Individual Details

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~carpenter/genealogy/manuscript.html
CATHERINE SPEARS FRYE CARPENTER
Consider now the situation in which Catherine Spears Frye found herself. A widow at the age of twenty-two and dazed and stricken with grief, she could scarcely have had time to indulge herself, for she had little Leah to care for, and she was seven months pregnant with her second child. And life must go on. Undoubtedly she turned to her sister Elisabeth, wife of John Carpenter, for assistance, and the other families at the Station would have rallied around. But the stark, brutal facts of life at that time were that there was simply no place for a dependent woman on the frontier. There was no way a woman could make her way alone in the wilderness, and equally, no man could hope to establish himself successfully without a woman in his house. Men and women then were truly partners, and womens’ opinions valued equally with a man’s. Furthermore, except for chores requiring a man’s greater strength, a woman could do everything a man could. So a capable pioneer woman was a pearl beyond price and consequently she was never a widow for any length of time, many women even marrying within a few weeks after the death of their first mate. An average woman in Catherine’s circumstances might have returned to her family in Virginia if she did not immediately remarry. Catherine Spears Frye was neither average nor ordinary.
Catherine had plenty of time to ponder her situation while awaiting the birth of her second child and the following winter while recovering from childbirth. Her posthumous son, John Frye, was born on October (19 or 29), 1782. The estate legalities of the deceased John Frye had to be taken care of, and on March 13, 1783, Catherine Frye, adm. presented to the court an inventory of an appraisement of the estate. The personal property listed consisted of the usual farm equipment and household furnishings such as pots and pans, John’s wearing apparel, pewter plates, cutlery, Bible and prayer book, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, a small loan due from Paul Froman, 169 pounds of salt due from John Felton, etc., for a total valuation of £144.12.0. Catherine priced one bay mare at £30. At the subsequent sale of these items at Adam Carpenter’s (no date given) the sold items totaled £164.7.7. The bay mare was bought by one Capt. Warren for £16.10.0., another horse went for £22, and these are quite fancy prices for horseflesh considering that a cow and calf went for £3.10.0., and 15 small hogs for £11.10. Adam Carpenter was a heavy buyer at the sale, mostly taking livestock, but also buying one feather bed for £6.1.0. In the wilderness, a feather bed was considered the height of luxury, and obviously Adam had an eye for his comfort. Possibly he also had an eye for the widow.
How Catherine managed during the next year and a half of her widowhood is not precisely known, but the indications are that she managed very well indeed. This tragic experience and others she suffered during her long lifetime apparently strengthened her character and molded her into a strong woman, thoroughly capable of handling any kind of situation that arose, and also with a solid talent for financial matters. Receipts found in the family papers for this period indicate that Catherine began to engage in land transactions. She bought 50 acres of land on Carpenter’s Creek from W. Montgomery for £100, the land joining two holdings of John Frye, deceased. Witnesses: George Spears, Jacob Spears.

On March 9, 1784, Catherine Spears Frye and Adam Carpenter married.
During this period, 1784 -1806, ten children were born to Adam and Catherine. Raising these ten children, plus Leah and John Frye, obviously occupied all of Catherine’s time. We know that Catherine was a skilled weaver and that she brought weaving equipment with her from Virginia. In her papers are ten precious drafts (patterns) for weaving, one dated Jan. 4, 1777 ‘for Catrin Spears’ and signed by one Rodgers McPeacks. Another draft is signed by James Murrel on December 5, 1805, another by George Carpenter. Copies of these drafts were given to Miss Lou Tate, nationally known weaving historian and weaving teacher in Louisville, KY. These drafts are to be included in Kentucky’s Bicentennial program. There are also dye recipes.

CATHERINE CARPENTER, MID-LIFE
On January 11, 1806, Adam Carpenter died and once again Catherine found herself a widow. At this point she had nine minor children, and only her oldest son, William, was 21. No will is found in the family papers and the cause of death is unknown. In the list of estate expenses is an item of payment for medical service to Dr. McDowell of Danville, in amount £1.4.0. This doctor is the famous Dr. Ephraim McDowell who in 1809 performed surgery for removal of an ovarian tumor, the first such recorded case.
Catherine inherited her widow’s third of the property, and the rest of the property was divided up in the names of the children. George Murrell and George Carpenter were named administrators of the estate. Since Catherine’s son George was only nine years old at the time of his father’s death, we assume that the executor referred to is George Carpenter, son of Pioneer John Carpenter. This George would have been 22 years old at this time and he was always called Station George: first because he lived at the Station, and second, it was necessary to distinguish him from his cousin George, son of Adam and Catherine, who was called George, Red-face. George Red-face was later usually referred to as Major after he had served in the Kentucky Militia. The two Georges lived only a few miles apart.
Catherine received 667 acres of land in three tracts, one of which contained the dwelling house. 1065 acres were divided among the minor children. Included in the estate papers is a list of small loans made by Adam to about a dozen relatives and neighbors in the vicinity.
A document signed by George Murrel on March 31, 1807, lists “the articles that Mrs. Carpenter received out of the Estate of Adam Carpenter Deceased, by the hands of the administrators” and the estimated value which totaled £196.16.7. The articles consisted of farm stock, one bull, two yearling heifers, five hogs, four yearling calves, two cows, two cows and calves, nine old sheep and six lambs, one old brown mare, one sorrel horse, one bay mare colt, one bay horse colt, eight hogs, three sows and twenty pigs; farm equipment - plows, hoes, one set of doubletrees, log chain, two grindstones, saws, tools, etc.; household equipment - one ‘cubbert’ & furniture, value £7.4.0, kettles, pots, ovens, three beds (one valued at £9). Catherine’s precious loom and sundry gear were listed at £4.12.0, also one woman’s saddle at £0.9.0
The last and most important item was ‘One Negro Boy’ valued at £ 75. This is the negro boy named Joseph who is also listed with the real estate, and it is the first mention of slaves in the Adam Carpenter family. £75 was a large price for a slave and it indicates that he was exceptional. Compare his value with the next highest priced item on the list which is one sorrel horse at £15 or eight hogs at £10.16.0. Joseph was to remain with Catherine Carpenter until her death, and he was the supervisor of her plantation.
Now comes the period of Catherine’s life that shows her strong indomitable spirit. Wherever she had acquired her knowledge of law and financial affairs, either from early life in Virginia, or in association with Adam, or just plain innate intelligence, she now embarked on a path that would make her a well-to-do woman.
Before Adam Carpenter had been dead even a year, Catherine was buying land, and she continued to buy land up until the time of her death. Early land grant certificates show that Catherine Carpenter as assignee of John Warren took up 130 acres in Adair County on March 9, 1808. On the same day, as assignee of Richard Whitman, she took sixty-five acres in Adair County, and on May 31, 1808, Catherine as assignee of Martin Warren, took 200 acres in Green County. An interesting footnote here is that Catherine and Adam’s first-born child, William, married Mary Warren, a daughter of Martin Warren.
Catherine kept voluminous receipts, hundreds, even for such mundane events as having the plows sharpened, and records of money paid out for instance ‘for the seasoning of Tecumseh’, her mare. She paid her taxes and levies (carefully keeping all receipts) on her lands and produce. One of her sources of revenue was whiskey, as evidenced by one receipt, among many others, from the tax collector on September 30, 1815, for $31.31 1/4 for her account of 100 gallons of spirits distilled. In her papers is a recipe for distilling sour mash, dated 1818. It is entitled “A receipt for distilling By Sweet & Sour Mash”, and it required the use of a hundred-gallon tub. There is also a recipe for making bitters.
As her holdings increased, Catherine’s need for labor also increased and there are a number of bills of sale for slaves she bought. On Sept. 2, 1809, she bought a ten year old girl named Mary for $250. from one Bennett Shaikleford. On July 20, 1810, she bought a negro girl named Nancy at a sheriff’s sale for $40.50. On May 8, 1824, she bought two negroes, Jim and McClain (Mack) for $419. from Mathias Speed and Jacob Conkright of the County of Fentress, State of Tennessee. On March 25, 1825, Catherine purchased from Chas. S. Perkins of Casey County ‘one Negro girl slave named Malinda aged supposed to be Ten or Eleven years old for the sum of $250 in silver.’ All of the above-named slaves were living at the time of Catherine’s death in 1848 and are among twenty slaves mention by name in her will.
The legal affairs that Catherine dealt with during these years are quite astounding. Since Adam’s estate was not closed out until after the youngest child was 21, which would be 1825, there was constant concern with the administration of the property held in custody for the minor heirs. As invariably happened during these early days, the title to one parcel of land divided among her children did not hold up, and this necessitated endless court procedures to straighten out, and was not finally settled until well into the 1820’s. The Carpenters lost their suit, so each one of the children had to make a refund to the sister, Margaret, who had sustained a loss in her share of her father’s estate.
At the September term of the Lincoln County Court in 1812, the clerk certified that William Crow was appointed guardian for Margaret, George, Conrad, Henry and Adam Carpenter, infant heirs of Adam Carpenter and for Catherine Carpenter. The reason for this change of guardian is unknown; it may have had to do with the creation of Casey County out of Lincoln County in 1806, the year of Adam Carpenter’s death -- another complication involving two county courts. (It is doubtful that this Wm. Crow would be the same one involved in George Zimmerman’s cattle dispute back in Virginia, but he could be a relative.)
Another reason may have been that in the brief six years since Adam’s death, there had already been a change in status of five of their children. William, Christina and Sarah were married; Margaret was to marry in December of 1812, and Mary had died in 1810 at the age of eighteen, only four years after her father. To the sorrows of widowhood, Catherine now added the bitterness of losing a child, and Mary was placed in the Carpenter Burying Ground beside Adam. The Burying Ground is located near the family homestead. In the late 1810’s and 20’s, William, Christina, Sarah and Margaret all migrated into western lands as pioneers themselves. So, many of the details of Adam Carpenter’s estate had to be settled by the uncertain mail of the time, not an easy matter. As each child left Kentucky, Catherine bought back the lands which they had inherited from Adam’s estate and on which they had lived. She also bought back Major George’s land, also Conrad’s even though they remained in Kentucky.

CATHERINE CARPENTER’S WILL
Catherine Spears Frye Carpenter died on April 1, 1848, at the age of 87 years 7 months, the last of the hardy band of pioneers, and she was put to rest beside Adam and Mary, her daughter, in the Carpenter Burying Ground near the homestead. It is conservatively estimated that she had at least sixty-seven grandchildren, including the children of John Frye and Leah Frye Carpenter, and uncountable great grandchildren. Her last will and testament was dated May 7, 1846, and she named her sons, George, Conrad, Henry and Adam as executors.
Of the twenty items in the will, the first eight deal with the disposal of her slaves. $700 was to be given to Catherine’s friend, James A. Fisher, to use as much as necessary to buy the freedom of her slave, Joseph, and to handle the business relating to the other slaves. The remaining slaves, named Mary, Roxa, Eliza, Hiram, Robert, Malinda, Reuben, Oliver, Mack, Barnet, James, John, Sampson, Maria, Mary Elizabeth,Sally, Francis and Josephine were to be hired out for five years and their wages to go into a general fund for the slaves, except Joseph.
“At the expiration of said term of five years, all of the aforenamed slaves and their increase are to be free, upon condition they move to Africa. And I do bequest and devise that the hire of said slaves be appropriated by my executors hereinafter named for the purpose of removing and settling them in Liberia or any other African Colony to which they may desire to emigrate and which shall be open for the emigration of free persons of colour.
Item 5. It is distinctly understood that it is my will & desire to emancipate all of my slaves and should any of the females prior to the time at which their freedom is to commence have children, I wish it distinctly and unequivocally understood that such children to be free whenever their mothers are or would be free.
Item 6. Should any of my aforesaid slaves, Joseph excepted, refuse to emigrate to Liberia or some other African Colony, the means being provided for that purpose. . . it is then my will and devise that said slave or slaves be by my executors sold to the highest bidder after advertisement, and the proceeds equally divided amongst my nine legatees as hereinafter named the children of my last husband, Adam Carpenter.
Item 7. I give to my negro man Joseph during this natural life, from the time his freedom commences, the use of the tract of land that I purchased of Randolph Peyton lying in Casey County on the headwaters of the Big South Fork of the Rolling Fork of the Salt River. If Joseph should become so infirm as to be unable to make a necessary support, in that event the rent of said tract of land is to stand as security from year to year to the County Court of Casey County, Kentucky, to prevent Joseph from becoming a charge to said County: And after the death of Joseph, said tract of land I will and devise to be sold after advertisement and the proceeds to be equally divided among my nine legatees.
Item 8. I give to my man Joseph a horse which he may select out of my stock of horses after my death, and which he may have to dispose of at his own discretion.”
Catherine provided well for Joseph and obviously held him in high regard, but her stipulation concerning the rest of the slaves must have presented them with a cruel dilemma. It is a mind-stretching exercise to try to imagine how James A. Fisher went about the chore of explaining the will and its provisions to the uneducated slaves. Since it was unlawful to teach slaves, they could not possibly have known where Africa was, or even what it was. There is no material in the family papers to tell us what decisions the slaves made. There is no further mention of James A. Fisher, but from 1848 until 1853, Major George kept an account in his old journal for the estate of Catherine Carpenter in which he listed the income from the hire of the slaves. It ranged from $217 to $557 yearly. George also listed his expenses for keeping some of the slaves, for trips over the countryside to see about their welfare and doctor bills for their care, all of which generally indicates that George assumed the responsibility for their custody. One slave, Eliza, died and was buried in April of 1849.

Buried in the Adam Carpenter Cemetery.

Birth	6 Sep 1760	Rockingham County, Virginia
Marriage	Abt 1777	John Frye
Marriage	9 Mar 1784	Adam Carpenter
Death	1 Apr 1848	Casey County, Kentucky

Spouse	John Frye (1753 - 1782)
Child	Leah Frye (1778 - 1820)
Child	John Frye (1782 - 1853)

Spouse	Adam Carpenter ( - 1806)
Child	William Carpenter (1785 - )
Child	Christina Carpenter (1787 - )
Child	Sarah Carpenter (1790 - )
Child	Mary Carpenter (1792 - )
Child	Margaret Carpenter (1794 - )
Child	George Carpenter (1797 - )
Child	Conrad Carpenter ( - )
Child	Henry Carpenter ( - )
Child	Catherine Carpenter (1801 - )
Child	Adam Carpenter (1804 - 1877)

Father	George Spears (1731 - 1803)
Mother	Christina ?Hardwin ( - )
Sibling	Jacob Spears (1757 - 1818)
Sibling	Elizabeth Spears (1755 - 1832)
Sibling	George Spears (1764 - 1838)
Sibling	Mary Agnes Spears (1766 - 1852)
Sibling	Hannah Spears (1769 - 1835)
Sibling	John F. Spears (1771 - 1866)
Sibling	David Spears (1773 - )
Sibling	Sarah Spears (1774 - )
Sibling	Daniel Spears (1777 - )
Sibling	Isaac Spears ( - )
Sibling	Rachel Spears ( - )