Census records show him being born 1820 - 1826 - He died late 1878 or early 1879 before daughter Temple Eliza was born March 1879.

His full name was Shadrach Meshach Carpenter. It comes from the bible, Book of Daniel, the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. My dad had always said that his first name was Shadrach, Meshach Carpenter & according to 1870 census & other documentation I've found; he is listed as both. He is most frequently referred to as Meshach often spelled Meshack.

Meshach Carpenter born 1824 married first to Elizabeth Colston 3-5-1848. The 1850 Census shows

Mesheck Carpenter

United States Census, 1850

Name Mesheck Carpenter

Event Type Census

Event Year 1850

Event Place Marshall county, Marshall, Alabama, United States

Gender Male

Age 24

Race White

Birth Year (Estimated) 1826

Birthplace Alabama

House Number 340

Mesheck Carpenter M 24 Alabama

Elizabeth Carpenter F 23 Tennessee

William W Carpenter M 1 Alabama

Sarah Mills F 42 Tennessee

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1. William W. Carpenter son, age one born 1849.

William is found on the 1850 & 1860 & again on the 1870 census age 20. He disappears after that, no further info on William.

Children born after 1850

2. Vesta Carpenter born 1852

3. Jane Carpenter born 1853

4. Martha Carpenter born 1855

Elizabeth died in childbirth with their next child.

Meshach married 2nd to Rachel Owens 9-16-1858 in Madison County Alabama. Rachel born 1830 was Rachel (Mollie) Miller. She was the widow of Demarcus Owens whom she had married 9-29-1851. They had one daughter Nancy Owens born 1852. Rachel was reportedly 1/2 Native American

Meshach & Rachel had one daughter

5. Mary Isabelle or Isabella (Mollie) Carpenter born 1859. She married George Monroe Moon 10-30-1878. A Moon family relative says that her nickname was also "Queen Victoria".

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Mesheck Carpenter

United States Census, 1860

Name Mesheck Carpenter

Event Type Census

Event Year 1860

Event Place The South Eastern Division, Madison, Alabama, United States

Gender Male

Age 34

Race White

Birth Year (Estimated) 1826

Birthplace Ala.

Page 45

Affiliate Name The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Affiliate Publication Number M653

Mesheck Carpenter M 34 Ala.

Rachel Carpenter F 38 Tenn.

Wm Carpenter M 10 Ala.

Vesta Carpenter F 8 Ala.

Jane Carpenter F 7 Ala.

Martha Carpenter F 5 Ala.

Mary Carpenter F 0 Ala. (Rachel & Meshach)

Nancy Owens F 8 Ala. Rachel's daughter

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Shadreck Carpenter 1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Shadreck Carpenter

[Meshack Carpenter]

Age in 1870: 50

Birth Year: abt 1820

Birthplace: Alabama

Home in 1870: Township 5 Range 1 District 50, Madison, Alabama

Race: White

Gender: Male

Post Office: Gurleysville

Value of Real Estate: View image

Household Members:

Name Age

Shadreck Carpenter 50

Rachel Carpenter 40 1830

William Carpenter 20

Ann Carpenter 18

Jane Carpenter 16

Martha Carpenter 14

Mary Carpenter 11 - this is Rachel & Meshach's daughter

Nancy (Owens) Hunt 18 (this is Rachel's daughter.

Susan Hunt dau. 2/12 born 1870

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Rachel died during childbirth with twins after the 1870 census reports.

Meshach married 3rd to Mary E. Patrick 2-13-1872. They had 3 children:

6. Emily Jane (Aunt Emma) born 1876, married Benjamin White, 4-11-1893.

7. James Thomas (Jim Shack) born 12-9-1877 died 8-22-1951 married Nannie B. Maples, she was the daughter of Jonas Maples & Martha R. Baker.

8. Temple Elizabeth (Aunt Dye) born 3-29-1879, died 3-24-1976 married Clem Lanier 6-14-1900.

Meshach died late 1878 or early 1879 before Aunt Dye was born. He died of a heart attack while plowing a field, behind a mule, he was 55.

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His widow Mary Patrick Carpenter gave birth to a son Robert Horace Carpenter 4 years after Meshach had died.