The arrival of the merchant-trader Carpenters in England, from a location in Flanders, was documented by the 17th century Dutch historian Jean le Carpentier, who maintained descendants of a Godefroy de Carpentier (see vol. 2, 369, Histoire de Cambray et du Cambresis, Leyden, 1664) arrived in England in the very early 1200s. In the Engish historical record, chiefly the Curia Regis Rolls, the court documents of the king’s court, this arrival is seemingly substantiated by the extensive land litigations of a Godefridum Carpentarium in Suffolk from 1207. This individual would be followed in subsequent decades by a great many surnamed Carpenter individuals in an unmistakable pattern of land acquisition in the coastal trade areas from Lincolnshire to Sussex. After the Suffolk Carpenters seem established (and many documents tell of Suffolk Carpenters of a slightly later date), an Adam Carpenter emerges in 1223 in Kent. This Adam is an extensive landowner in Kent, who by the late 1230s is seen in Herefordshire and Gloustershire in similar activities. The land acquisitions of Adam Carpenter are truly extensive and point to an unusual possession of capital wealth. Adam’s first Kent identification is with the town of Rochester, a place associated with overseas trade in the period. Names of other Carpenters in Kent have survived in their own land dispositions, such as a Richard Carpenter, a Robert Carpenter and a Rodger Carpenter. Last mentioned Rodger Carpenter seems connected by property litagation to Essex and another contempoary Carpenter group. Among theseEssex names we find in 1223 a William Carpenter, in 1225 a Reginald Carpenter and in 1237-42 a John Carpenter. In another text, Excerpt E Rotulis Finium, vol. I, a Richard Carpenter is listed for property in 1224 and in 1225 his name is given as Richard le Charpenter, betraying his foreign origins. In vol. II of the same work an Essex Robert le Charpenter is also listed for 1269. For the Rodger Carpenter above there is a land litigation for Lincolnshire, which introduces another large group; a William for 1225-6, a Geoffrey and a Simon for 1237-42, a Galfridus son of Adam for 1268, a Robert son of Gilbert for 1268 and a Walter for 1249. Other Carpenters have widespread dealings and indicate connections to many of the above groups. A Ralph Carpenter in 1225-6 litigated land in Hereford, Suffolk and Norfolk. The Norfolk connection is an interesting one because it was the popular destination of Flemish immigrants connected to the cloth industry from an early date. It is no surprise to find A Carpenter group there. One of the various documents dealing with Ralph mentions a William Carpenter in connection with him. In another William’s son John is mentioned. There is a Rodger Carpenter mentioned for 1237-42. Lastly, a 1237-42 document lists a group of Carpenters in the Westminster area of Middlesex. This is significant because this is the residential and probable business area of a Carpenter group in the London area for the next two centuries. The four are Alexander, Walter, Hugh and John Carpenter. Sincerely, Bruce E. Carpenter