Rash's Surname Index


Notes for William Henry CARPENTER

WILLIAM HENRY CARPENTER was born in Philadelphia in 1837, the oldest known child of Rachel Barnholt and George Washington Carpenter.
His siblings included:
Sarah "Sallie" Carpenter Hunter;
George W. Carpenter, Jr.;
James Knox Polk Carpenter (1845-1865) who, while serving in the Union Army, was "accidentally shot and killed by a comrade" when his regiment was stationed outside of Petersburg, Virginia in March 1865 just a few weeks before the end of the Civil War;
Louis F. Carpenter.;
Anna Elizabeth Carpenter Roat;
Rachel, Maggie and Richard.
In addition there was at least one sibling who died shortly after birth.
In September 1860, William married Mary Pembroke who was born in County Kilkenny Ireland. They were married by an Irish-born Presbyterian minister named Robert Armstrong. However, all of their children were baptized into the Catholic faith. Their children included Mary (William McCready); William John (Ellen Brady); Margaret; Annie (who died at age 3); Elizabeth (who died in infancy); George Washington (Ethel Booz); and Jennie (Walter Gibbs).
During the Civil War, William was mustered into the Union Service on February 16, 1864(while his wife was pregnant with there second child). He served in the 186th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, Company D, which remained at Fort Mifflin protecting the city of Philadelphia for the duration of the War. Although he was enlisted for a three year period, due to the surrender of General Lee and the ending of the conflict in April 1865, William was mustered out on August 15, 1865. He received an honorable discharge.
When William was married in 1860 he lived on Sharswood Street(locted on the north side of Girard College) and Mary Pembroke lived in the area of 21st and Wallace Streets in Philadelphia. Records show that the Carpenters lived at 2108 Fairmount Avenue and later at 2121 Wallace Street. However, sometime after 1890, they moved to the Tacony section of Philadelphia where they lived on Keystone Street.
In most of the census records and city directories, William Henry Carpenter is listed as a MOULDER. A moulder is someone who makes moulds for casting iron. There were many iron works in the city of Philadelphia in the 19th Century. In his later years, he was listed as being a "Lamp Black Worker", which is someone who works with lamp black (or carbon black) in the manufacture of graphite. This occupation was extremely dangerous and many workers contracted lung diseases and other illnesses.
William died in 1918 at the age of 81 and the cause of death was listed as chronic nephritis. At the time of his death, he was receiving a pension of $35 a month for his Civil War Service.
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