Job's Children: Philmore Carpenter

Showing posts with label Philmore Carpenter. Show all posts

Friday, August 17, 2012

Philandering Philmore

Gilliam Philmore or Filmore Carpenter supposedly lived to be 104 years old. His tombstone says that he was born May 16, 1848 and died August 21, 1952.

Philmore Carpenter is buried in the Bethel Methodist Church Cemetary, along with many other members of this family.
http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/anson/cemeteries/bethel01.txt

After reading the newspaper article from the April 4, 1896 edition of the Anson Record, I wanted to find out more about this family. After learning that Gilliam Philmore Carpenter was born in Stanly County, I was certain that he must be related to the Stanly County Carpenter family that become very entwined in my family tree.
Sarah Catherine <i>Gaddy</i> Carpenter

And he was. Gilliam Philmore (or Filmore) Carpenter was the son of Williamson Carpenter and Sarah B McIntyre. Williamson Carpenter was the son of John Ludwell Carpenter and Obedience Broadway. John Ludwell Carpenter was the son of John Carpenter and Elizabeth Upchurch. These families show up in my family tree many times over. Ludwells sister Obedience was the mother of one of Edmund Murray's son's John Carpenter, illegitimate, but treated as an equal to the legitimate children in the will, because Edmund, himself, had been illegitimate. Then there was their brother Allen Carpenter, who was Hawk Davis's best friend. They were both Civil War Veterans and one of Allens daughters married into the family. Brother Thomas Carpenter's daughte Caroline also married into the family, I could go on. The Broadaways as well. Clarrisa Howell, daughter of Job Davis's stepson Jordan Howell married Jeremiah Broadaway. The grandfather of my Great-Grandmother, George Turner, married a Broadaway. The McIntyre's came in several times as well, marrying Davis sisters and Elizabeth Murray, Priscilla's sister married Stokes McIntyre. Phillmore was a rotten apple that fell from the family tree.

This is a photo of Sarah Catherine Gaddy Carpenter, better known as Sallie, the first wife of Gilliam Philmores 5 wives and the mother of his oldest children. There seemed to be a different number of children given, depending on whom was asked. The number ranged from 8 to 14. And this was only from the first marriage.

Some of the antics recorded and remembered of Philandering Philmore was the story in the Anson Record of him taking his family to Danville, Virginia and abandoning them, but it was more complicated than the newspaper article let on. The story from his descendents embellishes the story a little bit.

Sarah Catherine Gaddy Carpenter

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Birth:	Mar. 3, 1862 Anson County North Carolina, USA
Death:	Apr. 28, 1937 Whitmire Newberry County South Carolina, USA
She was the daughter of Dawson D Gaddy and Patsy Pitcher/pilcher, the wife of Philmore Carpenter. Children were: Philmore, John Dorsey `Doss', Alfred Pinkton `Bung', Rosa Ann, Martha Louisa`Lula', Margaret Ellen`Ella', Arrie Elizabeth`Lizzie', Emma Eugenia`Jean', Gilliam Philmore jr, Lucy Maybell, Bessie Mae. Note: The headstone has the wrong name for husband should be Philmore

Burial: Whitmire Cemetery Whitmire Newberry County South Carolina, USA
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Created by: Sylvia Watkins Record added: Sep 10, 2004 Find A Grave Memorial# 9444238

Philmore Carpenter was in danger of going to jail, when one day he came home and told his family to pack up, that they were heading north. At this time, his family consisted of his first wife Sally, 8 children and one on the way and his mistress, Mollie Braswell. Of course, Sallie and her children did not like Mollie and Mollie was in fear for her life. When they arrived in Danville, Phillmore rented a two-story house and while Sallie and the children lived downstairs, Philmore and Mollie lived upstairs. Philmore put his children, even the smallest ones, to work in the Danville silk mills. At some point, Philmore decided it was safe to move back to Anson County, North Carolina, but did not inform his wife. He sold everything he could to liquify his assets, took his two oldest sons and his mistress Mollie, and returned to North Carolina, leaving pregnant Sallie and the younger 6 children stranded in Danville, Virginia. And as the article states, with the help of good Samaritans in Danville and in Charlotte, NC, they made their way back home.

Philmore was married 5 times, divorced twice, became a widower once and married the fifth time without divorcing the fourth wife, committing bigamy. He was quite the character. I've heard sometimes of people and dogs surviving a long time on sheer meaness. This seems to be the case for Philmore as he lived a long life of 104 years.

Other stories of Phimore's antics are his arrests, but he must have been a likable character as he served little or no time. Judges must have found him a hoot and he had no problem finding wives.

In November of 1893, he was accused of assault, but found not guilty. Five months later, in April of 1894, he is accused of trespassing, and again, found not guilty. The year 1893 seems to be when he developed a problem with alchohol because he had no issues up until then. Maybe the stress of having to support such a large family drove him to drink.

In January of 1896, he went on a moonshine binge and ended up pulling a Lady Godiva by riding into town in his birthday suit. He takes his jug of moonshine along for the ride, drinking all along the way. After arriving at the square, he is said to have stood straight up in the saddle and taking a swig for all to see. This time, he was arrested and put in jail with a $200 bond, which was a large sum for the day. On January 8, 1896, he was found guilty and sentenced to 3 months on the chain gang. As winter time in North Carolina can be pretty cold, the moonshine must have been keeping the naked Philmore warm.

Philandering Philmore was known for liking the company of wayward women and there may have been numerous other little Philmores running around out there than his legitimate lots by Sallie and Hattie, his third wife. It was said there was also one by his second wife, although their marriage was a very short one.

Gilliam Philmore Carpenter died on August 21, 1952. He had seen a great deal of change in his life from his boyhood during the years preceding the Civil War, being born in 1848, through the war and reconstruction, living through both World Wars and into the age of planes, automobiles, telephones and televisions. He left a legacy, both in his longetivity, legend, and many descendants.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

News Stories of Yesteryear

And we think the newspapers can be horrific today.

While looking through the Anson Record for any information on either Hortenses death, or Kitty marriage, I found these horrific tales:

Dying Mother Sees her Infant Devoured By Hogs

Geneva, Alabama March 9

Mrs Loden, a farmer's wife, in the western part of this county, was burning some trash yesterday when a spark ignited her skirt and burned her so that she died. While she was suffering agonies, she was forced to witness three large hogs devouring her two-months-old child, which she had laid on the ground while she worked.

Family Deserted in Danville Find their Way Back to Wadesboro

A shivering group consisting of a woman and six children was brought to the attention of the city authorities this morning. The party came in last night on the train from Danville. They were suffering from cold and hunger. The mother had a thin shawl tightly drawn about her shoulders. The children shivered as the windy winds cut through their scanty clothing. They held each others hand and the cold trembled through them like an electric current. Down their cheeks were irregular currents where tears had forced their way through the smut and dirt. The woman had a tale of desertion and hardship to tell. She is the wife of John Carter, of Wadesboro and the mother of eight children. Two months ago, her husband broke up his home at Wadesboro, and packing wife, children and household effects in a wagon, started out north. They reached Danville in the course of time and Carter said they would locate there. Three weeks ago Carter and his two oldest sons sold the wagon and team and all the other goods that they could market, pocketed the money and disappeared, leaving the helpless woman in a strange place with six children to care for. Her story becoming known in Danville, a purse sufficient to take herself and her children to Charlotte was given to her. Today in Charlotte, she was given money to continue her journey to the old home in Wadesboro. She has no idea of the whereabouts of her husband and two sons. Charlotte News on the 21st inst.

The man referred to in the above by the news as John Carter is really Philmore Carpenter. Carpenter left this place weeks ago in a wagon for Danville, Virginia where he deserted his family, but instead of selling his team as the News states, he took the back track for Anson County, accompanied by a woman of loose character. Carpenter's wife and children arrived in Wadesboro during the night of the same day in which he and the woman reached here in the wagon. They are now all living together and the children are working in the cotton mill here.

Shot in His Car
Engineer Dodd Assinated By Drunken Negro

The Scoundrel captured and carried to Halifax Jail- The Engineer One of the Most Popular on the N. A. L.

Weldon, NC Feb 22 (1896)

A shocking murder occurred here at 3:30 o'clock this morning when Matt Dodd an engineer on the Seaboard Air-Line, was shot and killed by a negro tramp.

Stole a Ride

The negro stole a ride on the north-bound "Atlanta Special" from Henderson to Gaston. At Gaston he was discovered, and was at once put off the train. Whe the train started off he got on one of the steps outside the vestibule, and on the steps rode to Weldon.
At Weldon the trains change engines. Engineer Dodd had his engine and train at the shed waiting when the vestibule pulled in.
The negro wanted to steal a ride to Portsmouth, and Mr. Dodd was to carry out the Norfolk train.

How it occured.

It was a cold morning and the negro ride-stealer walked up to the engine to warm himself. He came into the cab, and climbed the steps. For some minutes he stood there. When the engineer came he asked if he might ride in the engine.
"No" said Mr. Dodd. "it's against the rules and you can't ride here."
He stood on the steps until the train was ready to start.
"You must get off the engine at once," said the Engineer.
The negro refused.
"Then I shall have to put you off" He made a motion to put the negro off the steps.
The black scoundrel reached back into his pistol pocket , pulled out a revolver and shot Mr. Dodd.

Note: The following is the Ancestry.com profile for Philmore Carpenter. Sarah Elizabeth Gaddy must have been the abandoned wife, and was from Virginia, although with the Gaddy name she had to have had relatives in Anson. Miss Hunsucker was likely the woman of bad character whom he hooked up with and brought home. He was obviously married several times and with the benefit of a divorce or not, who knows. He had more children with his wife Sarah Elizabeth Gaddy and seems to have been having children simultaneously with Miss Privette, his last wife. Both Sally Gaddy Carpenter and Hattie Privatt had a child in 1896, although Sally's died the same year, possibly from the cold and the abandonment. Maybe Hattie Privett was the woman of loose character. Interesting story. Philmore Carpenter was born in Stanly County and related to the Carpenters in my Davis and Murray family trees. I will have to look into this more.

Phillmore Carpenter