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Asher Prentiss of Uxbridge, MA


Asher Prentiss of Uxbridge, MA
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Summer 2003 and Revised 10 Feb 2008

This article replaces our Spring 1998 article about the Prentices of Bennington, VT

We have been working with Bill Semeyn of Shelbyville, MI to identify some families of early Bennington, Bennington Co., VT and their ancestry. Here is what we have so far:

1. Asher Prentiss. In his Rev. War Pension Application he says he was b. 25 Oct 1755 in Uxbridge, MA, but there is nothing inthe Uxbridge records about his birth there. He d. in Bennington, VT on 8 Mar 1813.

He m. 1st Unknownsometime between 1777 and 1785. In 1797 they were living in Uxbridge, MA where their son, Asher Prentiss, was born. Asher's wife then died before 1799.

He m. 2nd Sarah Marsh according to a declaration of intention filed in Uxbridge on 12 Sep 1799. Their marriage took place on 18 Oct 1799 according to Asher's Pension Application. They then moved to Bennington, VT (per Bill Semeyn, letter, 8 Nov 1995).

    Note: By email of 10 Feb 2008, Mike Potoski advises as follows: "Per Baldwin's "Vital Records of Uxbridge through 1850" there is nothing to indicate that Asa/Asher was born in Uxbridge; however,a person by that name did marry Sarah Marsh in Uxbridge per intentions of 12 Sept 1799; there are no children of this couple shown as having been born in Uxbridge. The Mass Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (vol 12, page 738) reflects Asa/Asher's service from Uxbridge from the siege of Boston in 1775 (he was in Roxbury) through service in the Continental Army at least to the summer of 1778"

Asher and Sarah had 3 or more children, including:

  1. Asher Prentiss, b. c. 1797, Whitingham, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
  2. Mary/Polly Prentiss. She m. Mr. Butler (per Bill Semeyn, above).
  3. Lucy Prentiss. She m. Mr. House (per Bill Semeyn, above).
  4. (perhaps) George Prentice, b. 12 Jul 1800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]

2. Asher Prentiss, b. c. 1797, Whitingham, VT and d. 29 Jun 1885, Shaftsbury, Bennington Co., VT, at the age of 88 years per Ancestry.com .

He m. 1st (per Bennington, VT Vital Records) Sophia Blynn in 1823. He was a farmer. Children of Asher and Sophia Blynn:

  1. Catherine T. Prentiss, b. 03 Jul 1831
  2. Charles Prentiss, b. 07 Dec 1825. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
  3. Loiza (sic) Prentiss, b. 15 Feb 1832
  4. Lydia W. Prentiss, b. 06 Nov 1834
  5. Sarah Ann Prentiss, b. 13 Mar 1824 at Bennington, VT; she m. Elisha W. Solomon. They had a daughter:
    1. Martha Melissa Solomon, b. 19 Oct 1851, Pownal, VT. and d. 4 Oct 1897, Holyoke, MA. She m. Henry Philip Sears on 21 Oct 1874, Williamstown, MA. Henry was b. 8 Jan 1853, Hinsdale, MA. d. 4 Oct 1897, Holyoke, MA. (per "The Hamlin Family" and VT IGI.)
Also shown in the 1860 Bennington census is Mary Prentice, b. c. 1834, perhaps another daughter.

Asher m. 2nd Abigail White of N. Hoosick, NY on 13 Jun 1844. She was b. c. 1799, VT and d. after 1885.

3. George Prentice, b. 12 Jul 1800 and d. 26 Nov 1825 at the age of only 25. He may, or may not, be a son of Asher Prentiss, but his Bennington, VT residence suggests that possibility since Prentice families living in the same location are often closely related. However, additional investigation is need to determine the identify of George's parents.

In any event, George m. Althea Poole on 23 Feb 1823. She was b. 1 Apr 1799 and d. 14 Feb 1854. (1799-1854). George and Althea lived in Bennington, VT in 1820. Both are buried in the Old Bennington Cemetery at Bennington, VT. Neither of them appear in our 30,000 name computerized database nor do they appear in Binney's 1883 book as a descendant of any other person. George and Althea had 1 ore more children, including:

  1. George Bliss Prentice, b. 22 Oct 1824.

George Bliss Prentice was likely the only son of George and Althea, although George might have later remarried and had more children.

4. Charles Prentiss, b. 07 Dec 1825. He is likely the same Charles C. Prentice, b. c. 1826, VT, Carpenter,who lives 2 homes down from Asher in the 1850 census in Bennington, Bennington Co. VT. Also shown is his wife.

He m. Pamelia W., b. c. 1828. They later appear in the 1870 census in Arlington, Bennington Co., VT. Children per 1850 and 1870 census:

  1. Fanny Prentiss, b. c. 1849-50. Not home in 1870.
  2. Laura Prentiss, b. c. 1852, NY.
  3. Alida Prentiss, b. c. 1857, NY.
  4. Walter Prentiss, b. c. 1859, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]
  5. Ada Prentiss, b. c. 1864, NY.

5. Walter Prentiss, b. c. 1859, NY. He appears in the 1900 New Haven, New Haven Ct., CT census as b. Feb 1859 in NY, with his wife, Helen, b. Nov 1859, CT, and children:

  1. Ruth Prentice, b. May 1892, CT.
  2. Charles C.Prentice, b. Sep 1897, CT. Not in SSDI.

Who are Asher Prentiss' Parents?

So far we have no answer as to the identity of Asher Prentiss' parents. There are at least two possibilities:

1. Prentices of Preston, CT: However, as to George Prentiss, #3 above, the only other PRENTICES mentioned at Bennington are those of JAMES PRENTICE and his children, descendants of NATHANIEL, son of JOSEPH of Preston.

We know that JAMES had three other brothers for whom no death record is found at Preston. Likewise, no marriage record has been found, nor has there been found a birth record of any of their children. Those brothers are:

  1. Simeon Prentice, born 1751 at Preston. We know he lived in the area of Bennington-Shaftsbury-Sunderland.
  2. Ephraim Prentice, born 1752 at Preston. Shaftsbury Deeds show his name. Since our book was published in 1993, we have identified an Ephraim who appeared in the 1820 Rensselaer Co., NY census and his son, also named Ephraim, who appeared there in the 1830 census.
  3. Ebenezer Prentice, born 1767 at Preston. Nothing further is known about him.

Since experience tells us that families living in close proximity to each other are often kin, there is a reasonable chance that either George Prentice might be a descendant of Joseph and Hannah (Chesebrough) Prentice of Preston, CT.

2. Prentices of Uxbridge, MA: By email of 6 Jul 2003, Jeff Davis has suggested another interesting possibility. He directs our attention to John Prentice and Mary McLellan who were married in Uxbridge, MA on 29 Jul 1756.

Since Asher Prentice was born in Uxbridge in 1757, there would seem to be a good chance that he may be their son since Binney's 1883 book relates that John's children were: "Shubael...Elkanah...Thaddius...'And several daughters, who settled in Vermont,' names unknown." Binney's wording is a bit ambiguous as to whether the sons settled in Vermont, but the probability is that 1 or more of the sons would have settled in Vermont if the daughters did.

Correspondence:   If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, 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.

Caution: If you don't use the above email link, your email to us may be deleted as spam by our email filter.


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