Robert Carpenter, of Greenwich, R. I., the great-grandfather of John A. Carpenter, on the 26th of October, 1755, married Charity Roberts, of Warwick, in the same state. Their children were: Christopher, John, Phebe and Marcy. John of this number, who resided in West Greenwich, married Sarah Stone, and had children: Christopher, Phebe, Patience, Robert and Amos. The last-named and youngest of these children, Amos, on the 19th of June, 1813, married Mary, daughter of Joseph Bailey, of West Greenwich. Their children were: Maria, Sarah C., Marcy S., Patience S., Olive B., George W., John A., Charles B. and Mary E., of whom five are deceased.
John Anthony, the second son, was born June 23d, 1828, in West Greenwich, and at the age of eight years removed to Putnam, then Pomfret, where he pursued his studies at the district school, and meanwhile until 1846 assisted his father in the work of the farm. He then engaged in teaching in the schools of Putnam and vicinity, the intervals when not thus occupied being employed as before, on his father’s farm. In 1857 he entered the office of the Morse Mills Company as accountant, paymaster and manager of the merchandise department, and remained thus occupied until 1866, when he was elected cashier of the First National Bank of Putnam, of which he was one of the incorporators, and has since that time been its active manager. He was the treasurer of the Putnam Savings Bank from 1866 to 1874, and on his resignation from that office continued to act as one of its trustees. Mr. Carpenter was, irrespective of party ties, elected judge of probate for the Putnam district in 1863 and has since that time held the office. He has filled various local positions, and cordially supported all measures tending to the advancement of the town, and its material prosperity. His sympathy with the cause of education assumed practical form in the ,aid he gave with others, toward the establishment of a high school in Putnam, when a member of the school board of the town.
Mr. Carpenter has been twice married. He was first united to Ann Elizabeth, daughter of Byram and Nancy Johnson Williams. Their two children are Nancy Janette (deceased) and Byram Williams. Mrs. Carpenter died August 12th, 1856, and he married a second time, Marcia J., daughter of Moses Chandler, whose ancestors settled in Woodstock in 1686. Their three children are: Jane Elizabeth, wife of Edgar Morris Warner; Anna Chandler and John Frederick.