Collections | Places | Cemeteries
Carpenter Cemetery
18 Sand Dam Rd., Thompson 0.66 acre
GPS Latitude 42.02057 Longitude -71.84309
This is a family cemetery located in the East Thompson section of town. The earliest death and
subsequent burial is 1849, Eugene Ephraim Carpenter 1yr 1mo old. He was the grandson of
Richard and Cynthia (Walker) Carpenter, owners of the property at the time. There are 14
people buried in this cemetery (13 gravestones as Valentine and Achsah Ballard have one stone).
Sadly, four of these 14 are infants/babies. Three of these young ones have both maternal and
paternal grandparents buried here. The surnames are Carpenter and Ballard. Two Carpenter
brothers married two Ballard sisters. One of these babies, Myra Ann Carpenter was born in
Canada when the family lived there for a few years. She died in 1866, 11 months old. So was
she brought home to the family cemetery or is this a cenotaph (memorial stone).
Richard Carpenter—War of 1812 in the Thompson Militia
Hale’s List of Cemetery Inscriptions (about 1930) lists four Joslin family members. They were
moved and are in the East Thompson Cemetery. So Hale’s list shows 18 people.
Descendants of this family but not buried here are:
Emma Shaw Colcleugh, the granddaughter of Richard and Cynthia Carpenter and daughter of
George W. and Abby (Carpenter) Shaw. Emma was born and raised in Thompson. She was a
noted professional journalist. She traveled all over North America, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii
lecturing and collecting artifacts. Her articles were published in the Providence Journal and
many other papers across the U.S. During her professional years she lived in Providence, R.I.,
also spending time at her family home on Chase Rd. but died in Florida. She was married and
divorced. A woman ahead of her times professionally, traveling and being divorced. A
collection of her artifacts are at Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology.
See Echoes of Old Thompson II, pgs. 94-97 for more information.
George W. Shaw, husband of Abby Carpenter, father of Emma, made tortoise shell combs,
jewelry, and musical instruments. His tortoise shell keyed bugle is at the National Music
Museum at The University of South Dakota. This family lived in Thompson and his business
was in Thompson in the mid1800s. A daughter, Julia, taught school. His son, George E. Shaw,
also became a jeweler. His business was in Putnam. George, Abby and children are buried in
Grove St. Cemetery in Putnam (except Emma).
Mary Tomeo, May 2023
Documents:
Carpenter Cemetery – Hale’s List of Cemetery Inscriptions with notations
Carpenter Cemetery – Hale’s List of Cemetery Inscriptions
Carpenter Cemetery sketch of plots
Joslins from Carpenter Cemetery moved to East Thompson Cemetery