Jacob Carpenter
Jacob Carpenter, was born about 1775, Rockingham County, Virginia. He married Leah Frye, (sometimes spelled Frye, Frey, or Fry, I have chosen the use the spelling “Frye” because it was the spelling used in the middle name of David Frye Carpenter.) September 9, 1800 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. She was born November 30, 1778, daughter of John Frye and Catherine Spears Frye. She died January 11, 1820, and was buried in Casey County, Kentucky on Adam Carpenter’s ground. This union produced eight children: George Franklin, John, David, Jacob, Frye, Elizabeth, Christina, and Margaret.
On June 10, l822, Jacob married Celia Hamilton of Lincoln County, Kentucky. She was born in 1788 in Virginia, and died August 23, 1858, in Casey County Kentucky. This union produced one child: Nancy Jane.
Jacob Carpenter migrated to Kentucky when a young man. He may have gone to Kentucky shortly after the 1792 poll was taken. We know he was in Kentucky in 1800; for on September 9, 1800, he married Leah Frye. Leah Frye was the stepdaughter of Jacob’s half uncle, Adam Carpenter. Adam’s wife, Catherine Spears Frye, was the widow of John Frye. Both the Spears and Frye families were neighbors to the Carpenter family in Virginia. On September 15, 1801, George Carpenter, Jr. sold his Kentucky land to Jacob. Jacob added other acres to this by purchase, and in 1827, his half uncle, Conrad, deeded to him “for love and affection” 340 acres. His wife, Leah Frye, owned land in her right as heir of John Frye, so that Jacob Carpenter was well situated to support his family. Jacob Carpenter was a trustworthy businessman and was commissioned several times with power of attorney. In September 1811, Catherine Carpenter commissions him to collect her share of the estate of her father, George Spears, in Rockingham County, Virginia, and his brother-in-law, John Frye, commissioned him to collect his share of the estates of his grandfather, Jacob Frye, in Frederick County, Virginia.
About the time Jacob married Celia Hamilton, his two older sons married. John married Matilda Southerland on February 7, 1822, and George Franklin married Sarah Powell on December 14, 1805, in Casey County, Kentucky. Part of Lincoln County had been created into the new county of Casey and part of the Carpenters and many of their neighbors found themselves in this New County in 1806. Casey County appraisement Book I, page 147 shows Jacob Carpenter died before December 29, 1825. Lindsey Powell and George Carpenter were the administrators. A sale was held January 15, 1829, and in June 1829, a division of the part known as Leah Frye land was made.
An interesting sidelight on Jacob Carpenter is his attitude on slavery. In 1810, he owned seven slaves, but on June 20, 18l5, he took the oath to suppress slavery.1 By this oath, he agreed not to buy imported slaves, as a means to do away with the institution of slavery.
The will of Jacob Carpenter states that George Franklin was to heir 33 acres and 115 poles of land from his father’s estate. There is no other account of land owned by George Franklin in Kentucky.2
1 Deed Book 2, Page 34, Casey County, Kentucky
Egger, Virdie Hobnett, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, THE IMMIGRANT, 2001