Herman Prentiss of Wakefield, MA

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Herman Prentiss of Wakefield, Middlesex, MA
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Summer 2000 and Revised: 10 Sep 2011
Update of 10 Sep 2011: Joshua Herman Prentiss is #208 (i) in our Henry Prentice eBook. That eBook now replaces this article.

We found the following family at Ancestry.com . Here is what we have so far:
Joshua Herman Prentice, b. c. 1846, Essex Co., MA, and d. 12 Aug 1908, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA. He does not appear in the 1850 census, but is almost certainly the Joshua H. Prentiss shown in the 1860 census in Danvers, Essex Co., MA, b. c. 1851, MA, son of Joshua and Augusta S. Prentiss. He does appear in the 1880 Wakefield, Middlesex, MA census as a Machinist with his wife and children per Ancestry.com :
He m. Annie, b. c. 1849, MA. Children of Herman and Annie:

Henry S. Prentiss, b. Jan 1876, MA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
Chester Prentiss, b. c. 1880, MA.

2. Henry S. Prentiss, b. c. 1876, MA. Although the surname spelling is different, he may be the Henry S. Prentice, Electrician, who appears in the 1900 census in Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, as b. Jan 1876, MA. He appears in the 1900 census there with his wife. The 1900 Henry S. Prentice, Electrician, is almost certainly the same prerson as Henry S. Prentis, Electrian, (both parents b. in MA) who appears in the 1910 census in Danvers, Essex Co., MA.
He m. 1st Lillian, b. Jul 1875, MA, and appears in the 1900 census.
He apparently m. 2nd Mary D., b. c. 1886, Ireland, as were her parents. They appear in the 1910 census in Danvers, Essex Co., MA. Children per 1910 census:

Henry E. Prentis, b. c. 1903, MA. At home in Danvers in 1910.
Olive M. Prentis, b. c. 1905, MA. At home in Danvers in 1910. She is indexed as "Alice Brenton" at home in Danvers in the 1920 census.
Edna E. Prentis, b. c. 1909, MA. At home in Danvers in 1910 and 1920.
John R. Prentis, b. c. 1912, MA. At home in Danvers in 1920. Indexed as Robert J. Prentiss, lodger, living with his brother, James, in the 1930 Danvers census. He is probably the John R. Prentiss shown in the SSDI as b. 18 Aug 1911, obtained his SS# in MA, and d. 20 Apr 1992 in Essex, Essex Co. MA.
James T. Prentis, b. c. 1914, MA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
Raymond F. Prentis, b. 2 Jun 1915, MA, obtained his SS# in MA, and d. Mar 1987 in Danvers, Essex Co., MA, per SSDI. At home in Danvers in 1920.
Irene J. Prentis, b. c. 1010, MA. At home in Danvers in 1920.
Henry appears without his wife in the 1920 Middleton, Essex, MA census as a boarder in the home of Almon Richardson. However, Mary Prentice (indexed as Mary D. Brenton and Mary D. Prenters) appears with her children in the 1920 census in Danvers.
3. James T. Prentis, b. c. 1914, MA. At home in Danvers in 1920 where he is indexed as James F. Brenton. In 1930 Danvers census as a Lodger with his brother Robert. The SSDI identifies him as James T. Prentiss, b. 15 Nov 1913, obtained his SS# in MA, and d. 3 Apr 1996 in Danvers, Essex Co., MA.
He m. Florence M. Barney. She was b. 1 Aug 1914, Boston, dau. of Louis Barney and Addie Tewksbury, and d. 14 May 2009, Danvers. Her obituary of 14 May 2009 in the Danvers Herald reads as follows:
Florence M. Prentiss, Thu May 14, 2009, 04:43 PM EDT
Danvers - Florence M. Prentiss, 94, of Danvers, died May 14, 2009, following a brief illness. She was the wife of the late James T. Prentiss, with whom she shared more than 60 years of marriage.
Born in Boston on August 1, 1914, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Addie (Tewksbury) Barney. She was raised and educated in Boston and Cambridge and had been a Danvers resident for the last 74 years.
Mrs. Prentiss was employed over the years at CBS Hytron, Sylvania, Vulcan Electric, and Champion Lamp before spending 16 years at Hotwatt prior to her retirement. A faithful communicant of St. Richard Parish, she and her late husband were members of the former Mr. & Mrs. Club. She enjoyed gardening and sewing and was a wonderful cook.
Mrs. Prentiss is survived by her children, Joanne Kobierski and her husband, John, of Danvers, Barbara Cyr and her husband, Arnold, of Wakefield, N.H., Judith Gooding and her husband, Donald, of Florida, and James T. Prentiss II and his companion, Heather Steadman, of Gloucester; 15 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was the mother of the late Brenda Blais and the grandmother of the late Maureen Kobierski.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in St. Richard Church, 90 Forest St., Danvers. Burial will follow in St. Patrick Cemetery, Haverhill. Relatives and friends are invited. Visiting hours are Sunday, May 17, 3-7 p.m. in C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square. Condolences may be sent at www.LyonsFuneral.com.

Children of James and Florence:

Joanne Prentiss. She m. John Kobierski and in 2009 lived in Danvers. They had 1 or more children, including:

Maureen Kobierski. Deceased by 2009.

Barbara Prentiss. She m. Arnold Cyr and in 2009 lived in Wakefield, NH.
Judith Prentiss. She m. Donald Gooding and in 2009 lived in FL.
James T. Prentiss II. His companion iss Heather Steadman and in 2009 lived in Gloucester, MA.
Brenda Prentiss. She m. Mr. Blais and is deceased by 2009.

Who are Herman Prentiss' Parents?
Curiously, and although the 1880 census provides for the names of the places of birth of his parents, those spaces are blank.
Herman does not appear in the IGI or Ancestral File as of 12 Mar 2000, nor does he appear in 1850, 1860 or 1870 census or the 2008 Ancestry.com files.
His absence from earlier census records suggests the possibility that "Herman" may be a middle name. We note that the 1900 census has a Frank H. Prentiss, b. c. 1886, MA, with both parents b. in MA, a wife, Annie M., b. c. 1867, MA, with both parents b. in MA, and children:

Louis V. Prentiss, b. Nov 1878, MA At home in 1900. Note, however, that he does not appear in Herman's home in the 1880 census.
Frank I. Prentiss, b. Sep 1886, MA. At home in 1900.
Inez Prentiss, b. Jun 1888, MA. At home in 1900.

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