Carpenter Lot - Carpenter Hill Road

Edmond N. Magowan died Feb. 17, 1835. In his 26 year.
Mrs. Mary, wife of Clark Magowan, Born Dec. 12, 1787, Died Jan. 30, 1822. Age 34 years, 47 days.
Margaret Eldred died Dec. 28, 1829. Age 69 years & 5 mo.
Joshua Carpenter died Dec. 19, 1794. Age 36 yrs., 4 mo., 13 dys.

Lovina Carpenter, wife of Eli Carpenter, died Apr. 7, 1805. In her 27th year.
Lovina, dau. of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Carpenter, died Apr. 21, 1813. Age 8 years, 1 mo., 10 days.
Capt. Samuel Watson died June 28th 1806. In his 90th year.
Mrs. Hannah, wife of Capt. Samuel Watson, died Dec. 17, 1801. Age 86 years.
 
Corrections and notes:

(1) The Carpenter lot is located near the Bennington-Pownal line on the east side of Carpenter Hill Rd. about 300 yards into an orchard. Strictly speaking, it is in Bennington not in Pownal.

(2) Omitted above and never recorded, I believe, is a simple headstone in the 1st row, southern end, with three initials only, "J.N.C."

Jonathan Niles Carpenter, 1816-1848, was the second son of Reynolds Carpenter and Mary (Niles). A Rep. from Pownal in his second term, he died at Montpelier ten minutes before noon on 30 Oct 1843 at the Pavilion House, the so-called "Third House." Both chambers adjourned immediately upon receiving the news; at five o'clock the chaplain of each House conducted the funeral in the Old Capitol; in the procession from Pavilion to Capitol were all state officers, as well as Odd Fellows. (Ref: Journal of House of Representatives of the State of Vt., October Session, 1848, p. 113.) A second and more elaborate stone is at the Pownal Center yard.

(3) Probably of more interest are two horizontal stones in the 1st row on a cement base abt. two feet high. They lie side by side, each abt. 8" X 28", and read:

1) "Elizabeth Reynolds wife of Jeremiah Carpenter died Mar. 1799 ae. 78 yrs.,"

2) "Jeremiah Carpenter died Mar. 1792, ae. 78 yrs. He with his three sons Jonathan, Wm. & Joshua fought in the Battle of Bennington." Cemetery cards at the Vt. Div. of Public Records, which record these two stones, are dated 31 Dec 1919 and are signed by the Bennington Town Clerk, E.A. Booth. Therefore, the stones were probably erected by a descendant between 1910 and 1919. Proof of who was or wasn't at "The Battle" is nigh impossible. This is "family tradition" in stone.

TMA