Thomas Carpenter married on December 26, 1754, Elizabeth Moulton and they moved into the then newly built house before it was fully finished in September 1755. On December 22, 1755 their first daughter Elizabeth was born in their new home. By August 1776 they would have twelve children born in their house. Unfortunately, several children would also die within the walls of their home. These were an unknown child in 1759, Sarah in 1775 who was age 15, William in 1763 as an infant, James in 1764 as an infant, and Nathan in 1772 who died as an infant. Another Nathan, age 12½, in 1789 may have died due to an accident outside the house. Those children who reached maturity were Elizabeth, Thomas, Stephen, James, Rebecca, and Peter. Colonel Thomas Carpenter was the son of Thomas Carpenter and Mary Barstow and he was the great great grandson of the William Carpenter the immigrant who was born in England in 1605 of the Rehoboth Carpenter family.
Career
"October 3, 1774. The town Rehoboth chose Capt. Thomas Carpenter a delegate to represent them for the Massachusetts Provincial Congress that was organized on October 7, 1774. This was the first autonomous government of the Thirteen Colonies which later became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Carpenter was elected Deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1775. Carpenter is listed often as a farmer, but served Rehoboth throughout his life in numerous jobs, committees and positions from the 1750s until the 1890s where his name is no longer seen on various public records.
Carpenter was commissioned Colonel of a Bristol Massachusetts Militaa Regiment on February 10, 1776. He commanded the First Bristol Regiment from 1776 to 1780. Col. Thomas Carpenter had 130 men fit for duty as by returns of General H. Parsons of the Provincial Army dated November 3, 1776. The First Bristol Regiment, also known as Carpenter's Regiment, was under Major General Lincoln's command 1776 to 1779. A document dated November 28, 1776 from Boston indicates he marched to New York and he was noted in dispatches. What he was noted for is unknown. Carpenter's name and signature appears on a petition asking for a new choice of officers dated at Rehoboth, June 26, 1728. Carpenter served on the Rhode Island expeditionJuly 24, 1778 serving 1 month and 19 days. Carpenter's Regiment was under Brigadier General Godfrey's Brigade by July 5, 1779. His regiment served at Tiverton, July 26, 1780, for seven days. And served again at Tiverton dated August 1, 1780 for 9 days. On August 18, 1778 Carpenter's Regiment was ordered to Rhode Island for the campaign. On August 29, 1778 his Regiment saw action and he was distinguished for his activity and bravery. Several of his soldiers, residents of Rehoboth, were killed in this action.
Historic house
The Col. Thomas Carpenter III House is a historic National Register of Historic Places house at 77 Bay State Road in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. It is a Georgian architecture style house built in 1755 and was added to the NRHP in 1983.
