PrenticeNet

---

Michael Prentice of Wexford, Ireland and Canada
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Summer 1999 and Revised 1 Jan 2009

---

Update of 1 Jan 2009: This article is now replaced by our Spring 2009 article entitled Michael Prentice of Hastings, Ontario .

---

1. Michael Prentice was born about 1817 in Wexford, Ireland. There are conflicting family versions among his descendants about his immigration:

- One version is that he immigrated to New York and then went to Canada with a travelling show company.

- Another version is that, since he spoke broken French, he was raised in Quebec.

In any event, he was one of the pioneer settlers in Carlow, settling there sometime before 1847. He married Elizabeth Jane "Liza" Oram about 1848 in Carlow, Hastings, Ontario. She was b. c. 1830. Michael died 12 Aug 1897 at over 80 years of age and is interred in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Hastings. Michael and Liza had at least 12 children:

1. Benjamin Prentice, b. 11 Jan 1859 or 11 Feb 1860. . . . . . . . [2]
2. Maria Prentice (Prentiss) was b. 11 Jan 1854, Hastings, Ontario. (per Wendy Cosper, 12 Jan 2001)
3. Susannah Prentice, b. c. 1861.
4. Grace Prentice, b. c. 1865.
5. 4 additional daughters.
6. 4 additional sons. One or more of the following men might also be related because of their proximity in census records to Benjamin, #2, below:
   1. George Prentice, b. 10 Feb 1868, Ontario (per 1901 Carlow Record, Hastings North District, Div. 1, pg. 7, Family 60): He m. Matilda, b. 29 Feb 1874, Ontario. Also living with him was his brother, John Prentice, b. 29 Feb 1864, Ontario. Children of George and Matilda:
      1. John G. Prentice, b. 18 Jul 1899, Ontario.
      2. Robert M. Prentice, b. 4 Jan 1901, Ontario.

   2. William Prentice, b. 11 Jan 1868, Ontario (per 1901 Carlow Record, Hastings North District, Div. 1, pg.11, Family 92): He m. Caroline, b. 5 Oct 1872, Ontario. Children:
      1. Cora Prentice, b. 21 Jun 1896, Ontario.
      2. Morice/Maurice C. Prentice, b. 13 Jun 1898, Ontario.
      3. William W. Prentice, b. 8 Jul 1900, Ontario.

2. Benjamin Prentice, b. 11 Jan 1859 (per 1901 Carlow census, Div. 1, pg. 7, Family 62), Carlow Twp., Hastings Co., Ontario. He d. 26 Jan 1916 in Carlow, Ontario.

By email of 18 Jan 2007, Melissa Beedle advises that Benjamin was a witness at the wedding of her great great grandfather, John Bailey, to Sophia Whitefoot ("9905-80 John BAILEY, 21, farmer, Stok--? England, Carlow, s/o William & Ann, married Sophia WHITEFOOT, 16, London England, Carlow, d/o Walter & Sarah, witn: Benjamin PRENTISS & Alice Maud WHITEFOOT, 2 Oct 1880 at Combermere.)

Benjamin married Janet "Jeannie" Kelly on 7 Nov 1883 in Carlow Twp., Hastings, Ontario. She was b. 25 Mar 1866 (per 1901 Carlow census). Children:

1. Mary Prentice, b. 9 Dec 1883 (per 1901 Carlow census).
2. Benjamin Prentice, b. 26 Apr 1886 (per 1901 Carlow census) at Boulter, Hastings, Ontario.
3. George Samuel Prentice, b. 17 Mar 1888 (per 1901 Carlow census) at Boulter, Hastings, Ontario. He married Mary Etta Lauox and had:
   1. Melville Emerson Prentice, b. 11 Oct 1918 at Greenview, Hastings, Ontario. . . . [3]

4. James Prentice, b. 9 Jul 1890 (per 1901 Carlow census).
5. Charles Prentice, b. 18 Apr 1893 (per 1901 Carlow census).
6. Herbert Prentice, b. 29 Mar 1896 (per 1901 Carlow census).
7. Markward Prentice, b. 3 May 1899 (per 1901 Carlow census).

3. Melville Emerson Prentice, b. 11 Oct 1918 at Greenview, Hastings, Ontario. He appears in WW II military death records as a Rifleman, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C., who d. age 26 on 2 Apr 1945, son of George and Etta Prentice, of Bancroft, Ontario; husband of Lura Pearl Prentice, of Bancroft. His memorian can be found at XXII. D. 1.,Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.Description. A Google search discloses the following information:

The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek is a field of honor to the memory of the Canadian soldiers who were killed during World War II.

Background: The Canadian War Cemetery reminds the inhabitants of Groesbeek of the allied solders who were killed during Operation Veritable. It is the largest cemetery of British Commonwealth soldiers in The Netherlands.

The majority of the Canadians who lie buried in Groesbeek were killed during Operation Veritable, which started on 8 February 1945. Its objective was to cross the Rhine as quickly as possible. The advance was preceded by bombardments executed by approximately 800 heavy bombers. The cities of Kleef and Goch were the first targets. More than 5,000 Canadians were killed during this operation. The First Canadian Army under General Crerar included some British divisions. More than 200,000 soldiers and their supplies were assembled around Nijmegen for quite a long time without being noticed. Due to heavy resistance the Allied Forces could not cross the Rhine, near Wesel, before the end of March.

If you have any information which can help us identify the ancestry and descendants of any of the folks mentioned above, please contact us at the Prentice Newsletter..

---