the response, because Ancestry's SPA can serve the PREVIOUS page after a navigate). Ancestry coll. 8054 rec. 16981355. NARA RG29 M432 Roll 196 p. 294a, line 35, dwelling/family 93. Adam Carpenter 46 Farmer real estate $7,600 b. TENNESSEE Mary A Carpenter 32 Susan 13 · Emily E 11 · Margaret C 8 · Parny 6 · William 3 · Matildy E 1 (dwelling 93 also holds an Evans family: Evans 38, Malindy 32, Stephan P 12, Ireney 10) ⭐ MATCHES THE TREE: Mary A 32 = [217] Mary Ann Jones b. 1818, exactly. Susan 13 = [752] Susan Jackson Carpenter b. 1837 · Emily E 11 = [745] Emily Elisabeth b. 1838 · Margaret C 8 = [203] Margaret b. 1841 · 'Parny' 6 = [749] NANCY Coleman b. 1843 (the P/N confusion is in the hand) · William 3 = [750] William Dinwiddie b. 1847 · Matildy E 1 = [744] Matilda Ellen b. 1848. The three tree children absent — Larkin b. 1853, Beersheba b. 1855, Mary Ann b. 1859 — were all born AFTER this census. Nothing is unexplained. ⛔ IT CONTRADICTS HIS BIRTHPLACE: the tree says 'prob. Lincoln, Kentucky' and the census says TENNESSEE. The tree's own 'prob.' marks it as a guess. NOT CHANGED on one census — queued. ⭐ $7,600 in real estate in 1850 is a substantial holding.
1860 United States Federal Census
1860 U.S. Census — Washington, Johnson Co., MISSOURI, PO Knob Noster, dwelling 889: Adam Carpenter household
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READ FROM THE RECORD PAGE BY CLAUDE 31 Jul 2026. Ancestry coll. 7667 rec. 40341280. NARA RG29 M653 Roll M653_626 p. 857, dwelling 889 family 957, PO Knob Noster. FHL film 803626. Adam Carpenter 55 Farmer real estate $6,000 personal $10,000 b. KENTUCKY Mary A Carpenter 42 Nancy C 16 · Wm D 13 · Matilda E 12 · Bersheba 5 · Mary E 10/12 ⭐⭐ THE FAMILY LEFT KENTUCKY. In 1850 they are in Casey Co., KY; by 1860 they are in JOHNSON CO., MISSOURI. Five children match the tree by name and age: Nancy C 16 = [749] Nancy Coleman b. 1843 · Wm D 13 = [750] William Dinwiddie b. 1847 · Matilda E 12 = [744] Matilda Ellen b. 1848 · Bersheba 5 = [748] Beersheba Powell b. 1855 · Mary E 10 months = [747] Mary Ann b. 1859. Mary A 42 = [217] Mary Ann Jones b. 1818. ⭐ IT ALSO CONFIRMS A READING: the child enumerated 'Parny, 6' in the 1850 household is NANCY - she is 'Nancy C, 16' here. ⭐ AND IT SETTLES THE BIRTHPLACE QUESTION IN THE TREE'S FAVOUR: this census says KENTUCKY, as does 1870. Only 1850 said Tennessee. See his Audited note. ⚠️ [746] Larkin H. b. 1853 would be 7 and is ABSENT. ⚠️ POINTER, NOT OPENED: he is listed in the 1860 U.S. Federal Census SLAVE SCHEDULES, and a Missouri probate record is indexed for him (he d. 1877).
1870 United States Federal Census
1870 U.S. Census — Washington, Johnson Co., MISSOURI: Adam Carpenter, b. abt 1804 KENTUCKY (index read — the third and deciding birthplace reading)
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READ FROM THE SEARCH INDEX BY CLAUDE 31 Jul 2026, Ancestry coll. 7163 (1870 U.S. Census): 'Adam Carpenter, Washington, Johnson, Missouri, b. abt 1804, KENTUCKY.' ⚠️ THIS IS AN INDEX READING, NOT THE HOUSEHOLD - the record page was not opened, and the household composition has NOT been checked. It is cited for ONE FIELD ONLY: the birthplace. ⭐⭐ AND THAT ONE FIELD DECIDES A QUESTION: 1850 said TENNESSEE, 1860 says KENTUCKY, 1870 says KENTUCKY. TWO TO ONE FOR KENTUCKY, so the tree's 'prob. Lincoln, Kentucky' is CORROBORATED and the 1850 Tennessee is the outlier. The birthplace field was NOT changed - which is the point: changing it on the first record read would have introduced an error. ➡️ NEXT: open this household. He is still in the same township as 1860, and he died in 1877, so a Missouri probate should exist.

Research notes

Working notes from the research, kept verbatim — what was read, what it proved, what stays open. Many open with a line grading the parentage; what the grades mean.

Research note · 8 Sep 2026
PROOF CLASS: BOTH PARENTS = DIRECT (Owen, 8 Sep 2026). Catharine Carpenter's 1846 will, Casey Co. WB 1 pp. 468-474: "my sons George Carpenter, Conrad Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter" are "the children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter". GRADED 8 Sep 2026 - BOTH PARENTS DIRECT on the testatrix's own will, READ ON THE MANUSCRIPT 8 Sep 2026 (register K543; 13 full-resolution bands in ancestry/sources/casey-lincoln-ky-trip-2026-09-08/catharine-carpenter-will-1846-casey-wb1-pp468-474/; grading card ancestry/E2-ring6-triage-2026-09-08.md section 13; the grade is Owen's, given on the two proposal blocks there). THE DOCUMENT. Will of Catharine Carpenter, Casey County, Kentucky, Will Book 1 pp. 468-474 (Ancestry 9066, film 004819947, images 253-256 - the same filming FamilySearch holds), dated 27 May 1846, signed with her mark, witnesses William E Darley, Will F Lee(?) and Jno Ely, proved 10 Apr 1848, Joel Sweeney Clk. [734] Catharine: "I do hereby appoint my sons George Carpenter, Conrad Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter Executors of this my last will and testament". [733] Adam Sr.: "my nine Legatees the children of my last Husband Adam Carpenter equally share and share alike", the nine then listed "(to wit) my deceased son William Carpenter's Children ..., George Carpenter, Conrad Carpenter, Adam Carpenter and Henry Carpenter ...". One instrument states both halves; no correlation is needed for the claim itself. IDENTITY - that the will's son Adam is THIS Adam [216] and not a namesake, settled outside the will: (1) 1850 census, District 2, Casey Co., dwelling 93, "Adam Carpenter, 46" with wife Mary A 32 (citation C6950, read on the image 31 Jul 2026) - resident in the testatrix's county two years after probate; (2) his 5 Mar 1834 Casey Co. marriage to Mary Ann Jones, the minister's return read on the image (register K545); (3) his son [750] is William DINWIDDIE Carpenter, and the will's daughter is "Catharine Dinwiddie formerly Catharine Carpenter"; (4) the will's sibship - dec'd William, George, Conrad, Adam, Henry, Christiana, Margaret, Catharine, Sally - is family F325 in this tree; (5) THE COUNT, run 8 Sep 2026 before the grade (registers K548, K549): every Carpenter in Casey Co. in the 1850 census index (61 entries) holds TWO Adams - this man, and a child b. c.1838, son of Henry - and the 1840 census index holds ONE Adam Carpenter head in Liberty, Casey (NARA M704 roll 107 p. 172), whose household matches [216] x [217] bucket for bucket (1 M 30-39, 1 F 20-29, 2 F under 5). Exactly one adult Adam Carpenter lived in Casey in 1840 and in 1850, and he is [216]. ⚠ SCOPE OF THAT COUNT: index-level, not the manuscript. An adult Adam present in 1846 and gone by 1850 is not excluded; the Casey Co. tax lists 1846-1848 (FamilySearch, sign-in) are the instrument that would close it. Hardening only, no longer the decider: the 1808 Lincoln Co. guardianship (read in transcript 26 Jul 2026, never on the image). ☞ NINE LEGATEES, TEN CHILDREN: F325 holds ten children; the one not among the will's nine is [738] Mary Carpenter b. 1792 - dead without issue before 1846, or omitted. Recorded so it is not re-derived. ⛔ WHAT THE WILL DOES NOT ESTABLISH: Catharine's own parents (it names neither hers nor Adam Sr.'s), the date of Adam Sr.'s death (he is only "my last Husband"), and nothing about [216]'s birthplace. ⚠ The Carpenter family book's will date "May 7, 1846" is WRONG on the image (twenty seventh). ⚠ OWED, cheap: a Source + Citation for Casey WB 1 pp. 468-474 attached to THIS Audited event (OwnerType=2). The will is on the register (K543) and on disk but is not yet cited in RootsMagic. ---- earlier text of this note, kept verbatim ---- Audited 31 Jul 2026 — his first, and his first citation of any kind. 1850 census, District 2, Casey Co., Kentucky, dwelling 93: 'Adam Carpenter, 46, Farmer, real estate $7,600' with wife Mary A 32 and six children, ALL of whom resolve to children already in this tree. ⛔ IT CONTRADICTS HIS RECORDED BIRTHPLACE: the census says TENNESSEE; the tree says 'prob. Lincoln, Kentucky' — and that 'prob.' shows the tree was already guessing. NOT CHANGED on the word of one census and one informant; queued for a second source. ⭐⭐ THE GENERATION'S HEADLINE, from the seven households read together: NOT ONE OF THESE FAMILIES WAS STILL A KENTUCKY FAMILY BY 1860, and the children's birthplace column dates each departure. CARPENTER x POWELL were in SMITH CO., TENNESSEE by 1850 (left KY c. 1845-49). CAVINS x MANSFIELD were in RANDOLPH CO., MISSOURI by 1850 (left KY by 1844). QUISENBERRY x BUSH were still in Clark Co., KY in 1850 but in BOONE CO., MISSOURI by 1860 (left c. 1854-59). Only ADAM CARPENTER x MARY ANN JONES stayed, in Casey Co., Kentucky. ⭐ AND TWO OF THE FOUR COUPLES BECAME IN-LAWS IN MISSOURI: Boone and Randolph Counties adjoin, Lucy Ann Quisenberry appears in later censuses as 'Lucy A. Cavins', and Stephen Quisenberry's own record panel carries an obituary-index entry captioned 'Cavins'. Not entered as a link — recorded as a finding. Worksheet: ancestry/carpenter-gen6-census-worksheet.md · memo: ancestry/zimmerman-carpenter-junction.md ── ADDENDUM 31 Jul 2026: ⭐⭐ THE BIRTHPLACE QUESTION IS SETTLED, AND THE TREE WAS RIGHT. Two more censuses were pulled rather than acting on the first: 1850 (Casey Co., KY) says TENNESSEE; 1860 (Johnson Co., MO) says KENTUCKY; 1870 (Johnson Co., MO) says KENTUCKY. TWO TO ONE FOR KENTUCKY - so 'prob. Lincoln, Kentucky' is corroborated and the 1850 Tennessee is the outlier. THE FIELD WAS NOT CHANGED, and that is the lesson: changing it on the strength of the first record read would have introduced an error rather than fixing one. ⭐ THE 1860 HOUSEHOLD ALSO CORRECTED THE PROJECT'S OWN SUMMARY: he did NOT stay in Kentucky. By 1860 he is at Washington, JOHNSON CO., MISSOURI (PO Knob Noster) with Mary A 42 and five children who match this tree - Nancy C 16, Wm D 13, Matilda E 12, Bersheba 5, Mary E 10 months - so ALL FOUR generation-6 couples left Kentucky, and THREE OF THE FOUR went to Missouri. ⭐ And it confirms that 'Parny, 6' in 1850 is NANCY. ⚠️ He is in the 1860 SLAVE SCHEDULES and a Missouri probate is indexed for him; neither is opened.

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