Myers-Snell Family

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all info on this family from correspondence with Helen Carpenter Burns
John Carpenter: The eldest child of Captain William Carpenter of Rehoboth was
JOHN, born about 1628. He came from England aboard the Bevis with his father
and was with his family at Weymouth and in Rehoboth, where he spent his
childhood.
Sometime before 1646, and when he was about 17 years old, John Carpenter
headed for Connecticut and traveled around that state working at the trade of
carpenter. About 1655 he married Hannah Smith, daughter of Magistrate WIlliam
Smith of Jamaica, Long Island. Their eldest son, John Carpenter Jr., was born
in Connecticut in the mid 1650's. (A great deal of research was conducted to
prove that the Carpenter Memorial, listing his wife's name as Hannah Hope was
incorrect, and should be Hannah Smith, daughter of William Smith of Whitford,
Devon, wher ein England the 1632 baptism of Hannah Smith was located).
The History of Queens County, NY indicates John Carpenterw was a freeholder
at Long Island as early as 1660. REcords also indicaqte he owned la
neighboring Hempstead prior to his Feb 14 1663/4 purchase (Jamaica Records, V
1, p 21) of land in East Neck between the property of Mr. Haulet and Henry
Townsend. Jamaica Records reveal his other neighbors were Joseph Thurston,
Richard Harker, Joseph Smith, Thomas Smith, Roger Linas, and John Rohde
According to records cited in Seversmith's "Colonial Families of Long Island',
John Carpenter also bough the dwelling house and barn lot of John Strickland of
Jamaica Nov 8 1665 and the homestead there served as the family residence. The
same source also notes that, along with his brother-in-law, Nehemiah smith, he
was overseer of the poor.
In 1664, an English fleet appeared off the fort at New Amsterdam. After
considering the situation, the Duth surrendered without a fight. In 1672,
Holland and England were again at war and in 1673 a strond Duth fleet appeared
off New York. After a short battle at Fort James (old Fort Amsterdam), the
English surrendered. Fort James was located at the foot of the present Broad
Street.
John Carpenter was captain of the JAmaica Fusileers in 1673 and in July had
been ordered with his company to defend Fort James in lower Manhattan against
the fleet of the Prince of Orange. Captain Manning, the commandant of Fort
James, surrendered after a short lived battle and for this act, was afterwards
sentenced to have his sword broken over his head. Because of their short lived
efforts, the families represented by our ancestor at the defense of New York in
1673 became known as the "first defenders of the city of New York."
According to the HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY Captain John Carpenter was one
of the patentees of the town of Jamaica under the "Dongan Patent" of 1680. In
1683, he was taxed an assessment of 186 poinds and was the second richest man
in Jamaica. The richest man in Jamaica aqt this time was Abraham Smith . ."
At a town meeting held Jan 20, 1683, John Carpenter was named a delegate to
meet with representatives of neighboring towns to choose a treasurer for the
county. On April 2, 1686, he was, along with Nehemiah Smith and Daniel Denton,
a commissioner for Jamaica. Captain John Carpenter was named a depu
conduct some Jamaica business in New York on March 14, 1689/90 (p 143, Jamaica
Records).
For more than three centures, members of the Carpenter family have been
closely identified with the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, which lays
claim to being the oldest church in America of that faith . . . During the
Revolutionary War, the Brittish used the church as a military prison; later, it
was sold for $200 and used for a courthouse. In 1813, the old stone structure
was torn down.
Captain John Carpenter, Sr, was like his father, William of Rehoboth, a man
of superior judgement and education who did much to assist in building up his
community. He died at Jamiaca May 23, 1695. His will of Nov 19, 1695
(Jamaica, New York WIlls, liber A, p 98) names his wife, Hannah; his sons John,
Hope, Samuel and William; his daughter Ruth, a grandson, Solomon, and
granddaughters Abigail Rhodes and Hannah Rhodes.
In 1704, Hannah, hiw widow, sold her rights to houses and lands left by her
late husband, Captain John Carpenter, Sr., to her son, William Carpente