top of page

The

Nicholas Robbins Family

POLLY (ROBBINS) CARPENTER TURNER

POLLY (ROBBINS) CARPENTER TURNER (A summary of her life and family, compiled from public records and related data by Thomas R. Hall) Re: The Nicholas Robbins Family, No. 6.62.5

 

Polly Robbins, daughter of William and Clarissa Robbins, was born c. 1819 in Rome, Oneida County, New York. It is likely that she is the "missing" daughter of this couple, who were noted in the above-referenced history with four daughters, three of which were named. Polly's identity as the daughter of William and Clarissa and one of the older sisters of Jane (Robbins) Thayer was confirmed through probate records for Jane (Robbins) Thayer's son Henry, who died intestate in 1926. Those records, together with various census records, vital records and obituaries were used to compile this profile of Polly and her family.

 

Polly Robbins married Lyman Carpenter, probably around 1837 based on later census data for their oldest child. Also, according to that census data, Lyman was born c. 1807 in New York State. Lyman is enumerated in the 1840 Census for Rome with a wife fitting Polly's age and a boy and a girl, both under the age of five. In the 1850 Census, Lyman, age 43, and Polly, age 31, are enumerated with Cyrus, age 12, Sophia, age 10, Jane, age 8, and Lyman, age 1. 

 

By the 1860 Census, it appears that Lyman Carpenter had died or otherwise removed from the scene. Five Carpenter children are enumerated in one household---Cyrus, age 22, Sophia, age 20, Jane, age 18, Lyman, age 12, and G.W., age 9---with Polly, age 40 and a new husband, Levi Turner in an adjacent household. In the 1870 Census, Levi and Polly Turner are enumerated with the Carpenter children, Jane, age 23, Lyman, age 21, and Washington, age 19. It would appear that daughter Sophia is residing next door with husband Henry A---- (Akins?) and three sons: Henry, age 7, Lyman, age 5, and Guilford, age 1.

 

Presumably, Polly (Robbins) Carpenter Turner died sometime before the 1880 Census. In that Census, there was only one Levi Turner listed in Oneida County,

New York and he was enumerated as a widower, age 60, residing in a Utica boarding house.

 

This much was found on the children of Lyman and Polly (Robbins) Carpenter:

 

1. Cyrus W. Carpenter married Catherine File of Rome in 1873. Catherine was born 9 Apr 1851 and died 3 May 1910. Cyrus died on 10 Feb 1901 in Rome. According to his obituary he was 59 years old. Census records suggest he was probably four years older. He was a long-time employee of the Rome Copper Mill. Issue: (1) Cyrus Carpenter, Jr. (23 Dec 1875 - 11 Nov 1946), married first, Edith E. Mansfield in 1901 and later, Mary Mahany in 1907; and (2) Nettie May Carpenter (Sep 1879 - 1907), married Frank Andrew Mansfield on 30 Aug 1899.

 

2. Lyman Carpenter, Jr. married Jennie Lavina Myers of Rome on 1 Jan 1872. Jennie was born in 1856 and died on 17 Jun 1917. Lyman died on 10 Apr 1930 in Rome. He lived his entire life in Rome. For the seventeen years preceding his death, he was employed by the Beach Lumber Company and for many years before that by its predecessors, G.V. Selden and O.W. Gage. His obituary notes that he was the last of a family of five children. His obituary also claims that he was born on 5 Jan 1841, but this appears to be a mistake. Based on census data, he would have been born around 1849. Issue: (1) George W. Carpenter (15 Jun 1873 - 29 Dec 1873); and (2) Sarah May Carpenter (1875 - ), married Myron E. Pickard of Ft. Plain, New York on 20 Jun 1894 in Rome.

 

3. Washington Carpenter was born on 5 Jan 1851 in Rome. He married Ida Thorp of Rome in 1873. Ida was born 16 May 1857 and died 18 Nov 1876. After his wife's death from tuberculosis, Washington left his young daughter in the care of his in-laws and moved to the Dakota Territory, where he spent the next thirty years engaged in ranching and sheepherding. He moved back to Rome around 1908 and went to work at the Rome Bedstead Company. He died on 15 May 1915 of a heart attack at the age of 64. Issue: (1) Millie Inez Carpenter, born 1 Jul 1874 in Rome, married Frank Bates Hall, born 29 May 1868 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Frank died at Rochester, New York on 13 Jun 1916. Millie passed away there on 13 Oct 1923.

 

Submitted by Thomas R. Hall, November, 2008. Mr. Hall acknowledges the contribution of information about the Carpenter family by Kathleen L. Last. Mr. Hall may be contacted by e-mail at trhall1953@gmail.com.

bottom of page