The following is an important document in the history of the early Carpenter family in England. The two earliest Carpenters of this line, that likely originated in Flanders, were Adam and Ralph Carpenter. Early in the 1200s they begin their land acquisition activities in Kent, Norfolk and subsequently into Hereford. Descendants of Adam were active in Lincolnshire and can be linked to John Carpenter the Town Clerk of London. This family group brought major capital into England in the early 1200s, which enabled them to attach themselves to powerful interests and persons. They can be seen importing wine for the royal household by 1300, as well as holding export privileges for wool. One of their numbers was a burgess of Bordeaux (Elias Carpenter) in Gascony, and himself was a controlling power in wine production and export from that English possession in France. The document I wish to introduce here connects the above Ralph Carpenter to Rodger le Bigod (1245-1306), fifth Earl of Norfolk and marshal of England. The interesting detail in this document is the mention of a mill with land adjoining. This mill was most probably a fulling mill for raw wool. During this period in English history the powerful, including the king himself, controlled all the production facilities for wool and many other products. The early Carpenters used their continental money to basically rent land for all stages of wool production. They also controlled facilities for the production of finished cloth itself in the Flemish cloth producing cities like Douai and Ypres, for export back to England and other European destinations. From ANCIENT DEEDS, vol. 1, A 532, p. 63. Release by Alice, daughter of Ralph Carpenter, and Joan her sister, for 40s., to Rodger le Bigod, Earl Marshal, of a mill with land adjoining in Lammers. Witnesses:-Sir Laurance de Scaccario, Sir Ralph de Wascoyl, John de Wascoyl, Peter de Pelham, and others (named) A.D. 1225-70. While I am on the subject of mills, I would like to present another related document. It deals with mills belong to the King himself in Ireland in 1290. The William le Carpenter mentioned in this information cannot at this time be connected to Carpenters back in England. However the Charpenter group was active in Ireland, a place profoundly involved with wool production at the time. In another document this William Carpenter is described as the Kings serjeant, the meaning of which was completely different from modern definitions of serjeant. Serjeants were not of the noble class, yet held land and privilege from the King on the same level as a noble. Many of the names of these Ireland Carpenters match those of Carpenter merchants in England. The William in the following disposition is seen as holding the Kings property rights for a limited period. We can assume that he went to Ireland and subsequently left after the expiration of his tenure. The mills mentioned could also be fulling mills. I say this because like the above document, the mention of mills is given prominent mention, as if the mills were the central reason for the property that surrounded them. From CALENDAR OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO IRELAND, Dec. 27, 1290, no. 827. The King confirms the grant made by letters patent under the seal of the Exchequer of Dublin, by the Treasurer and Barons of that Exchequer, to William le Carpenter, of the Kings mills, houses, and lands of Chapelizod, to hold for a term of ten years, and rendering at that Exchequer, As William was wont to render, 31 marks a year, one moiety at Easter and the other moiety at Michaelmas. As a final note, no reference was made to Carpenters in Scotland. Bruce Carpenter