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|death_date = between 8 March 1441 (will) & 12 May 1442 (will proved) - maybe April 1442
|death_date = between 8 March 1441 (will) & 12 May 1442 (will proved) - maybe April 1442
|death_place = buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England.
|death_place = buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England.
|other_names = John Carpenter, town clerk of London
|other_names = [[John Carpenter, town clerk of London]]
|known_for = Liber Albus, City of London School for Boys, Member of Parliament from London
|known_for = Liber Albus, City of London School for Boys, Member of Parliament from London
|occupation = Town Clerk of London, author, founder
|occupation = Town Clerk of London, author, founder
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{{otheruses|John Carpenter (disambiguation)}}
{{otheruses|John Carpenter (disambiguation)}}
{{TOChidden}}
{{TOChidden}}
John Carpenter (1370?-1442?), was an important figure in the early history of the city of London who left property in his will which eventually led to the founding of the City of London School.
'''John Carpenter''', the younger, (abt. [[1372]] - [[1442]]), was the noted Town Clerk of the [[city of London]] during the reigns of [[King Henry V]] & King [[Henry VI]]. He was the author of the first book of English Common Law called "Liber Albus" (the White Book). He was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425. He is also recognized as the founder of the [[City of London School]] for boys.
[[Image:John Carpenter 1372-1442.JPG|thumb|150px|left| Statue of John Carpenter (1372-1442)- Resides in a prominent position on a plinth high up on the wall of the City of London School's glassed ceiling atrium standing over the door to the balcony of the Great Hall. In this position 'He' also 'sees' the full splendour of [[St. Paul's Cathedral]] Dome.]]


He resided in the Parish of St. Peter, [[Cornhill]], [[London]], England and was buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England, where his wife Katherine was later interred. <ref> Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter. </ref>
From his will we learn that his father's name was Richard and his mother's Christina. Carpenter's own wife Katherine was from Zeeland. Carpenter's father Richard seems to be the Richard mentioned in the will of Roger Carpenter, pepperer, and described as a relative. Richard Carpenter is described as still underage and under the guardianship of a John Beek (Bek) when Roger Carpenter died in 1348/9. What is important here is that Roger came from a long lineage of prosperous spice merchants in London and there are frequent references to them in the celebrated Calendar of London Letter Books.


He is frequently distinguished in historical documents as "John Carpenter, the younger," "John Carpenter, Junior," and as "John Carpenter, Jenkin." Jenkin or Jenken is a diminutive of the name John.
In the 1200s merchants with the surname Carpenter were active in the wine trade from Bordeaux to London and seemingly in the wool export business. Roger Carpenter himself was one of the founders of the Worshipful Company of Grocers, formerly known as Pepperers. John Carpenter's own personal interests are perhaps best revealed in his relationship with Henry Barton who was mayor of London in 1416, the year before Carpenter was appointed town clerk. Barton was a prosperous wool merchant and he and Carpenter had joint interests in various land holdings (Close Rolls, June 12, 1434). Other Close Roll documents from the late 1300s portray an elder and younger John Carpenter, as well as a Robert Carpenter, as inhabitants of the important cloth town of Lavenham. The two John Carpenters are described as drapers. The town clerk had both an older brother John and a younger brother Robert. The period of the Lavenham Carpenters coincides with civil unrest within London and particularly in London merchant circles. Events and other individuals in these documents have definite London connections. It may be that two of the three sons of Richard Carpenter of London were drapes. In London Assize of Nuisance documents for 1412 and 1416 a John Carpenter can be seen as acting as an attorney. It has always been assumed that Carpenter attended the Inns of Court in London and received some manner of legal education. Celebrated in history are Carpenter's ties to the mercer, brewer and London mayor Richard Whittington. Carpenter was partly instrumental with Whittington in the formal organization of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. Many have argued that this was ceremonial. It is of course not to be forgotten that mercers themselves were cloth merchants. Carpenter the town clerk was certainly a relative and close confidant of John Carpenter the bishop of Worcester (d. 1476) and with him was perhaps loyal to the Plantagenet house of Lancaster. Scholars of the period merchant culture have always seen the principle players of the times as multi-faceted individuals with diverse economic interests and activities. John Carpenter does not disappoint this analysis. By the end of his life John Carpenter was a significant land holder and possessor of wealth. Some of his personal land holdings at death within the city of London eventually translated themselves into the formation and funding of the City of London School. John Carpenter was buried in 1442 in the chancel of St Peters upon Cornhill, the official church of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.


John Carpenter was one of three historical John Carpenters who were prominent during the 1400s. Both are mentioned in John Carpenter's 1442 will. One was his brother, John Carpenter, the elder, who received much property from his younger brother.<ref> Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition. </ref>
Carpenter was perhaps only partially understood by his 19th century biographer Thomas Brewer in his Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter. Brewer, due to a lack of available historical documentation, did not appreciate Carpenter's connections to London merchant history.


John Carpenter was the Uncle to the other [[John Carpenter (bishop)]] who was the Warden of St. Anthony's Hospital, Rector of St. Mary's Magdalen and finally known as the Bishop of Worcester. Bishop John Carpenter was willed, by the subject of this article, "that book on architecture which Master William Cleve gave me." Cleve was King's Chaplain and clerk of the works, and carried out building at the Palace of Westminster and the Tower.<ref> Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition. </ref>


==Early Life & Ancestry==
== REFERENCES ==
Thomas Brewer in his 1856 book on John Carpenter found no significant record of his life until his election as the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on April 20, 1417, at about age 45. The exemption mentioned on page 14 suggests that John Carpenter had been in the City of London's service "from the time of his youth." It is assumed that he was apprenticed to John Marchaunt, his predecessor as Town Clerk.<ref> Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856. </ref> Based on Liber Albus (see below) and other works, he was familiar with the law.


Genealogical efforts have revealed a baptized or Christened date of 18 Dec 1378 [[Hereford Cathedral]], Hereford, England, but he was probably born earlier with about 1372 being generally accepted. His father is listed as Richard Carpenter and his mother as Christina.<ref> Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters 2009 DVD, which contains Carpenter Family genealogy by John R. Carpenter of La Mesa, California, USA. John the younger, - the subject of the article is listed as RIN 0089.</ref>


His father, Richard or Renaud Carpenter, is believed to have been born about 1335/1337 in or of, Grand Pont, [[Cambrai]], [[Nord]], [[France]]. He may have been alive as late as 1412 in London. He married Christina, last name unknown, who was of London. Their known children:
Brewer, Thomas. Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Arthur Taylor, London, 1856.
Douglas-Smith, A.E. The City of London School, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1965. Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1959-60, vol. 3, pp. 1064-5. Bruce E. Carpenter, 'Addendum to Brewer's Memoir of the Town Clerk of London,' published in the Journal of Tezukayama University, Nara, Japan, no. 4, 2000, pp. 57-115.


* John Carpenter, the elder, born circa 1362. The father of [[John Carpenter (bishop)]]. His baptism or Christening date of 20 Sept 1371 in [[Battlesden]] has not been confirmed and is probably wrong. His death date not known.
External links [1] re. town clerk article http://www.british-history.ac.uk/catalogue.asp?gid=58 Calendar of London Letter Books Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carpenter,_town_clerk_of_London" Categories: Wikify from January 2007 | London politicians | Worshipful Company of Mercers Hidden categories: Wikipedia articles needing clarification | All pages needing to be wikified | Articles with invalid date parameter in template


* Robert Carpenter, born circa 1368, of London. In his brother's will - it indicates that he had a son (named) Richard and two daughters (named) Joan and Katherine.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carpenter,_town_clerk_of_London"

* John Carpenter, the younger - the subject of this article.

His grandfather, John or Jean Le Carpenter or Carpentier, born about 1303 of, De Grand Pont, Du Nord, France and died after 1345 in Dilwyne, Herefordshire, England. He married Jeanne Tabarie, who was born circa 1310 near Cambrai, Nord, France. His parents are challenged and are not listed in this article.

==Marriage==
The date of John Carpenter's marriage has not been found, nor has the maiden name of his wife, Katherine.

Katherine was born in or of "[[Zeeland]]" (now the [[Netherlands]]) about 1372. Her will was written 31 Mar 1457 and proved in June 1458. She was later buried with her husband in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England. They had no children.<ref> Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter. </ref>

==Political Life==
John Carpenter was elected the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on April 20, 1417. This was two years after the [[Battle of Agincourt]]. <ref> Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856. </ref><ref>Folio cxciv b. Feodum decem libr' concess' Joh'i Marchaunt ad terminum vite. - British History Online - 'Folios cxci - cc: Dec 1416 - ', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: I: 1400-1422 (1909), pp. 175-186. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33691 Date accessed: 22 April 2009.</ref>

"Proclamacio sup' judicio billor'" - This proclamation appears to be the first instance of John Carpenter, the Town Clerk of London signing a public document with his surname only.<ref> British History Online - 'Folios ccxi - ccxx March 1417-18', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: I: 1400-1422 (1909), pp. 195-206. See Footnote 7. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33693#n7 - Date accessed: 22 April 2009.</ref>

He obtained a letter of patent from Henry VI dated 3 Dec. 18 (1418?), exempting him "for the whole of his life from all military and civil duties whatsoever, which included election as a member of Parliament and receiving the Honour of Knighthood."<ref> Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856. </ref> What service he rendered the Crown is unknown, but it can be assumed he provided a great service.

John Carpenter was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425. (Need proper cite)

==Coat of Arms==
John Carpenter's Arms appear to be of French or Norman heritage, "Paly of six, argent and gules, on a chevron azure, 3 cross crosslets or." These Arms are often referred to as the Hereford Arms, named for the later ancestral home of the Carpenter Family in Hereford, England. The Crest, supporters & motto apparently has changed several times over the centuries. A more current motto is: "Per acuta belli". <ref> "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" vol. 16, Number 2, April 1925, Page 60-70, article by J. Hatton Carpenter - "The Carpenter Family of England and the United States." </ref>
[[Image:Carpenter Knight.JPG|thumb|150px|right| Sample of a medieval knight with an early Carpenter Coat of Arms on shield.]]
The Hereford Arms were granted in 1719 to Lord George Carpenter (1657-1732). He was a Lt. General and commander-in-chief of all the Crown's forces in Scotland where he was elevated to the peerage of Ireland, by patent dated 29 May 1719, as Baron Carpenter, of Killaghy, county Kilkenny, Ireland.<ref> "The Life of Lord George Carpenter", published 1736 in London. </ref><ref> BRITISH NATIONAL RECORD ARCHIEVES: Historical Manuscripts Commission, UK National Register of Archives, George Carpenter (1657-1732) 1st Baron Carpenter Lieutenant General. - See link at: http://www.hmc.gov.uk/NRA/searches/PIdocs.asp?P=4953 </ref> Please be aware that there is no direct male to male Carpenter descent connecting Lord George Carpenter & Sir William Boyd Carpenter. The family connection is by marriage through the females in the family.

Sir [[William Boyd Carpenter]] (1841 - 1918), an English Clergyman of the [[Established church]] of England, [[Bishop]] of [[Ripon]], afterwards a Cannon of Westminster and Chaplain to the reigning sovereign of England, wrote in a letter dated 7 August 1907 that his family bore the Hereford Arms. Sir [[Noel Paton]], upon painting the Family Arms, informed him that the supporters were originally was a round-handled sword, which in drawing over time became shortened, until nothing but the cross and globe were left beneath it. Those Hereford Arms were used by "John Carpenter, town clerk of London, who died 1442 A. D."<ref> "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" vol. 16, Number 2, April 1925, Page 60-70, article by J. Hatton Carpenter - "The Carpenter Family of England and the United States." </ref> His grandson [[John Boyd-Carpenter, Baron Boyd-Carpenter]] (1908-1998), continued the Arms into the new century by passing it down to his son, Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, who was himself knighted after a military career as a Lieutenant-General and in public service.

NOTE: The Hereford Coat of Arms described above should not be confused with the Arms of Bishop Richard Carpenter (c1450s?-1503) presented in the "Visitations of the County of Oxford taken in 1566, 1574, and 1634, published in 1871, which describe the arms displayed in the buildings at the University in [[Oxford]] - "In the Lyberarye of Baliall Colege." - as recorded by the officials performing the visitations in those years. The Visitations describe the arms of [[Richard Carpenter (theologian)]] as: "Paly of nine Gu. and Az. on a chevron Arg. surmounted by a mitre Or, three cross crosslets of -- nine pales alternating red and blue, with a silver chevron bearing three gold cross-crosslets. <ref> Visitations of the County of Oxford taken in 1566, 1574, and 1634, published in 1871. (need a more proper cite) </ref>

==Liber Albus==
John Carpenter was the author of first book of English Common Law called "Liber Albus". The formal name is
"Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis; Liber albus, Liber custumarum, et Liber Horn."

Liber Albus was also known as the "White Book." It was completed in 1419. It was one of the first common law books in England that provided a basis of legal, social and history of the law relating to the City of London. The statue of John Carpenter, now residing within the City of London School for Boys, shows him holding this book. <ref> Riley, Henry T., and John Carpenter, eds. Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis; Liber Albus, Liber Custumarum, Et Liber Horn. 3 Vols. in 4. Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores (Rolls Series), 12. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859-1862. OCLC: 26230401
Abstract: Contains documents illustrating the legal, social and constitutional history of London during the 13th and 14th centuries. Contents:
Vol. 1, Liber albus, compiled AD 1419
Vol. 2, Liber custumarum, with extracts from the Cottonian ms. Claudius. D. II.
Vol. 3, Translation of the Anglo-Norman passages in Liber albus, glossaries, appendices, and index.
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=issn%3A2623-0401+OR+no%3A26230401&qt=advanced
Proper Cite:
City of London (England), Henry T. Riley, and John Carpenter. Munimenta Gildhallæ Londoniensis: Liber albus, Liber custumarum, et Liber Horn. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859. </ref>

The following lines<ref> Riley, H. T. - Carpenter's "Liber Albus", edited and translated by H. T. Riley (1859) - Link no longer valid </ref> were hand written (probably in the 1500s) on the fly-leaf of "Liber Albus" translated from Latin:
::::::''The book that once was white is white no more;
::::::''Made black with grease, and thumb'd its page o'er.
::::::''Then, while it still exists, transcribe each page;
::::::''Once gone, 'tis lost to every future age.
::::::''And if so lost---some fault of ours, 'tis true--
::::::''Ah me! thou gem of greatest price, Adieu!

==Latter Life==
At one point, John Carpenter reportedly owned over 300 tenements. He had a fish pond, doubling as a reservoir on top of his own house. Most of these properties he later willed to his brother. <ref> Bette B. Topp - "Carpenter Chronicles" Vol. 26 dated Sept. 1996, material submitted by John Patching. </ref> He resided in the Parish of St. Peter, Cornhill, London, England.

John Carpenter's will was made in his 70th year, dated 8 March 1441 and proved 12 May 1442. This indicates he was born about 1372 and that his death may have been some time in April of 1442. He was buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England. <ref> Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter. </ref>

Bequest for the betterment of poor children - John Stow<ref> Stow', John "Survey of London" (1598) - http://www.londonancestor.com/stow/stow-menu.htm </ref> recorded the actual bequest as, "He gave tenements to the Citye for the finding and bringing up of foure poore men's children with meate, drinke, apparell, learning at the schooles in the universities, &c., until they be preferred, and then others in their place for ever." <ref> Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856. </ref>

By leaving property to the City of London, later known as the Corporation of London, this provided "Carpenter's Children" (as they became known) to assist at divine service in the choir of the [Guildhall] chapel on festival days. That continued for almost 400 years until an Act of Parliament (1834) permitted the combining of several accounts to establish the City of London School. Since 1986, the school has resided on the east end of John Carpenter Street and Queen Victoria Street.<ref> Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition. </ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Persondata
|NAME=Carpenter, John
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Town Clerk of London, Author of Liber Albus
|DATE OF BIRTH=1372
|PLACE OF BIRTH=
|DATE OF DEATH=1442
|PLACE OF DEATH=Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England
}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk City of London website]
* [http://www.clsb.org City of London School web site]
* [http://www.clsb.org.uk/History%20of%20CLS.htm Brief history of CLS]
* [http://www.jcc.org.uk John Carpenter Club (Old Citizen's Association)]

{{London}}
{{London history}}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Town Clerk of London]]
| years = [[1419|1419]]&ndash;[[ 1438?|1438?]]
| before = [[John Marchaunt]]
| after =
}}

{{start box}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[London]]
| years = [[1425|1425]]&ndash;[[ ]]
| before =
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}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, John}}
{{portal| Biography | Crystal_personal.svg}}
[[Category:City of London]]
[[Category:1442 deaths]]
[[Category:Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Late Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Local government in London]]
[[Category:London politicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Biography-Human]]

Revision as of 06:15, 12 May 2009

John Carpenter, the younger
Bornabt 1372 & bapt. 18 Dec 1378
unknown & bapt. Hereford Cathedral, Hereford, England
Diedbetween 8 March 1441 (will) & 12 May 1442 (will proved) - maybe April 1442
buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England.
NationalityEnglish
Other namesJohn Carpenter, town clerk of London
Occupation(s)Town Clerk of London, author, founder
Known forLiber Albus, City of London School for Boys, Member of Parliament from London
For other uses, see John Carpenter (disambiguation).

John Carpenter, the younger, (abt. 1372 - 1442), was the noted Town Clerk of the city of London during the reigns of King Henry V & King Henry VI. He was the author of the first book of English Common Law called "Liber Albus" (the White Book). He was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425. He is also recognized as the founder of the City of London School for boys.

Statue of John Carpenter (1372-1442)- Resides in a prominent position on a plinth high up on the wall of the City of London School's glassed ceiling atrium standing over the door to the balcony of the Great Hall. In this position 'He' also 'sees' the full splendour of St. Paul's Cathedral Dome.

He resided in the Parish of St. Peter, Cornhill, London, England and was buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England, where his wife Katherine was later interred. [1]

He is frequently distinguished in historical documents as "John Carpenter, the younger," "John Carpenter, Junior," and as "John Carpenter, Jenkin." Jenkin or Jenken is a diminutive of the name John.

John Carpenter was one of three historical John Carpenters who were prominent during the 1400s. Both are mentioned in John Carpenter's 1442 will. One was his brother, John Carpenter, the elder, who received much property from his younger brother.[2]

John Carpenter was the Uncle to the other John Carpenter (bishop) who was the Warden of St. Anthony's Hospital, Rector of St. Mary's Magdalen and finally known as the Bishop of Worcester. Bishop John Carpenter was willed, by the subject of this article, "that book on architecture which Master William Cleve gave me." Cleve was King's Chaplain and clerk of the works, and carried out building at the Palace of Westminster and the Tower.[3]

Early Life & Ancestry

Thomas Brewer in his 1856 book on John Carpenter found no significant record of his life until his election as the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on April 20, 1417, at about age 45. The exemption mentioned on page 14 suggests that John Carpenter had been in the City of London's service "from the time of his youth." It is assumed that he was apprenticed to John Marchaunt, his predecessor as Town Clerk.[4] Based on Liber Albus (see below) and other works, he was familiar with the law.

Genealogical efforts have revealed a baptized or Christened date of 18 Dec 1378 Hereford Cathedral, Hereford, England, but he was probably born earlier with about 1372 being generally accepted. His father is listed as Richard Carpenter and his mother as Christina.[5]

His father, Richard or Renaud Carpenter, is believed to have been born about 1335/1337 in or of, Grand Pont, Cambrai, Nord, France. He may have been alive as late as 1412 in London. He married Christina, last name unknown, who was of London. Their known children:

  • John Carpenter, the elder, born circa 1362. The father of John Carpenter (bishop). His baptism or Christening date of 20 Sept 1371 in Battlesden has not been confirmed and is probably wrong. His death date not known.
  • Robert Carpenter, born circa 1368, of London. In his brother's will - it indicates that he had a son (named) Richard and two daughters (named) Joan and Katherine.
  • John Carpenter, the younger - the subject of this article.

His grandfather, John or Jean Le Carpenter or Carpentier, born about 1303 of, De Grand Pont, Du Nord, France and died after 1345 in Dilwyne, Herefordshire, England. He married Jeanne Tabarie, who was born circa 1310 near Cambrai, Nord, France. His parents are challenged and are not listed in this article.

Marriage

The date of John Carpenter's marriage has not been found, nor has the maiden name of his wife, Katherine.

Katherine was born in or of "Zeeland" (now the Netherlands) about 1372. Her will was written 31 Mar 1457 and proved in June 1458. She was later buried with her husband in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England. They had no children.[6]

Political Life

John Carpenter was elected the Town Clerk or Common Clerk of the City of London on April 20, 1417. This was two years after the Battle of Agincourt. [7][8]

"Proclamacio sup' judicio billor'" - This proclamation appears to be the first instance of John Carpenter, the Town Clerk of London signing a public document with his surname only.[9]

He obtained a letter of patent from Henry VI dated 3 Dec. 18 (1418?), exempting him "for the whole of his life from all military and civil duties whatsoever, which included election as a member of Parliament and receiving the Honour of Knighthood."[10] What service he rendered the Crown is unknown, but it can be assumed he provided a great service.

John Carpenter was a member of the English Parliament from London in 1425. (Need proper cite)

Coat of Arms

John Carpenter's Arms appear to be of French or Norman heritage, "Paly of six, argent and gules, on a chevron azure, 3 cross crosslets or." These Arms are often referred to as the Hereford Arms, named for the later ancestral home of the Carpenter Family in Hereford, England. The Crest, supporters & motto apparently has changed several times over the centuries. A more current motto is: "Per acuta belli". [11]

Sample of a medieval knight with an early Carpenter Coat of Arms on shield.

The Hereford Arms were granted in 1719 to Lord George Carpenter (1657-1732). He was a Lt. General and commander-in-chief of all the Crown's forces in Scotland where he was elevated to the peerage of Ireland, by patent dated 29 May 1719, as Baron Carpenter, of Killaghy, county Kilkenny, Ireland.[12][13] Please be aware that there is no direct male to male Carpenter descent connecting Lord George Carpenter & Sir William Boyd Carpenter. The family connection is by marriage through the females in the family.

Sir William Boyd Carpenter (1841 - 1918), an English Clergyman of the Established church of England, Bishop of Ripon, afterwards a Cannon of Westminster and Chaplain to the reigning sovereign of England, wrote in a letter dated 7 August 1907 that his family bore the Hereford Arms. Sir Noel Paton, upon painting the Family Arms, informed him that the supporters were originally was a round-handled sword, which in drawing over time became shortened, until nothing but the cross and globe were left beneath it. Those Hereford Arms were used by "John Carpenter, town clerk of London, who died 1442 A. D."[14] His grandson John Boyd-Carpenter, Baron Boyd-Carpenter (1908-1998), continued the Arms into the new century by passing it down to his son, Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, who was himself knighted after a military career as a Lieutenant-General and in public service.

NOTE: The Hereford Coat of Arms described above should not be confused with the Arms of Bishop Richard Carpenter (c1450s?-1503) presented in the "Visitations of the County of Oxford taken in 1566, 1574, and 1634, published in 1871, which describe the arms displayed in the buildings at the University in Oxford - "In the Lyberarye of Baliall Colege." - as recorded by the officials performing the visitations in those years. The Visitations describe the arms of Richard Carpenter (theologian) as: "Paly of nine Gu. and Az. on a chevron Arg. surmounted by a mitre Or, three cross crosslets of -- nine pales alternating red and blue, with a silver chevron bearing three gold cross-crosslets. [15]

Liber Albus

John Carpenter was the author of first book of English Common Law called "Liber Albus". The formal name is "Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis; Liber albus, Liber custumarum, et Liber Horn."

Liber Albus was also known as the "White Book." It was completed in 1419. It was one of the first common law books in England that provided a basis of legal, social and history of the law relating to the City of London. The statue of John Carpenter, now residing within the City of London School for Boys, shows him holding this book. [16]

The following lines[17] were hand written (probably in the 1500s) on the fly-leaf of "Liber Albus" translated from Latin:

The book that once was white is white no more;
Made black with grease, and thumb'd its page o'er.
Then, while it still exists, transcribe each page;
Once gone, 'tis lost to every future age.
And if so lost---some fault of ours, 'tis true--
Ah me! thou gem of greatest price, Adieu!

Latter Life

At one point, John Carpenter reportedly owned over 300 tenements. He had a fish pond, doubling as a reservoir on top of his own house. Most of these properties he later willed to his brother. [18] He resided in the Parish of St. Peter, Cornhill, London, England.

John Carpenter's will was made in his 70th year, dated 8 March 1441 and proved 12 May 1442. This indicates he was born about 1372 and that his death may have been some time in April of 1442. He was buried in the Abby of St. Peter, London, Middlesex, England. [19]

Bequest for the betterment of poor children - John Stow[20] recorded the actual bequest as, "He gave tenements to the Citye for the finding and bringing up of foure poore men's children with meate, drinke, apparell, learning at the schooles in the universities, &c., until they be preferred, and then others in their place for ever." [21]

By leaving property to the City of London, later known as the Corporation of London, this provided "Carpenter's Children" (as they became known) to assist at divine service in the choir of the [Guildhall] chapel on festival days. That continued for almost 400 years until an Act of Parliament (1834) permitted the combining of several accounts to establish the City of London School. Since 1986, the school has resided on the east end of John Carpenter Street and Queen Victoria Street.[22]

References

  1. ^ Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter.
  2. ^ Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition.
  3. ^ Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition.
  4. ^ Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856.
  5. ^ Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters 2009 DVD, which contains Carpenter Family genealogy by John R. Carpenter of La Mesa, California, USA. John the younger, - the subject of the article is listed as RIN 0089.
  6. ^ Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter.
  7. ^ Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856.
  8. ^ Folio cxciv b. Feodum decem libr' concess' Joh'i Marchaunt ad terminum vite. - British History Online - 'Folios cxci - cc: Dec 1416 - ', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: I: 1400-1422 (1909), pp. 175-186. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33691 Date accessed: 22 April 2009.
  9. ^ British History Online - 'Folios ccxi - ccxx March 1417-18', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: I: 1400-1422 (1909), pp. 195-206. See Footnote 7. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33693#n7 - Date accessed: 22 April 2009.
  10. ^ Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856.
  11. ^ "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" vol. 16, Number 2, April 1925, Page 60-70, article by J. Hatton Carpenter - "The Carpenter Family of England and the United States."
  12. ^ "The Life of Lord George Carpenter", published 1736 in London.
  13. ^ BRITISH NATIONAL RECORD ARCHIEVES: Historical Manuscripts Commission, UK National Register of Archives, George Carpenter (1657-1732) 1st Baron Carpenter Lieutenant General. - See link at: http://www.hmc.gov.uk/NRA/searches/PIdocs.asp?P=4953
  14. ^ "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" vol. 16, Number 2, April 1925, Page 60-70, article by J. Hatton Carpenter - "The Carpenter Family of England and the United States."
  15. ^ Visitations of the County of Oxford taken in 1566, 1574, and 1634, published in 1871. (need a more proper cite)
  16. ^ Riley, Henry T., and John Carpenter, eds. Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis; Liber Albus, Liber Custumarum, Et Liber Horn. 3 Vols. in 4. Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores (Rolls Series), 12. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859-1862. OCLC: 26230401 Abstract: Contains documents illustrating the legal, social and constitutional history of London during the 13th and 14th centuries. Contents: Vol. 1, Liber albus, compiled AD 1419 Vol. 2, Liber custumarum, with extracts from the Cottonian ms. Claudius. D. II. Vol. 3, Translation of the Anglo-Norman passages in Liber albus, glossaries, appendices, and index. http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=issn%3A2623-0401+OR+no%3A26230401&qt=advanced Proper Cite: City of London (England), Henry T. Riley, and John Carpenter. Munimenta Gildhallæ Londoniensis: Liber albus, Liber custumarum, et Liber Horn. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859.
  17. ^ Riley, H. T. - Carpenter's "Liber Albus", edited and translated by H. T. Riley (1859) - Link no longer valid
  18. ^ Bette B. Topp - "Carpenter Chronicles" Vol. 26 dated Sept. 1996, material submitted by John Patching.
  19. ^ Carpenter, Amos B. - "A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America. Also known as the Carpenter Memorial" published 1898 by the Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, MA. Pages 3-27. This book contains the will of John Carpenter & his wife Katherine along with sections of Thomas Brewers 1856 work on John Carpenter.
  20. ^ Stow', John "Survey of London" (1598) - http://www.londonancestor.com/stow/stow-menu.htm
  21. ^ Brewer, Thomas - "Memoir of the Life and Times of John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London in the reigns of Henry Fifth and Sixth", London, 1856.
  22. ^ Douglas-Smith, A. E. - "The City of London School" Oxford, England, 1965, 2nd Edition.

Template:Persondata

Preceded by Town Clerk of London
1419–1438? 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
 Member of Parliament for London
1425–[[ ]] 		Succeeded by
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