Fall 1998 and Revised 28 Apr 2003
In a related article about Asher Prentiss, we identified him as born c. 1797 in Uxbridge, MA and the son of Asher Prentiss and Sarah Marsh. After her husband died, Sarah moved to Bennington.
The 1850 Bennington, Bennington Co., VT census identifies Asher as a carpenter and his wife as Abigail, b. c. 1801. No children are listed, but Asher was then 53 it is possible he may have had children who had moved elsewhere.
Also appearing in the 1850 and 1860 Bennington census is George B. Prentiss, clerk, age 26, b. c. 1824. He is probably the same person identified in the IGI as George Bliss Prentice, son of George Prentice (1800-1895) and Althea (1799-1854). George's age and proximity to Asher and his mother suggests that the 1800 George may be a brother of Asher.
That raises an interesting possibility. The only other PRENTICES mentioned at Bennington County 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:
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 or ASHER PRENTISS of Bennington are descendants of Joseph and Hannah (Chesebrough) Prentice of Preston, CT.
If you can help us identify any of the folks mentioned above, please contact us at dewald@prenticenet.com
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