PrenticeNet :: Great Horwood, Beachampton and Swanbourne, England

Prentices of Great Horwood, Beachampton and Swanbourne, Buckingham, England
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Fall 2001 and Revised 14 May 2008

From information found in the IGI, and with the valued aid of Ian Prentice, Matt Tompkins and Sue Houlston, we have constructed both the history of Great Horwood and the following family tree for Prentices living in Great Horwood, Buckingham, England.

General Background

Information provided by Matt Tompkins comes principally from the court rolls of the manor of Great Horwood, amplified occasionally by other records. The parish of Great Horwood comprised two townships, Great Horwood itself and Singleborough, each township being a single settlement plus its surrounding common fields, meadows, pastures and (in the case of Great Horwood) woods. The manor of Great Horwood comprised over nine tenths of the township of Great Horwood - there was also a small manor called Berners or Bradwell's Fee (which had only about 140 acres of arable land and meadow out of the township total of 1,630).

The manor originally belonged to the Priory of St Faith in Longueville in Normandy, though from about 1369 until 1441 (while the Hundred Years War was raging) it was temporarily confiscated to prevent its revenues being used to support the Fench war effort and passed through the hands of a succession of English noblemen to whom the king owed favours. In 1441 the confiscation became permanent and the manor became part of the endowment of New College in Oxford (one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University) and remained in its ownership until the present time.

The College still has the records of Great Horwood manor and still keeps them in the upper floors of the Gothic stone tower which was built for the safe-keeping of its title deeds in about 1380. The records are almost unique in their nearly complete survival right back to about 1300, though there are occasional gaps. One of the biggest gaps is the decade immediately before the Peasants' Revolt of 1383, which suggests that the peasants of Great Horwood joined in the revolt and, as was commonly done at that time, took the opportunity to burn the records of their oppression by their manorial lords.

The court rolls also cover the years of the Black Death, and make fascinating reading. Something like 80% of the village's population seems to have died - a much heavier mortality than in most other places, which was normally more like 50%. Of course that all predated the arrival of the Prentices in the village, but anyone descended from a Prentice of Great Horwood will almost certainly also be descended from the earlier inhabitants, through a female line or two.

Prentices in Great Horwood

Prentice families first appear in the records of Great Horwood in 1402 when the presence of a John Prentice is recorded at a manor court. He had probably only recently acquired some land in the village, since he is not mentioned at any earlier date. From a later reference to his owning his farm in right of his wife it seems that she was an heiress and he acquired it by marrying her. Since John was likely an adult in 1402, we might infer that he may have been b. c. 1370-80.

In 1415, John Prentice and his wife, called Margaret, transferred ownership of their copyhold messuage [ie farmhouse] and yardland [ie 36 acres of arable land, comprising about 80 to 100 strips in the 3 common fields of the village, plus a small amount of meadow] to themselves for their lives, remainder to Margaret's daughter Agnes, then to their son John Prentys the younger and his wife Alice.

A condition of that 1415 transfer from John and his wife to their son, John, was that John the younger and his wife would look after his parents in their old age. The younger couple failed to keep the agreement and in 1423 the parents sued them in the manor court and got the messuage and yardland back. This case was recently published in a study of medieval manorial courts and now has some notoriety among medieval historians.

Eleven years later, in 1434, John and Margaret again transferred the farm, but this time to themselves for their lives and then to their son-in-law Henry Colles and his wife Agnes (their daughter).

In 1446 John Prentys the elder died, perhaps at the age of 66 to 76, and full ownership of the farm passed to Henry and Agnes Colles. Henry Colles died 12 years later in 1458. His wife, Agnes, in 1459 and the holding then passed to their son in law, Richard Colles.

By email of 21 Feb 2008, Ken Smith, a descendant, advises that Richard Colles gave his farm in Great Horwood to his son Robert Colles and took up a larger farm in Launton some 12 miles away. The spelling of the amily name changed to Coles and it is this family that lived in Launton until the early 1900s. The UK census shows the last Coles living in Launton, Oxfordshire, appears in Launton in the 1891 census. He is William Coles, a retired farmer, living alone at age 75 and b. c. 1816 in Launton. He had appeared in the preceding 1881 census in Launton with his wife, Martha, and children: Arthur, Amelia and Emily. No Coles appear in Launton in the 1901 census.

By email of 22 Feb 2008, Ken Smith advises that the last Launton Coles born there was Elizabeth Annie Coles, daughter of James Coles, and that by the time of William Cole's death, she was married to George Reeves. She was Ken's wife's great grandmother. The Coles family is alive and well living mainly in Australia.

Back in 1430, a Thomas Prentys and his wife Agnes (presumably a relative of the first family, and perhaps another son of John and Margaret) acquired another farm in Great Horwood, again consisting of a copyhold messuage and yardland. They obtained it from one Richard atte Bower and his wife Alice, and again there was a maintenance agreement by which the younger couple agreed to support the older one, who would continue to live in the property (which makes one suspect that Thomas' wife, Agnes, may have been the atte Bowers' daughter).

The younger couple, Thomas and Agnes, may have had an uncomfortable time living with the atte Bowers, as Richard atte Bower was a very difficult man, argumentative and very litigious - at one time nearly all the cases in the manor court involved him as either plaintiff or defendant. But they stuck it out, for over 20 years (Richard seems to have died in the early 1450s) and eventually Thomas and Agnes obtained full ownership.

In 1458, Thomas Prentys died and the farm was inherited by his son, John Prentys the younger (then aged over 21 and b. bef. 1437). John the younger seems to have sold the farm sometime after 1465 when he stops being mentioned in the village records, though the record of the transfer is missing (it was possibly transferred in 1471 or 1473, years for which the records are missing) - by 1474 it was owned by the Cutler family.

It might be that John the younger sold the farm because he had moved to Singleborough - perhaps because he had married the heiress of a farm there - and it was awkward to manage properties in both places. Unfortunately very few records survive for Singleborough, so little more is known about him except that in 1450 a John Prentys of Singleborough acquired a cottage in the Wood End of Great Horwood village. It seems very likely that this is the son of Thomas Prentys, and is the reason why he may have moved to Singleborough. The 1450 record mentioned that he had no other land in the village at the time).

He kept the cottage until 1466, when he transferred it to the Colyer family. In the 1466 record he is referred to as John Prentys the elder, so he may have had a son of the same name - perhaps the man who was assessed at £1 6s 8d in the 1522 Lay Subsidy Roll for Singleborough.

There were still Prentices living in Great Horwood after John's departure to Singleborough about 1471-73. From at least 1465 until about 1504, a William Prentice lived in the village, and seems to have owned property there, though it is unclear how much. In 1493, William Prentice had a son, Thomas Prentice, aged 12 (b. c. 1481, and in 1494 a Robert Prentice also begins to appear in the records, though only for a few years.

In 1504 an Agnes Prentys, daughter of William Woodville, and her son Thomas Prentys inherit a copyhold messuage and half yardland and cottage formerly owned by Agnes' father. Thomas may have been the Prentys (no first name given) who was leasing a yardland from Richard Colyer in 1519. In 1521 he and his mother sold their messuage and half yardland to Thomas Colet. There are no further references to Prentices before 1530.

A Prentice Family Tree in Great Horwood: Family 1;

From the foregoing information, we can construct a Prentice family tree for the Prentices in Great Horwood (for convenience only, we will use the single spelling of "Prentice":

1. John Prentice was likely b. c. 1364-1374, perhaps near Great Horwood, and d. 1446, probably Great Horwood. His birth date is inferred from the probable age of his son, John, at the time of the 1415 agreement, mentioned above. He m. Margaret. She d. 1458. Known children:

John Prentice, b. c. 1384-1394. . . . . . . . . . [2]
Agnes Prentice. . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
(perhaps) Thomas Prentice. He m. Agnes who may be the dau of Richard atte Bower and his wife, Alice. They had 1 or more children, including:
1. John Prentice

2. John Prentice, b. c. 1385-95. We assume that birth period from the 1415 agreement in which John acquired his property in exchange for his agreement to care for his parents.

3. Agnes Prentice. We tentatively assume that she was their joint daughter, although the text, above, refers to her as "Margaret's daughter." She m. Henry Colles.

A Prentice Family Tree in Great Horwood: Family 2

1. William Prentice, b. c. 1430-1460. He lived in Great Horwood from at least 1465 until about 1504 and seems to have owned property there, though it is unclear how much. He had 1 or more children, including:

Thomas Prentice, b. c. 1481, and living in 1492, age 12.
(perhaps) Robert Prentice. In 1494 a Robert Prentice begins to appear in Great Horwood records, though only for a few years.

A Prentice Family Tree in Great Horwood: Family 3

1. Agnes Prentys, daughter of William Woodville. In 1504 an Agnes Prentys, daughter of William Woodville, and her son, Thomas Prentys, inherit a copyhold messuage and half yardland and cottage formerly owned by Agnes' father. Thomas may have been the Prentys (no first name given) who was leasing a yardland from Richard Colyer in 1519. In 1521 he and his mother sold their messuage and half yardland to Thomas Colet. There are no further references to Prentices before 1530.

Thomas Prentice, probably b. bef. 1498.

A Prentice Family Tree in Great Horwood: Family 4

1. Thomas Prentice of Great Horwood, likely b. c. 1450-60 and d. in 1542. Thomas m. Joan. No heirs survived him. Thomas had a brother, John Prentice of Great Horwood who was assessed at £1-6-8 in 1522. Richard Prentice of Little Horwood, was assessed at £4 in 1522 and was presumably his son and could well be the Richard Prentice who is #1, below.

By email of 14 Jan 2004, Matt Tompkins advises that by the mid-1500s the Prentices were no longer living in Great Horwood; they were by then in the neighbouring hamlet of Singleborough which is also in the Parish of Great Horwood.

2. Richard Prentice of Great Horwood was b. c. 1480-1510 and d. 1576. Husbandman. He m. Isobel Pydkin in Grandborough in 1539. Matt Tompkins advises that Richard Prentice left a Will (Buckinghamshire Record Office D/A/Wf 8/1444), the substance of which is as follows:

Will of Richard Prentisse of Singleborough, husbandman. Dated 16 April 1576, proved 28 April 1576 (he states that at the time of making the will he was greatly diseased). Bequests:

to daughters Agnes and Joan: 40s each, half within 6 months and half within 3 years of his death
to daughter Agnes: a cow, a pan, a pot, a kettle, a candlestick, a coffer, 3 sheets, a table cloth, a bolster, 2 pewter dishes.
to daughter Joan: a coverlet, a coffer, 3 sheets, a table cloth, a bolster, 2 pewter dishes
to daughter Alice Burt: 3 lands (ie strips in the common fields, probably about half an acre each), 1 of wheat, 1 of barley and 1 of pease, and a heifer
to Agnes Fould, Agnes Peter, Agnes Butler, Margaret Smyth: a peck of wheat and barley each
to John Pinge and his daughter, who was Prentisse's god-daughter: 4d each
to Thomas Pinge: half a bushell of wheat and barley
to son Thomas Prentisse: the residue

His executor was his son Thomas, and he appointed as overseers Thomas Bradberie and his son-in-law John Burt. The witnesses were Richard Flite, Thomas Loove, Thomas Bradberie, Thomas Kent clerk. The inventory of his goods had a total value of £14 14s.

Children of Richard Prentice, not necessarily in order of age:

Thomas Prentice. . . . . . . [3]
Agnes Prentice.
Joan Prentice.
Alice Prentice. She apparently m. Mr. Burt.

3. Thomas Prentice, b. c. 1510-50 and d. 1592. He m. Joan. By email of 15 Jan 2004, Matt Tompkins advises that Thomas Prentice left a Will (Bucks RO D/A/Wf 12/86) reading as follows:

Will of Thomas Prentise of Singleborough, husbandman, sick in body
Dated: 13 March 1591 [ie 1592 New Style], proved 8 April 1592
Bequests:

to his daughter Ellin Prentise: £15, of which £10 to be paid at her marriage or at age of 21, whichever comes first, and £5 at age of 24; a brown cow which is called her own, a black hawked heifer of 2 years, to be given to her when it has its first calf and until then to be kept by her mother
to his daughter Joan Prentise: £10, to be paid to her at marriage or 21
to his son Richard Prentise: £10, of which £5 to be paid at 18 and £5 at 21
to his son William Prentise: 20 sheep, he and his mother to divide the 40 best sheep between them; £5, to be paid to him on 3 May 1593; the debt which the testator's son-in-law Fruyn owed the testator; £24, to be paid to him when my wife re-marries, but if she doesn't remarry and suffers him to remain with her, then to be paid on her death, or if she does not remarry but does not suffer him to remain with her, then to be paid when she puts him from her [an interesting provision - a classic case of a husband and father trying to retain his control of his family from beyond the grave!]; the old white mare and the black yearling colt; the table in the hall and the forms and the great troughs to remain in the house as standards for him [standards were household equipment which 'belonged' to a house - their ownership passed automatically with ownership of the house]
(5) to the stock for the poor [ie the parish poor fund]: 20d
to mother Pantlin: a peck of wheat
to mother Shepherd: a peck of wheat
to the herd [presumably the village's common herdsman]: a peck of wheat
to mother Butler: a peck of wheat
to Thomas Fleett: a bushel of wheat, and all 6 bushells of barley, to be paid 2 bushells a year
to Henry Deverill: a peck of wheat
to his godson William Deverill: a lamb, neither the best nor the worst, at Michaelmas next
to his wife Joane Prentise: the residue of his goods

He added the following bequests orally shortly before he died, as witnessed by Ralph Barnabee and John Towsie:

to his son William Prentise, after his wife's death: the best shoed cart, a plough and its furniture [ie equipment], the bedstead on which he [the testator] then lay.
to his daughter Ellin Prentise: the best kettle except one, and a bedstead at her marriage
to his sons William and Richard Prentise and daughters Ellin and Joane Prentise: a land of barley each

The children of Thomas and Joan were:

Elizabeth Prentice, b. c. 1575-80. She m. William Powell in Whaddon, Buckingham, on 26 Jun 1598.
William Prentice, b. c. 1575-80. . . . . . . . [4]
Ellen Prentice
Joan Prentice
Walter Prentice
Richard Prentice. He m. Helen Carter in Gt. Horwood in 1612. Richard d. a Yeoman of Emberton in 1651 leaving a Will. Of their children only two are known:
1. Jacob Prentice.
2. Ann Prentice. She m. Mr. Campion.
John Prentice. He m. Frances Varney in 1618 and d. 1635.

4. William Prentice, b. c. 1575-80. He m. Margaretta, was living in Great Horwood in 1642 and d. there in 1680. Children:

Johanna Prentice, chr. 14 Dec 1600 Gt. Horwood
Eleanora Prentice, chr. 5 Oct 1603; m. Rodolphus Polard 1623 Gt. Horwood
Paul Prentice, chr. 21 Sep 1616. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]
Thomas Prentice, chr. 5 Mar 1608. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [6]
William Prentice, chr. 6 Apr 1611 and probably d. in infancy.
William Prentice, chr. 28 Sep 1613 and chr. 16 Oct 1618, Great Horwood. He d. 1692 in Wing. He m. Mary who d. 1705. Children:
1. John Prentice, chr. 30 Mar 1654 Wing, Buckingham, England
2. Mary Prentice, chr. 16 Apr 1658 Wing, Buckingham, England
3. William Prentice, b. c. 1662-65. He m. Frances. Children (per Ian Prentice, email, 19 Sep 2001):
  1. Mary Prentice, b. 1689. Wing.
  2. William Prentice, b. 1692. He Frances. Children:
    1. Zachariah Prentice, b. 1713, Datchet; m. Mary.
    2. Elizabeth Prentice, b. 1720
    3. Anne Prentice, b. 1722
    4. Mary Prentice, b. 1724
    5. William Prentice, b. 1725
    6. Sarah Prentice, b. 1728
Anna Prentice, chr. 14 Feb 1615; m. Robert Reisar 1630 Linslade
Richard Prentice, chr. 29 Sep 1622. . . . . . . . [7]
(perhaps) Thomas Prentice who m. Mariae and had:
- Elizabeth. Prentice, chr. 16 Jul 1666, Great Horwood.
- Thomas Prentice, chr. 17 Sep 1664, Great Horwood.

5. Paul Prentice, chr. 21 Sep 1616. He m. Agnes Facer in 1631 in Great Horwood and was recorded living there in 1645. They had children:

Margareta Prentice, chr. 10 Feb 1632, Great Horwood.
Joanna/Joan Prentice, chr. 23 Nov 1634, Great Horwood.
Elizabeth Prentice, chr. 29 Sep 1639, Great Horwood.
William Prentice, chr. 1 May 1642, Great Horwood. Died 1707/8. He m. 1st Mary. Children:
1. Infant Prentice, b. 1683, Great Horwood and died in infancy.
2. Joan Prentice, b. 1684; m. Henry Gray, 1719.
3. William Prentice, chr. 30 Mar 1695, Beachampton.
4. John Prentice, chr. 1 Nov 1684, Great Horwood. He is likely the John Prentice who m. Mary and had:
  - Elizabeth Prentice, chr. 27 Jul 1713, Great Horwood
William Prentice m. 2nd Joan Toms on 29 Jul 1702 in Great Horwood.
1. Thomas Prentice, chr. 5 Feb 1704.
2. Henery (sic) Prentice, chr. 11 Jul 1709, Great Horwood. He is likely the Henry Prentis who m. Elizabeth Footman on 24 Aug 1721, Little Horwood and had:
  - Mary Prentice, chr. 16 Sep 1722, Little Horwood.
  - Elizabeth Prentis, chr. 25 Jul 1725, Little Horwood. She might be the Elizabeth Prentice who appears in the IGI with an unnamed father had:
    - John Prentice, chr. 10 Dec 1753, Little Horwood.

6. Thomas Prentice, b. 1608 and was living in 1642.

Thomas m. Elizabeth Cranwell on 13 Oct 1638, Thornborough. Children:

William Prentice, chr. 21 Jul 1639, Thornborough; m. ALice with a son:
1. William Prentice, chr. 21 Sep 1672, Thornborough.
Edward Prentice, chr. 28 Nov 1640, Thornborough; he possibly moved to Warwickshire.
Thomas Prentice, b. 1641; m. Mary and had 2 or more children, including:
1. Elizabeth Prentice, b. 1666, Great Horwood.
2. Thomas Prentice, b. 1674.
Elizabeth Prentice, chr. 2 Jan 1647, Thornborough, Buckingham (per IGI)

7. Richard Prentice, b. 29 Sep 1622 and chr. 29 Sep 1622, Great Horwood, Buckinghamshire..

He m. 1st Agnes White in 1640 in Stewkley. He m. 2nd Mary, b. 1629. He m. 3rd Alice. His children included:

Thomas Prentice, b. 1649, Addington. He m. Mary. Children:
1. Avis Prentice, b. 1675 and chr. 25 Jan 1675, Beachampton
2. Anne Prentice, b. 1676.
3. Mary Prentice chr. 22 Sep 1679, Beachampton. Probably d. in infancy.
4. Mary Prentice, chr. 31 Mar 1682, Beachampton.
Richard Prentice, b. 28 Nov 1654, Beachampton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[7.1]
Henry Prentice, b. 30 Jul 1657 Beachampton. He m. Jane Moase on 28 Oct 1686 Beachampton. Children:
1. Richard Prentice, chr. 15 Nov 1687, Beachampton, Buckingham, England.
2. Martha Prentice, chr. 3 Feb 1701, Beachampton, Buckingham, England. She is probably the Martha Prentice who m. William Godfrey on 2 Nov 1729, Beachampton. He was b. 1691. Possible children per IGI:
  1. Mary Godfrey, chr. 27 Jun 1731 in Wantage, Berkshire, England. (Note: by email of 13 May 2008, Sue Houlston notes that a Mary Godfrey was b. 29 Apr 1744, Beachampton, to a William and Martha Godfrey. She suggests that perhaps the 1731 Mary died and that the 1744 Mary is a 2nd daughter of the same name and much closer in age to her husband.) Mary m. John Sheppard on 4 Sep 1765, Beachampton. He was b. 27 Nov 1745, Beachampton, Buckinghamshire, and d. 1820 (per Sue Houlston, email, 11 and 13 May 2008) Children:
    1. Elizabeth Sheppard, b. 31 Dec 1765, Beachampton.
    2. Mary Shepherd, b. 25 Sep 1767, Beachampton. . . . . . . [7.2]
    3. Sarah Sheppard, b. 9 Apr 1769, Beachampton
    4. John Sheppard, b. 7 Apr 1776, Beachampton. . . . . . . . [7.3]
    5. Eleanor Sheppard, b. 25 April 1779, Beachampton
    6. Henry Sheppard, b. 23 Dec 1781, Beachampton. n 1841 census.
  2. William Godfrey, chr. 7 Jan 1732 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  3. Robert Godfrey, chr. 19 Jul 1734 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  4. Martha Godfrey, chr. 5 Dec 1735 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  5. George Godfrey, chr. 7 Aug 1737 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  6. Thomas Godfrey, chr.12 Aug 1739 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  7. Catherine Godfrey, chr. 22 Jan 1741 Wantage, Berkshire, England
  8. John Godfrey, chr. 29 Mar 1741, Beachampton. See Ancestry.com .
Mary Prentice, chr. 18 Feb 1659, Beachampton.
Sarah Prentice, chr. 8 Jun 1660 Beachampton.
John Prentice, chr. 8 Jun 1660 Beachampton.
Thomas Prentice, chr. 28 Sep 1662 Beachampton.
Thomas Prentice, b. 1664, Beachampton. (may be same as Thomas, above)
Anna Prentice, b. 1665, Beachampton.
Elizabeth Prentice, Chr: 4 Aug 1672 Beachampton.
Thomas Prentice, chr. 4 Aug 1672, Beachampton.
(unknown) Prentice, b. 12 Sep 1682, Beachampton, and must have d. as an infant.

7.1 Richard Prentice, b. 1654 Beachampton, Buckinghamshire. He m. 1st Frances. He m. 2nd Mary Blackman in 1 Jun 1691, Beachampton. Children:

Sarah Prentice, chr. 14 Aug 1681, Beachampton.
Richard Prentice, chr. 17 Feb 1684, Beachampton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [8]
Frances Prentice, dau., Chr: 23 Jul 1688, Beachampton.
Thomas Prentice, chr. 6 Apr 1692, Beachampton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [9]
William Prentice, chr. 30 Mar 1695 Beachampton.
Henry Chr: 10 Jul 1697 Beachampton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [10]
John Prentice, chr. 20 May 1700, Beachampton; m. Ann in 1720, Deddington, Oxfordshire. Children:
1. (child) Prentice. b. 1721, Whaddon
2. John Prentice, chr. 20 Oct 1723, Whaddon, Buckingham,England. He m. Frances Puttenham in 1752 in Olney.
Anne Prentice, b. 1702, Beachampton; m. William Eddins on 18 Feb 1723, Whaddon, Buckingham, England.
Paul Prentice, chr. 5 Mar 1705, Beachampton; m. Elizabeth Hinton in 1725, Radclive.
Mary Prentice, chr. 26 Mar 1710, Beachampton; m. Samual Brown in 1735.
William Prentice, chr. 26 Oct 1713, Beachampton; m. Sarah Symons in 1746, Stoke Hammond.
Sarah Prentice, chr. 20 Mar 1714. Beachampton.
Martha Prentice chr. 24 Jan 1719, Beachampton; m. Edward Meads in 1745, Lechampstead.

7.2 Mary Shepherd, b. Adstock, Buckinghamshire, England (per Anc.com: One World Tree)

She m. John Syrat on 4 Nov 1787. He was b. 26 Aug 1759, Adstock, and d. 14 May 1850. Children per Ancestry.com; One World Tree :

Elizabeth Syratt, b. Adstock, [parish], Buckinghamshire, England
Henry Sirett, b. 5 Sep 1790 in Adstock,
Martha Sirett, b. 9 Dec 1793 in Adstock,
Mary Sirett, b. 12 Feb 1797 in Adstock,
William Sirett, b. 28 Jul 1799 in Adstock,
Matthew Syratt, b. 3 Jul 1803 in Adstock,
Edward Sirett, b. 18 Oct 1805 in Adstock,
Rebecca Sirett, b. 22 May 1808 in Adstock
Edward Sirett, b. 12 Dec 1813 in Adstock,

7.3 John Sheppard, b. 7 Apr 1776, Beachampton. He appears in the 1841 and 1851 Beachampton census with his wife, Mary Humphries who he m. 2 Nov 1801. She was b. c. 1776 at Broughton with North Newington., with no place of birth shown. No children shown at home. In the 1851 Beachampton census living with them is a Granddaughter, C. Roberts, b. c. 1831, Beachampton. She may be the sister of Eliza Roberts shown in their home in the earlier 1841 census; relationships were not shown in the 1841 census. Children per Sue Houlston, 13 May 2007:

John Sheppard, b. 1802
Mary Sheppard, b. 1804
Henry Sheppard, b. 1806. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [7.4]
William Sheppard, b. 1808. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[7.5]
Joseph Shepard, b. c. 1810, Beachampton. He m. Matilda, b. c. 1813, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire. They were living with his father, John, in the 1861 Beachampton census. Also in the 1861 home was an 11 year old boy, George Roberts, b. c. 1850, Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, whose relationship to them, if any, is unknown.

7.4 Henry Sheppard, b. 1806 and d. 1881. Henry was fortunate - the parish of Beachampton financed his apprenticeship as a shoemaker

He m. as h is 1st wife Sarah Durrant in 1830, Bradwell. She was b. 1809, Bradwell amd d/ 1858. Henry and Sarah had 11 children, 4 of whom died in infancy. They are:

Rosehanah Sheppard, b. 1830
Thomas Sheppard, b.1832
William Sheppard, b. 1833
Joseph Sheppard, b. 1834
George Sheppard, b. 1838
James Sheppard, b. 1840 and d. 1914. Henrys son James married his first cousin Elizabeth daughter of William, 7.3 iv above. Elizabeth d. in 1919. They had both been married before and had been widowed young. They moved to Hull, Yorkshire, married, and had the following children:
1. Jessie Sheppard, b. 1865
2. John Henry Sheppard, b. 1868
3. Mary Ann Sheppard, b. 1869
4. George Frederick Sheppard, b. 1870
5. James Sheppard, b. 1867
6. Ella Sheppard, b. 1871
7. Elizabeth Sheppard, b. 1873
8. Arthur Sheppard, b. 1875 and d. 1938. He m. Mary Maria Oughton on 30 Nov 1895 in Hull and d. 1948. She was b. 1877, Patrington, East Yorkshire. Most of the family still live in Hull and the Sheppard name will continue through two great-great-grandsons of James Frederick Sheppard (1902). Children:
  1. Arthur W. Sheppard, b. 1896
  2. Mary May Sheppard, b. 1897
  3. Rose Elizabeth Sheppard, b. 1899. She m. Arthur Cooke on 23 Dec 1922. She was b. 1897 Hull. Sue Houlston is their granddaughter. They had three children. Rose Elizabeth Sheppards great-great grandaughter, Molly, was born in 1999.
  4. James Frederick Sheppard, b. 1902
  5. Ella Sheppard, b. 1904
  6. Herbert, Sheppard, b. 1906
  7. Dorothy Sheppard, b. 1908
  8. Lilian Eva Sheppard, b. 1912. Living in 2008 in London.
Edwin Sheppard, b. 1842
Harry Sheppard, b. 1844
Cassandra Sheppard, b. 1846
Henrietta Sheppard, b. 1848
Mary Ann Sheppard, b. 1852

Henry m. as his 2nd wife . There were no children of this marriage.

7.5 William Sheppard, b. 1808. William died in Hull, Yorkshire in 1884.

He m. Ruth Read of Lincolnshire. We have no record of the marriage presently but believe it took place in Beachampton. There is some ambiguity in census records and at present we cannot be completely sure that Ruth Read is in fact the mother of Williams children:

Elizabeth Sheppard, b. 1836 She m. Henrys son James first cousins.
John Sheppard, b. 1838
Mary Ann Sheppard, b. 1840
William Sheppard, b. 1842

8. Richard Prentice, chr. 17 Feb 1684, Beachampton. He m. 1st Elizabeth Marrot on 10 Aug 1707, Beachampton. He m. 2nd Sarah Godfrey on 1 Sep 1720, Beachampton. Children:

George Prentice, Chr: 28 Jan 1710 Beachampton, Buckinghamshire, and d. Sep 1785, North Marston, Buckinghamshire. He m. Mary Stokes on 4 Oct 1736 in North Marston, Buckinghamshire. She was b. c. 1711. in 1737. North Marston. Children:
1. Elizabeth Prentice, b. Dec 1737, North Marston, and d. there Nov 1762. She m. William Mason 17 Oct 1757, North Marston. He was b. 30 Sep 17324, Hardwick, and d. Sep 1783, North Marston. They had 1 or more children, including:
  1. John Mason, b. Sep 1758, North Marston, and d. 22 Jul 1816, Whitchurch Buckinghamshire. He m. Elizabeth Edmonds. She was b. 1754, Quainton, Buckinghamshire, and d. Nov 1832 in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire. An Ancestor Chart for John Mason can be found at Ancestry.com .
2. Sarah Prentice, b. Apr 1740, North Marston. She m. William Walker 24 May 1762, North Marston.
3. George Prentice, b. May 1748, North Marston.
4. Ruth Prentice, b. Oct 1751, North Marston, and d. there 1835. She m. Thomas Ward 21 Nov 1774 in North Masrston. Children:
  1. William Ward, b. Sep 1780 in North Marston
  2. Thomas Ward, b. Oct 1782 in North Marston
  3. Elizabeth Ward, b. 6 Jun 1786 in North Marston
  4. George Ward, b. Aug 1787 in North Marston
  5. Robert Ward, b. Nov 1792 in North Marston
  6. Charles Ward, b. Jun 1795 in North Marston
Mary Prentice, b. Nov 1718, Beachampton.
William Prentice, chr. 30 Sep 1723, Beachampton.
Sarah Prentice, chr. 22 Nov 1724. Beachampton; m. Joseph Hodges on 25 Apr 1754, Beachampton.
Richard Prentice, chr. 27 Feb 1725, Beachampton; m. Mary. Children:
1. John Prentice, chr. 8 Jun 1760, Beachampton.
2. Sarah Prentice, chr. 8 Jun 1760, Beachampton.
3. Richard Prentice, chr. 29 Jun 1766, Beachampton.

9. Thomas Prentice, chr. 6 Apr 1692, Beachampton, and d. 24 Apr 1761, Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire.

He m. 1st ELizabeth Harwood on 5 Jun 1717, Beachampton, Buckinghamshire, England. Children:

Thomas Prentice, chr. 23 Nov 1718, Swanbourne, and d. there 6 weeks later on 1 Jan 1719.
Mary Prentice, chr. 24 Nov 1718, Beachampton.
Mary Prentice, chr. 6 Sep 1720, Swanbourne. She m. Richard Wilkinson on 14 May 1747, Beachampton.

Thomas m. 2nd Mary c. 1722 in Swanbourne (per Ancestry.com). Children:

Thomas Prentice, b. 23 Nov 1718, Swanbourne, and d. there 1 Jan 1719.
Mary Prentice, b. 6 Sep 1720, Swanbourne.
Elizabeth Prentice, chr. 26 Dec 1722, Swanbourne.
William Prentice was chr. 9 May 1725, Swanbourne, and bur. there 15 Sep 1812. He m. Mary Everly 27 Aug 1747, Hoggeston, Buckinghamshire. She was bur. 2 Sep 1761, Hoggeston. Children:
- Claudius Prentice, chr. 12 Apr 1752, Swanbourne.
John Prentice, chr. 15 Sep 1726, Beachampton.
Susanna Prentice, chr. 7 Jun 1729, Swanbourne.
Thomas Prentice, chr. 18 Feb 1733, Swanbourne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [11]

10. Henry Prentice. chr. 10 Jul 1697, Beachampton. He may, or may not, be the Henry Prentice who m. Margaret Shrimpton in 1715, High Wycombe (see fn.1 ). Children:

Mary Prentice, b. 1717, Gt. Missenden
Elizabeth Prentice, b. 1720, Eton
Joseph Prentice, b. 1721; m. Anne Hitchcock in 1749, Gt. Missenden. Son:
1. John Prentice who became a Tinman of Eton, recorded in 1798; he m. Diana. Children:
  1. Elizabeth Prentice, b. 1749, Eton, Buckingham.
  2. Louisa Prentice, b. 1798, Eton, Buckingham.

11. Thomas Prentice, chr. 18 Feb 1733 at Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire, England.

He m. Susannah and had (per Ancestry.com):

Elizabeth Prentice, chr. 26 Jul 1761, Swanbourne.
Susannah Prentice, chr. 24 Oct 1762, Swanbourne, and d. there 25 Mar 1773.
Thomas Prentice, chr. 30 Jun 1765, Swanbourne, and d. there 1 Mar 1772.
William Prentice, chr. 13 Dec 1767, Swanbourne. He m. Dorothy/Dolly Whollhead on 22 Jun 1794, Swanbourne.
Mary Prentice, chr. 17 Jun 1770, Swanbourne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12]
Ann Prentice, chr. 1 Apr 1772, Swanbourne, and d. there 12 Apr 1773.
Eliza Prentice, b. 30 Nov 1773.

12. Mary Prentice, chr. 17 Jun 1770, Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire, and d. there 26 Jul 1798.

She m. Peter North on 5 Mar 1794, Swanbourne as his 2nd wife. He was b. c. 1756, Chipping Norton, England, and d. 22 Aug 1844, Swanbourne. Son (per Ancestry.com):

Thomas North, b. c. 18 Jan, 1795, Swanbourne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [13]
Elizabeth North, b. c. 30 Dec 1798, Swanbourne. She m. William Tofield on 11 Jun 1821, Swanbourne.
Emma North, b. c. 21 Dec 1800, Swanbourne.
Mary North, b. c. 29 Jul 1804, Swanbourne, and d. 19 Jun 1807,Swanbourne.

13. Thomas North, b. c. 18 Jan, 1795, Swanbourne, and d. there 3 Jul 1864. He was an Agricultural Laborer.

He m. Mary White. She was b. 8 Jul 1798 in Hoggeston, Buckinghamshire and was the dau. of Joseph White and Phillis Wilkins. In 1861 he lived on Petticoat Lane in Swanbourne. Children (per Ancestry.com and 1851 and 1861 census):

Joseph White North, b. c. 10 APR 1823 in Swanbourne. He appears in the 1861 Swanbourne census with his wife, Mary, b. c. 1822, Finmere, Oxfordshire, and children:
1. Thomas North 16
2. Mary A North 10
3. Ellen North 8
4. Richard North 5
5. William North 1
Leonard North, b. c. 30 OCT 1825 in Swanbourne. He m. Hannah/Ann Hogston(e) on 24 Apr 1848, Swanbourne. Children:
1. John Seymour North, b. 13 Jun 1843, Swanbourne. For his wife and children see Ancestry.com .
2. Leonard North. There is a family, Leonord North, b. c. 1843, England which appears in the 1880 census for Chicago, IL, USA. He is married to Elizabeth. They have children Julia, John, Minnie, Delilah, Leonard, and Lawrence. All the children except Lawrence were born in England. Lawrence was born in Illinois. The family lives with Caroline Nolson, who is listed as his mother-in-law, and 4 other boarders. One of his daughters has the unusual name, Delilah, and is probably named after his sister, Delilah.
3. Delilah North, b. c. 12 Oct 1851, Swanbourne.
Mary Anne North, b. c. 16 NOV 1828 in Swanbourne
William North, b. c. 1832 in Swanbourne. At home in Swanbourne in 1851 census. He appears in the 1861 census in Swanbourne with his wife, Fanny, b. c. 1839, Winslow, Buckinghamshire, and son:
1. Eliza North, b. c. 1859, Swanbourne. At home in 1861.
2. Walter North, b. c. 1860, Swanbourne. At home in 1861.
Thomas North, b. c. 17 JUL 1831 in Swanbourne
Henry North, b. c. 1834 in Swanbourne. At home in Swanbourne in 1851 and 1861 census.
Emma North, b. c. 30 DEC 1836 in Swanbourne. At home in Swanbourne in 1851 census.
Henry North, b. c. 10 FEB 1839 in Swanbourne
Eliza North, b. c. 28 NOV 1841 in Swanbourne. At home in Swanbourne in 1851 census.

For their descendants, see Ancestry.com .

Other Prentice Families

In addition to the above families, we found the following families who may be related to them in some manner:

Maria Prentice m. Thomas Smith on 28 May 1772, Great Horwood. They had 1 or more children, including:

Sarah Smith, b. 1785 Thornborough, Buckingham, England.

John Prentice was b. c. 1755-65. He m. Nanny Tattam on 18 Apr 1785, Swanbourne, Buckingham, England. They had 1 or more children, including:

Thomas Tatham Prentice, chr. 12 Feb 1786, Saint Mary, Aylesbury, Buckingham, England.

Mary Prentice, b. c. 1730-40, m. William Oakley on 1 Oct 1761, Swanbourne.

Sarah Prentice m. Thomas Wetherhead on 2 Feb 1796, Whaddon, Buckingham, England

Edward Prentice m. Joanna Clarke on 29 Dec 1800, Whaddon Cum Nash, Buckingham, England

Fn. 1: By email of 8 Jun 2003, Valda Shrimpton raises a valid question whether the Henry Prentice baptized in Beachampton in 1697 is the same Henry Prentice who married in High Wycombe in 1715. We have provided this possibility only as an investigative lead. For now, there is no supporting documentation and further investigation is needed to prove, or disprove, that possibility. We would note that Henry may be older than about 18 since baptisms may occur up to years after birth.

Correspondence: If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.

Caution: If you don't use the above email link, your email to us may be deleted as spam by our email filter.


	No comments on this page.