PrenticeNet

We are helping Shirley Mitcham in tracing her Prentice family roots. Here is what we have so far:

1. Caroline Prentice was b. c. 1815 in NY and d. 18 Oct 1863 in Livingston Parish, LA.

She m. Lorin Chapman in 1836 at an unknown location. Lorin was b. 22 May 1809 in CT, d. 9 Oct 1863(?) in Livingston Parish, LA and is bur. in the Chapman family cemetery.

In the 1850 and 1880 census they were living in the 9th Ward, Livingston Co., LA where he was a farmer. They had the following children:

1. Lucinda Chapman, b. c. 1837, LA.
2. Mary Chapman, b. c. 1839, LA.
3. William Chapman, b. 1841, LA.
4. Irene Chapman, b. 1842, LA.
5. Francis Chapman, b. 1845. :A
6. Gilbert Chapman, His birth date is unclear. The 1880 census indicates he was b. c. 1853, LA. However, his burial records indicates he was b. c. 1847 and d. 23 Oct 1891, age 44. Bur. in Chapmen family cemetery. At home in the 1880 census (per 1880 census).
7. Purnell Chapman, b. 1854, LA. At home in the 1880 census (per 1880 census).
8. Florence Chapman, b. 14 Oct.1855, LA, and d. 7 Apr 1910. She is Shirley's ancestor.

After Caroline's death in 1863, Lorin m. 2nd Mrs. Rowena R. Kinchen at some date after 1869. Rowena was b. c. 1845, LA (per 1880 census). Rowena had apparently been married previously; the 1880 census shows 2 of her sons living with them:

1. Jones R. Kinchen, b. c. 1867, LA.
2. Edward Kinchen, b. c. 1869, LA.

By email of 30 Oct 2003, Jessica Goodman, provides information about the following Chapman family which appears to be related to the foregoing family:

Jessica's great-grandmother is Irene Cornelius Chapman. She m. Varice J. Chevallier (also known as John Varice Chevallier and with the alternate last name spelling of Chevalier). Although further investigation is needed, he may be the son of Varice A. Chevalier (who was b. 22 Mar 1850, d. 27 Jul 1906, and is bur. Campground Cem., Rapides, LA) and Mary E. Cook who were m. 30 Jan 1873 at Rapides, LA. Varice's children:

1. Zella Ouida Chapman Chevalier, b. c. 1920 and d. Feb 2009. She is Jessica's grandmother. She m. oswald John Funck of New Orleans, LA. Zella's grandmother died in childbirth and her husband soon after, and apparently the children then went to an orphanage.
   1. Zella Florence Chapman. She later became a nurse and moved to TX.
   2. Irene Cornelius Chapman. She m. Varice J. Chevallier and was the mother of Zella Ouida Chapman Chevalier.
   3. Lorin Chapman. Lived with Irene Cornelius Chapman, after the children left the orphanage, for most of his adult life.
   4. Susie (Susan?) Chapman. Susie was adopted, but the family remained in contact with her.

Note the matching names of Lorin, Irene and Florence. Jessica also tells us that when she read the names to her grandmother, Zella, she remembered Purnell (which she pronounced as "Parnell". Livingston Parish was also familiar to her

The foregoing seems to indicate that Caroline Prentice,#1, may be Irene's grandmother. If so, than Irene Chapman's father may be William, Gilbert or Purnell Chapman.

Correspondence: If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, ancestors or descendants, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.

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