CARPENTER, Lant, English Unitarian clergyman: b. Kidderminster, 2 Sept. 1780; d. at sea, 5 April 1840. Designed for the minis try, he was sent in 1797 to the Northampton Academy. That school being temporarily dis continued, young Carpenter was placed at Glas gow College, where, however, he did not con tinue the length of time necessary to take his degree. Leaving college in 1801, he spent some time in teaching, and as librarian of the Atheneum, Liverpool. At Liverpool, Carpen ter's views were so clearly in sympathy with those of the Unitarian denomination generally that he received several invitations to the pas toral charge of Unitarian congregations, and a call to a professorship in their college at York. In 1805 he accepted a call to Exeter, where he continued for 12 years. In 1806 the University of Glasgow gave him the degree of LL.D., al though he had applied only for the degree of M.A. From Exeter he removed to the pastoral charge of the Unitarian congregation at Bristol (1817), where he continued until his death, which occurred by falling from a vessel be tween Naples and Leghorn, while on a tour for his health. Dr. Carpenter's piety was of an eminently practical turn. The instruction of children was an object of constant interest.
Amid all his pastoral and literary labors he always found time and energies to devote to juvenile instruction, and, even against the prejudices of his congregations, established Sunday-schools among the children of Exeter and Bristol. In his pastoral charges at Ex eter and Bristol he was active in co-operation with others in the establishment of libraries, schools, savings banks and institutions for gen eral improvement and welfare. His published works are mainly theological and doctrinal, in support of the Unitarian sentiments he had early espoused. Among his more important works are 'An Introduction to the Geography of the New Testament) 'Unitarianism, the Doctrine of the Gospel) 'Examination of the Charges Against nitananism) (1820) ; 'Harmony of the 'Systematic Edu cation' (2 vols., 1815) ; 'Principles of Educa tion) (1820) ; and a volume of sermons. Mild in controversy, faithful in humane labors and practically devoted to the improvement of so ciety, Dr. Carpenter was greatly respected even by those who were his most staunch antag onists in theology. Consult his edited by his son, R. L. Carpenter (London 1842).