Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1878-01-05
UNSETTLED ENGLISH BEQUEsTs-
AMERICAN HEIRS THE CARPEN-
TER AND ABELL FAMILIES.

In the English court OF Chancery
there are some eight or nine estates
which have been bequeathed by various
testators to various branches OF the Car
penter families in the United States, and
to those OF the Abells VINO inlcrmarried
with them. These unclaimed estates,
still looking ior American heirs range
in value from eight thousand pounds
sterling to several millions of pounds
sterling. the oldest and largest bequcst
| being that OF William Carpenter. who
| died IN England about the year 100, at
nearly one hundred years OF age His
| estate is said to be OF the value of forty
millions of pounds sterling.
| In 1915 an examination was had in
London into the interest of members Of
| the Carpenter family, both in England
aud the United States. For the largest
and oldest estate-that lett by William
Carpenter III l10O-there were some
English claimants, and the Boston
| Omitted States) branch of the Carpenter
family. The decision rendered was
that the English Carpenters had no
claim. The heirs o! the Boston Carpen-
ters were represented by the following
agents: Aaron Carpenter, Thomas
Carpenter and Chauncev Needham, of
New York ; Francis Carpenter. James
j. Carpenter, Benjamin Carpenter and
Henry Wheeler, of Massachusetts. Be-
sides these, there were present at the
/ examination other branches of the
American heirs claiming kindred by de-
scent. Among the latter were William
Carpenter, OF Phlladelphia Edward
: Leaman, of Long Island; Edward h.
4 Chapman and Lcmuel Cocnrane. OF
, Canada. These direct and indirect
branches oflhe Boston Carpenters failed
to make good their claim. and were pro-
q nounced TO be not entitled to the Viii
e liam Carpenter estate.
9 1t was decided. nevertheless. that this
paltcu az estate belonged to American
heirs. The supposed heirs of Il portion
i oi il are the Long Island branch Ui the
n Carpenters, who lett England for
|. America in the barge Reindeer. IN 1913.
bound for New YORK, and ui which YES
sci Abr.,n Calvin was master. The
Il testimony taken in London Indicated that
al Ephralm Jusias, Timothy and Phoebe
+ Carpenter and their descendants We're
!. the legal American heirs.
= One oi the other Carpenter estates has
h tor its American heirs the descendants
IS of Ellis Bradford, who was OF the Car
nj penter family before marriage. 1t is
-, or TWO hundred Thousand pounds ster
:. ling.
Another estate of one hundred and
IN -iXty-one thousand pounds sterling was
el eft William Carpenter. Ul Providence.
r. Rhnde Island The date OF this VIII is
1854
y The heirs of Dr. Nathaniel Carpenter,
u who died in Richmond about l116. leav
IA lug four sons. are entitled t" fifteen
lv thousand pounds sterling, which money
= is now in the English Court o. Chancsry.
'- |, is believed tn 1t one o the descendants
was Sarah Carpenter, supposed TO be
nd the daughter OF Fouiory (Flournol?l
ri Carpenter. This Sarah Carpenter was
Durn in 1876 She married Purneii
Gu Shockley was living in Philadelphia in
ty, 1863, and died there in 1870. Her son.
De- J. Carpenter Shochley, and = daughter
es were living there in 1872. The descend
- ants OF TIE other sons OF Dr. Nathaniel
'"' Carpenter, ii they can prove their de-
er- scent. are equally entitled to recover
OF their respective shares in the estate.
M or the other Carpenter estates, which
&c are of record and waiting the discovery
" of heirs 10 them. no details have ye
IN been slveI. nor the names of the tesla
,ns tors These estates number six ol
90 more, and range in value from eigh
ID Thousand pounds sterling upwards. In
~" formation respecting them must b,
zen sought through some wel.accreditet
en- agent in London.
,ice Outside OF tho Boston branch of til,
=, Carpenter family, whose CLAIMS to th'
heirship to the great estate of the Viii
vet liam Carpenter who died IN 100, wa
ems declared, at the examination in Londo
arm in 1915, to be invalid, there are othe
Massachusetts claimants who have sue
'" C eded in tracing their descent from tn
iich William Carpenter ust mentioned, dow
ont to his great grandchildren. The tow
,or- records of Massachusetts and the falnll
s,o record of Cyrus NJ. Wheaton not onl
~ show their descent, but explain the con
iese necti of the Carpenter and Abel fami
ear lies as the presumed heirs of this estate
,ery The record, which goes back TO tn
one William Carpenter who emigrated froi
England TO America in 1858, runs as TO
he" lows:-1st William; I'd Samuel. the so
this OF William; Sd Abiah. the son OF Samuel
ven 4th Thomas, the son of Abiah; 81
i, of Thomas, the sun of Thomas; 9th Eliza
~. beth, the daughter OF Thomas. Th
i'oS' Elizabeth Carpenter was born Decembt
hom 22d 1855, was married to Preserve
n of Abel on the 10th OF January, III
bis The children, born in the order namet
C., were Sarah. Betsey. Pamela, Rober
W. Rebekah. Lydia. a son not named. Fai
able fax and Cephronia. The latter, the la:
.uri- child Of Elizabeth and Preserved Abel
mes, was born November l1th l79l.-[ Bait
. 10 more Sun.