We have an army man in our family tree. He’s not a close relative; the son of our 5th great-grandfather’s son’s daughter. That makes him my 4th cousin twice removed – if my calculations are correct.

Albert Edward Carpenter was born 2 September 1866 or 1867 in Saltfleet, Wentworth, Canada to Albert Edgar and Sarah Carpenter. Albert’s grandmother is Eliza Jane Pettit Carpenter VanWagner.  In 1891, Albert Edward is in infantry school, possibly in Toronto. He participated in the Boer War from 1899 to 1900 with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was involved in operations in Orange Free State in April and May 1900, including actions at Zand River, in operations in Transvaal in May and June, including actions near Johannesburg and Pretoria and operations in Orange River Colony and Transvaal, east and west of Pretoria. By 1901 Albert has returned to Canada and is in Montreal, Quebec. From 1911 – 1912 he is the commanding officer of the Royal School of Infantry at the Stanley Barracks in Toronto.

Edward Carpenter
A. E. Carpenter Bermuda 1915
Colonel A. E. Carpenter

When World War 1 broke out, the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), including Albert, was sent to Bermuda. Britain had troops in Bermuda and required them to return home to fight. They asked Canada if Canadian troops could replace the British on the Caribbean Island. The Royal Canadian Regiment was the first troop to serve there. So, Edward was sent to Bermuda where he was the Commanding Officer from 1 Jan – 6 September 1915.

On April 15, 1915, while still in Bermuda, Albert married Madeline Bianchi Tompkins from New Jersey, United States. Their wedding announcement appeared in the Red Bank, New Jersey newspaper, The Daily Register.

“Miss Madeline Tompkins, grand-daughter of the late James Hubbard of Middletown township and niece of Mrs. James Cooper Jr, of Irving place, was married at Bermuda Tuesday of last week to Lieutenant Col A. E. Carpenter of Canada. Lieutenant Carpenter is stationed at Bermuda with his regiment. The wedding was attended by the governor of Bermuda and by a large number of military officials. “

 The regiment wanted to fight, not stay in Bermuda. In late 1915, they were allowed to join the war. They arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Albert submitted his attestation papers, then went to France to fight. Madeline made her way to New York City to live with her mother while Albert was fighting.

Albert and Madeline had 2 children, Joan and Albert Edward. They must have loved Bermuda because when Albert retired, the family moved back to Bermuda. Albert died in 1933 in Bermuda. The Bermuda newspaper reported his death.

“Colonel Carpenter, who had resided in Bermuda since the early days of the war, was deservedly popular in the community. He had a great charm of manner and his splendid courtesy and generous disposition won for him a great circle of friends. Until quite recently he was in the best of health and could daily be seen taking his vigorous early morning walk to the South Shore wear he loved to bathe.”

I can picture the gracious Canadian soldier ambling along the beaches of Bermuda to go for a swim. 

Sources

Canada, Ontario 1871 Canada Census, Saltfleet, Wentworth South, Ontario; Roll: C-9923; Page: 4; Family No: 12, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009, citing, RG31-C-1,  Statistics Canada Fonds, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Canada, Ontario, 1881 Canada Census, Ward 5, Hamilton City, Ontario; Roll: C_13257; Page: 24; Family No: 105, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009, citing Statistics Canada Fonds, Record Group 31-C-1, microfilm C-13162 to C-13286. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Canada, Ontario, 1891 Canada Census, Ward 5, Hamilton City, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6341; Family No: 2, Ancestry.com. 1891 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008, Citing Library and Archives Canada, Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels: T-6290 to T-6427, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Canada, Quebec, 1901 Census; Montréal, Saint-Antoine Ward, Page: 19; Family No: 153, Ancestry.com. 1901 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006; citing Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901, Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels: T-6428 to T-6556, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Canada, Ontario, 1911 Census; Toronto South, Subdistrict 62 – Ward five,; Page: 13; Family No: 52; Ancestry.com. 1911 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006; citing Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, . Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels T-20326 to T-20460; Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

United States, The Daily Register; Publication Date: 14/ Apr/ 1915; page 13, column w; Publication Place: Red Bank, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey, citing New Jersey State Library, New Jersey Digitized Historic Newspapers; http://rbr.mtpl.org/data/rbr/1910-1919/1915/1915.04.14.pdf

The First World War; Officers of The Royal Canadian Regiment; Lt.-Col. Albert Edward Carpenter; http://www.regimentalrogue.com/rcr_great_war_officers/rcr_offr_carpenter_ae.html

Obituary; Madeline Carpenter; Red Bank Register, New Jersey, USA; 4 December 1941; Ancestry.com; [index online]

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