Carpenters History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Carpenters finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a carpenter derived from the Old French word carpentier. 1

The name was quite popular in Normandy as seen in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae which listed Robert, Gaufrid, Ansketel, Richard, William, Bernard Carpentarius, of Normandy, 1180-95. This Latin form of the name continued into England where Reiner, Adam, Roger, William Carpentarius, of England were listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1189. In fact the Domesday Book of 1086 included Durand Carpentarius, a tenant in capite, Norfolk, and Rabel and Roger Carpentarius at the same time. The latter gave lands to Stoke-Clare Priory, 1090. William Carpentarius was father of Henry and Manasser Biset, Barons t. Henry II. 2

Early Origins of the Carpenters family

The surname Carpenters was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed Ricardus Carpentarius, Cambridgeshire; and Hugh le Charpenter, Wiltshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes Carpenter, wryght; and Willelmus Wryght, carpenter. 3

Moving ahead two centuries, researchers found John Carpenter (1370?-1441?), Town Clerk of London, son of Richard Carpenter, a citizen of London. "On 20 April 1417 he was chosen town clerk or common clerk of the city, after having held an inferior post in the town clerk's office for some years previously. " 4

John Carpenter (d. 1476), Bishop of Worcester was born probably at Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire. 4

Early History of the Carpenters family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carpenters research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1121, 1429, 1516, 1570, 1575, 1582, 1588, 1589, 1591, 1621, 1627, 1628, 1649, 1657, 1667, 1671, 1673, 1683, 1714 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Carpenters History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carpenters Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Carpenters has been recorded under many different variations, including Carpenter, Carpentar, Carpenters, Carpentier and many more.

Early Notables of the Carpenters family

Distinguished members of the family include Alexander Carpenter, Latinized as Fabricius (fl. 1429), author of the 'Destructorium Vitiorum,' a treatise which enjoyed a considerable popularity in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, was six times printed before 1516, and was finally reprinted (at Venice) as late as 1582. 4John Carpenter (d. 1621), was a divine, born in Cornwall, it is believed at Launceston, and entered as a batler at Exeter College about 1570. 4Richard Carpenter (1575-1627), was a divine, born in Cornwall in 1575. Nathaniel Carpenter (1589-1628?), was an author and philosopher, son of John Carpenter (d. 1591), rector of Northleigh, Devonshire...
Another 128 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carpenters Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carpenters family to Ireland

Some of the Carpenters family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carpenters family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Carpenters or a variant listed above: Philip Carpenter was a fisherman at Cape Elizabeth, Ambrose Carpenter was a merchant in Hampton, and John Carpenter was living in the town of Saco during the 17th century.

The Carpenters Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per acuta belli
Motto Translation: Through the asperities of war.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print