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John Prentice of Pulham St. Mary Magdalene
Fall 1998 and Revised 6 Jun 2001
Ian Prentice, by E-mailings of 15 Sep 1998 and 6 Jun 2001 , directs our attention to the Pulham St. Mary magdalen Prentices, set out below:
1. Thomas Prentice is the earliest recorded Prentice in Pulham St. Mary Magdalen We have no birth date for him, but it was likely in the early 1500s and d. before 1579. He m. Margaret, possibly Sunven, who was buried on 2 Oct 1579: she left a brief Will which bequeathed no property or goods to her son John, only a legacy of £20. Since John Prentice of Rickenhall bore the coat of arms of the Wigehall Prentices, the family may have originated from there. Alternatively they may be related to the Prentices of Clare who were also particularly well-to-do. It is unknown if Thomas and Margaret were the parents of:
- Robert Prentice. . . . . . . [2]
2. Robert Prentice (perhaps the son of Thomas) Yeoman, of Flordon in 1562-64, who bought land in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene on 18 Nov 1572. He died in 1572 and was survived by his wife, Catherine. Robert and Catherine had three sons:
- William Prentice of Pulham, b. 1564 in Flordon, and d. 1641. . . . . [3]
- Robert Prentice, Yeoman, b. 1562 in Flordon, bap. there17 May 1562 and d. 21 Oct 1602. He does not appear to have had any heirs.
- John Prentice, Yeoman, b. c. 1560, and d. 1620. He married, first, Christian. Children:
John m. 2nd Mary who was alive in 1638 and who had children:
- Mary Prentice who died in 1583.
- Mary Prentice, b. 1585 died 1654. She m. John Ellmy who had died by 1656. They had two children:
- Elizabeth Ellmy.
- Stephen Ellmy.
- Robert Prentice who died in 1590.
- Robert Prentice, b. 1591 and d. 1639. Gentleman of Rickinghall who carried the Wigenhall coat of arms. He m. Bridget Claxton of Lakenham, daughter of Francis. They had no heirs.
- John Prentice, b. 1593; buried 2 Jan 1639. He was not mentioned in his father's Will.
- Christian Prentice, b. 1594. She m. Stephen Allen of Aldreford. They had a daughter:
- Bridget Allen.
- Frances Prentice, b. 1597. She m. Richard Howlett and died in 1623.
- William Prentice, b. 1591; buried 26 Oct 1598.
- Robert Prentice, Gentleman, of Rickinghall.
- Dorothy Prentice who was alive in 1602.
- Mary Prentice who was alive in 1598; she m. Edward Freeman and had children
3. William Prentice, Yeoman of Pulham, was b. 1564 at Flordon, bap. there on 23 Sep 1564 and d. 1641. Though not mentioned in his father's will he was given 25 acres in Pulham. William married, first, Margaret and then, second, Joan Dawson, widow, on 16 Jul 1617 at Beccles. Joan was alive in 1640. William, by either or both of his wives, Margaret and Joan, had:
- John Prentice, of Pulham. He was b. 27 Feb 1595. . . [4]
- William Prentice, b. 27 Feb 1597; he was buried in 1641. He lived in Pulham Market and left £30 to his brother John in the letters of administration which were drawn up after his death.
- Samuel Prentice, b. c. 1600 and d. 1664. He inherited land called Millsend in Nemstone and Bramfield near Walpole and copyhold land in Pulham. He married widow Anna (nee Wilne) Hawes on 7 Dec 1642 at Norwich St. Peter Mancroft. They lived in Rattlesden in 1564. He died in 1664 when he was assessed at 7s. Anna d. in 1666. Children:
- Samuel Prentice, b. 1643 and d. 17 Jan 1684, Pulham. Gentleman. He married Susan Saier in 1665; she d. 16 Jul 1709. Hher father ` was armerigerous, or bore arms. Children:
- Elizabeth Prentice, b. 6 Jun 1672.
- Samuel Prentice, b. Jan 1676 and d. 23 Jun 1676.
- Thomas Prentice, b. 25 Jun 1679.
- John Prentice, b. 1644 he died before 1666.
- Anne Prentice, b. 1645 and married after 1664 and had a daughter:
- Elizabeth
- Thomas Prentice, b. 1645 and was buried on 23 Sept 1687.
- Elizabeth Prentice, b. 1646. She m. John Osborne of Norwich on 21 Nov 1667 in Ketteringham. They had a daughter:
- Elizabeth Osborne
- Robert Prentice who married Winifred Backster at Shelton on 29 Jan 1649. She died 1674.
4. John Prentice of Pulham St. Mary Magdalene. He was b. 1595 and was bur. 1641. He most probably married Mary Thurkell at Norwich St. Stephen on 30 Apr 1616. They had three sons:
- John Prentice who m. Ann Skarlett. . . . . . . . . [5]
- William Prentice who died in 1623.
- Thomas Prentice who was living in Mattishall in 1664.
- Henry Prentice.
5. John Prentice who m. Ann Skarlett. Their children included:
- John Prentice who lived in Dickleborough. . . . . . . . [6]
6. John Prentice who lived in Dickleborough and Thetford (Wills exist for him in both locations). He had lived in Balleroda in Ireland for some time before his death and seems to have led a life somewhat astray with a relation called Henry Halls. He died in 1684 and married Ann Pettus or Pettis in 1651 in Scole. He had four children, but since only Thomas was mentioned in his father's will one must presume that the other children died young.
He might be the John Prentice who died in East Dereham in 1681 leaving Will in which he makes bequests to his two sons:
- John Prentice, bap. 20 Jan 1652, Saint Gregory, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
- Thomas Prentice, bap. bapt 4 May 1658, Saint Gregory, Norwich, Norfolk, England. He was in Ireland in 1684 and it is unclear whether he returned to Norfolk to claim his small inheritance.
- Samuel Prentice, bap. 4 Mar 1661, Saint Gregory, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
- Anne Prentice, bap. 23 Jun 1663, Saint Gregory, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
- Caleb Prentice.
- Charles Prentice. This Charles may be the link with the Prentices of Norwich, England, but the parish registers of East Dereham no longer exist before about 1685; consequently there is no way to establish a connecting link.
If you can help us identify any additional ancestors or descendants of the above folks, please contact us at dewald@prenticenet.com
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