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    Othaniel Prentice of Utica, Clark Co., IN
    By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
    Spring 2000 and Revised: 1 Jun 2005
    Is he a son of Felix or Peleg Prentice?

    1. Othaniel Prentice was b. c. 1835 in Indiana and d. 22 Mar 1865. He was a Pvt. in the US Army in the Civil War. He is bur. at Sec. O, Site 828, Lexington National Cem., Lexington, KY.

    Othaniel appears in the 1850 Monroe, Clark Co., IN census and in the 1860 Utica, Clark Co., IN census with his mother, Esther Prentice, b. c. 1785, RI, but no father is shown in either census record. Clark County lies in southeastern Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY.

    The 1860 census shows Othaniel was then married to Mary (maiden surname unknown), b. c. 1837, Indiana and that he and Mary had a daugher:

    1. Sophia Prentice, b. c. 1858 in Indiana.

    It seems likely that Othaniel and Mary may have had one or two more children before he died.

    Second marriage: Clark County, IN Marriage Records show that an Othneil Prentice m., apparently as a 2nd wife, Alzina Rose McCrary on 24 Mar 1864 (Bk. H, pg. 354). Alzina was was b. c. 1831 (per 1880 census), the dau. of Mary Hawes Rose. Alzina appears in the 1880 census in Munroe, Clark Co., IN; she might then be a widow since Othaniel is not shown in the household. Othaniel and Alzina had 1 or more children, including:

    1. Mary Alice Rose Prentice, b. c. 1865. She appears in the 1880 census in Munroe, Clark Co., IN with her mother, Alzina, and Millie A. Rose, b. c. 1826, perhaps a sister to her mother, Alzina (Rose) Prentice.

      1. Walter Earl Prentice (great grandfather of Lethia Prentice Nall).

          Note: He may, or may not be, the Walter E. Prentice who appears in the 1930 census in Jeffersonville, Clark Co., Indiana, shown as b. c. 1887, IN, with his wife, Maud W., b. c. 1888, IN. The SSDI shows he was b. 27 Dec 1886 and d. Dec 1973 in Jeffersonville, Clark Co., IN. Children (per 1930 census):

          1. Edith Alice Prentice, b. c. 1914, IN
          2. Wilson E. Prentice, b. c. 1915, IN. Not in 1920 census. Not in 2005 SSDI.
          3. Joy E. Prentice, b. c. 1916, IN
          4. Robert G. Prentice, b. c. 1918, IN. Not in 1920 census. He might be the Robert J. Prentice who appears in the SSDI as b. 28 Dec 1917 and d. 27 Jan 2000 in Clarksville, Clark Co., IN.
          5. Dixon W. Prentice, b. c. 1920, IN. Not in 2005 SSDI.

        Known children of Walter Earl Prentice:

        1. (son Prentice?) (grandfather of Lethia)
          1. Mary Prentice, b. Clark Co., IN (mother of Lethia)
            1. Lethia Prentice Nall, b. Louisville, KY

    Who is Othaniel Prentice's Father?

    The only lead we have to the identity of Othaniel's father is that a Felix Prentice also was living in Clark County in the 1840 census but does not appear there in 1850. He might be the missing husband of Othaniel's mother, Esther, who the 1850 and 1860 census shows as born c. 1785 in Rhode Island.

    That possibility is consistent with the information contained in the 1840 Clark Co., IN census as to the makeup of Felix's family showing a husband and wife, each b. c. 1780-1790 (Esther was b. c. 1785), and children:

    1. son, age 5-10 and b. c. 1830-35 (might be Othaniel, b. c. 1835, IN.
    2. son, age 10-15 and b. c. 1825-30.
    3. dau., age 10-15 and b. c. 1825-30.
    4. son, age 15-20 and b. c. 1820-25
    5. dau., age 15-20 and b. c. 1820-25.
    6. dau., age 15-20 and b. c. 1820-25.
    7. son, age 20-30 and b. c. 1810-20.
    8. son, age 20-30 and b. c. 1810-20.

    A Tentative Solution

    The following tentative solution should not be accepted as true without further investigation:

    Felix Prentice, mentioned above in the 1840 Clark Co., IN census, may in fact be a misspelling of Peleg Prentice. A look at the 1850 Clark Co., IN census, on a different Peleg, shows that the handwriting on the page in question draws a capital "F" which looks similar to a capital "P" (compare, for example, the name "Pauline" with the name "Peleg" and contrast it with the name "Franklin). If so, his wife might be the Esther Prentice, b. c. 1785, RI, who appears in the 1850 Monroe, Clark Co. census with her son, Othaniel, b. c. 1835, IN.

    If the misspelling theory is correct, then Peleg might be the Peleg Prentice, b. 1 Jun 1790, a descendant of Robert Prentice of Roxbury, pg. 236, #13a iii, and might be the same person as the Peleg Prentice who m. Esther Young on 1 Jan 1811, Mendon, Worcester, MA. And, although further confirming documentation is need, it seems likely he may be the Peleg Prentice who appears in the 1820 Indiana census with 2 boys and a girl, all b. betwen 1810 and 1820.

    We note also a Peleg Prentice who appears in the 1860 Madison Twp., Daviess Co., IN census. A farmer, he was born c. 1822 in Indiana and m. Christina A. Payton on 24 Oct 1844 in Clark Co., IN. The name, Peleg is sufficiently unusual, with the Clark Co., IN location suggesting strongly that he may also be a son of the Peleg Prentice who m. Esther Young; if so, he would be a brother of Othaniel Prentice.

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