Why were there so many John Carpenters in the group of ‘denizen’ Carpenters that I have been presenting in medieval English historical documents? Surely John was a popular with any group at this time. But this Carpenter family is positively ‘nutty’ about the name. In the following you can appreciate my point. Also of interest are the various renditions of the surname. Were all these individuals pronouncing their surname slightly differently? Was the scribe who compiled an original worklist, spelling the surname according to whim? An any rate an interesting Carpenter artifact. From the 1388 CLOSE ROLLS, May 4th at Westminster. “To the sheriff of Kent.Order at his peril, to cause John Paak,Thomas Berryner, Robert Unfray, John Carpentiere of Tykeherst, John Carpenter, John atte Brok of Baysche, John Carpentier, John de Fenklesham, John atte Vale,Richard atte Vale de Pecco and John Carpentier of Sandwich to come to work on the king’s works at Sandwich without delay.” Bruce Carpenter