Walter T. Carpenter, Trustee of Earlham College, and retired farmer, West Richmond, Ind., is of Welsh descent.  His 
paternal ancestor, seven generations back, Ezra Carpenter, was born in Wiltshire, Wales, in 1550.  His two sons were – 
Richard, born May 15, 1593, and William, born Aug. 28, 1601.  The latter never married, became very wealthy and died in 
England in 1701.  The former emigrated to America when a young man and died June 11, 1669.  To him were born two sons – 
Ephraim, in 1623, and John, in 1627.  The eldest of these sons was the father of Ephraim, who was born March 4, 1653, 
about the time of the conversion of the family, under the preaching of George Fox, the founder of the Society of 
Friends.  His fourth child, Timothy Carpenter, was born Dec. 19, 1665, and was the father of John, of Oysterberry, who 
was born June 13, 1690.  The latter’s eldest son, John, the hatter, was born Jan. 7, 1714, and lived
and died in New York.  His second child was Abram, born in Westchester County, N. Y., Dec. 27, 1738.  The tenth of 
Abram’s children, Isaac, was born in Westchester County, N. Y., Oct. 10, 1779, and in maturer years settled in Clinton 
County, Ohio, where he died Feb. 5. 1836.  His wife was Mercy frost, born in Westchester County, N. Y., in 1781, and 
died in Ohio in 1816. Of their six children, Walter T. is the fifth, and was born in Albany, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1811.  He 
was reared on a farm in Clinton County, Ohio, and afterward was engaged in merchandising in Wilmington, Ohio, and 
subsequently in Cincinnati.  From 1847 to 1857 he was farming in Warren County, Ohio, and in the latter year moved to 
Richmond, where he soon after became Superintendent of Earlham College, then a boarding school.  He filled the position 
fifteen years and at the same time was one of a committee of twelve who had charge of the college.  In 1880 the 
management of the college was changed, and control of its affairs vested in twenty-four trustees, Mr. Carpenter being 
one of the number.  Since his appointment as Superintendent of the college, he has lived rather retired on his farm near
 Richmond.  He married Susan Mabie fifty years ago, who was born in New York Dec. 27, 1811.  Of their four children, but
 three are living – Charles G., of Richmond; Caroline, wife of H. C. Wright, and Elizabeth, wife of Daniel W. Marmon; 
both daughters reside in Indianapolis.

History of Wayne County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884. Volume 2. Pages 160 and 161.