Elizabeth Arnold

     Elizabeth was born on Wednesday, 23 November 1611 in Ilchester, Somersetshire, England. She was the daughter of William Arnold and Christian Peak. Elizabeth married William Carpenter, son of Richard Carpenter, circa 1634 in England.¹ After arriving in this country, they first settled in Hingman and then to Providence, where they arrived April 20, 1636." For a variety of reasons, the year 1635 is known to be wrong; the correct year is 1636. William was of course one of the first group to settle at Providence with Roger Williams. The settlers all remained together at their original site until 1638 when lots were assigned to individuals. William, his father in law, William Arnold, and a small group of others, including Robert Coles moved to their newly assigned lots four miles to the south of Providence, to be named Pawtuxet. William spent the remaining years of his life in this beautiful location. William was was highly respected in the early Rhode Island settlement being appointed a lay minister, he baptized the original founders of the Baptist Church in America and married his own daughter. It is believed that he was a paster in England before coming to America. Late in life, after King Philip's War, William still had the energy and drive to lead in the rebuilding of the settlement and by his death in 1787 had restablished his wealth to where it was before the ravages of the war. Elizabeth was still living when her husband mentioned her in his will dated on 1 October 1685. When the will of her husband was probated.