PrenticeNet

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Joseph Prentice of Rawreth, Essex, England
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Summer 2003 and Revised 28 Nov 2004

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Note: This article has now been replaced by our Winter 2004 artice about Joseph Prentice of Woodham Ferrers .

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Kerry Prentice and a descendant of Joseph Prentice, Maria Prentice, have provided us with information about the following Prentices:

1. Joseph Prentice, b. c. 1780-1789 (per Kerry Prentice, email, 1 Apr 2003). In 1845 his occupation was that of a Labourer. The name of his wife is not yet known. Children:

1. Richard Prentice, b. 1811, Woodham Ferrers. . . . . . . . [2]
2. William Prentice, b. c. 1809, perhaps Woodham Ferrers. . . . . . . . [3]

2. Richard Prentice was b. c. 1811 in Woodham Ferrers , and bur. 22 Jun 1870, age 61 (per Rawreth Burial Records).

Note: Other sources, such as the IGI and early census records , say "Woodham Ferris". By email of 23 Nov 2004, Maria Prentice has obtained confirmation from the Records Office in Chelmsford that Woodham Ferris and Woodham Ferrers are the same place, just different definitions of spelling.

Woodham Ferrers lies perhaps 10 miles SE of Chelmsford. Richard d. in 1870 and was buried in Rawreth, Essex in the Rawreth Parish Church on 22 Jun 1870 aged 61 years. He was a Labourer. Rawreth lies perhaps 5 miles SSW of Woodham Ferrers.

Richard m. 1st Elizabeth Cornell on 3 Jun 1833, Rawreth Parish Church. Witnesses were William and Mary Prentice. It is unclear whether they had any children:

1. (perhaps) Ellen Prentice, b. c. 1834. Rawreth Burial Records show she was bur 23 Oct 1856,age 22 years. It also might be that she is, instead, the daughter of William and Hannah Prentice, #3 below.

Richard Prentice m. 2nd Elizabeth Sarah Bright on 15 Dec 1845 in Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. She was b. c. 1822 in Rettendon, Essex and d. before 1860. Elizabeth was the daughter of William Bright. Witnesses were James Ketcher and Mary Potter.

Richard m. 3rd Sarah c. 1858. She was b. 1831 in Rettendon, EssexIn 1881 they were living on Wash Road, Rawreth. Children of Richard and Sarah:

1. Alfred Prentice, b. 27 Aug 1860, Rawreth. . . . . . . [4]
2. Rosanna Prentice, b. 30 May 1863, Rawreth. . . . . . . [5]
3. Emma Prentice, b. 18 Jul 1854, Rawreth and bap. there 25 Jul 1854. She m. William Alexander Clark in Southend. Their parents witnessed the wedding.
4. Annie Maria Prentice, b. 6 Jun 1866, Rawreth and bap. there 29 Jul 1866. She may, or may not, be the Hannah Maria Prentice shown in Rawreth Burial Records as b. c. 1866 and bur. 16 Jan 1870, age 4 years.
5. Esther Ann Prentice, b. b. 1868, Rawreth. She m. Alfred Rollingson on 24 Jan 1887, Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. Witnesses were Sarah Prentice and Elizabeth Jane Deah. He was a Labourer, b. 1865.

3. William Prentice, b. c. 1809, perhaps Woodham Ferris and d. in Rawreth in 1874 at the age of 65 years, and was bur. there on 22 Jul 1874. He may be the same person as the William Prentice who m., as his 1st wife, Hannah, and in 1838 lived in Rawreth, Essex. Rawreth Burial Records indicate that Hannah d. 12 Nov 1843 in Rawreth, perhaps in childbirth of her son, William. Known childen:

1. (perhaps) Ellen Prentice, b. c. 1834. Rawreth Burial Records show she was bur 23 Oct 1856,age 22 years. It also might be that she is, instead, the daughter of Richard Prentice and Elizabeth Cornell, #2 above.
2. Hannah Prentice, b. 31 Aug 1838, Rawreth and bap. there 18 Sep 1842, Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. She is probably the Hannah Prentice shown in Rawreth Burial Reocrds as bur. 20 Sep 1846, aged 8 years.
3. Eliza Prentice, b. 18 Apr 1841, Rawreth, and bap. 18 Sep 1842, Rawreth Parish Church, Essex.
4. William Prentice, b. 7 Nov 1843, Rawreth, and bap. 5 Dec 1843, Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. Rawreth Burial Records show his bur. 12 Dec 1843, Rawreth.

Neither they, nor any other Prentices, are shown in Rawreth in the IGI for that time frame, nor are any of the family members shown in the 1881 census.

William m. 2nd Elizabeth Adams on 30 Jun 1844 in Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Adams. Elizabeth d. before 1852. They had at least 1 son:

1. William Prentice, b. 4 Sep 1844, Rawreth and bap there 29 Sep 1844. Not in 1881 census.

William m. 3rd Mary Ann, a minor, c. 1852. Witnesses were John Welch & Charlotte Garwood. Children of William and Mary Ann:

1. Emma Prentice, b. 7 Mar 1853, Rawreth and bap. there 14 Jan 1855
2. Caroline Prentice, b. 20 Sep 1854. . . . . . . . . [6]

4. Alfred Prentice, b. 27 Aug 1860, Rawreth and bap. there 19 Jul 1863. He m. Edith Mary Ann. She was b. 1861, Sudbury, Essex. Alfred was an Agricultural Labourer in 1881 and lived on Wickford Rd, Rawreth, Essex. In the 1891 census he lived at 65 Cage House, West Thurrock, Orsett, Essex. The 1901 census shows him at 1 Manor Cottages, Barking, Essex. He is Maria Prentice's great grandfather. Children:

1. Ernest A. Prentice, b. 19 Oct 1880, Rawreth and bap. there 19 Dec 1880. At home in 1901.
2. Welcome Richard Prentice, bap. Jun 1882, Rawrreth Parish Church, Essex. He m. Rose in 1908.
3. Charles Prentice, b. 1885, Wickford, Essex. At home in 1901.
4. Thomas St. Peter Prentice, b. 1887, Pitsea. . . . . . . . [7]
5. George Prentice, b. 1900, Barking, Essex. At home in 1901.

5. Rosanna Prentice, b. 30 May 1860 (1863?), Rawreth, Essex, and bap. there 19 Jul 1863. In 1881 she lived on Wash Road, Rawreth. She had a son born out of wedlock:

1. Seymore William Prentice, b. 1880, Rawreth, and bap there 2 Jan 1881.

6. Caroline Prentice, b. 20 Sep 1854, Rawreth, Essex and was bap. there 14 Jan 1855. She m. George Dean on 7 Oct 1876, Rawreth. She m. George Dean on 7 Oct 1876, Rawreth Parish Church, Essex. He was b. 1853, Runwell, Essex, the son of William Dean. In 1881 they lived on Beechers Comman, Rawreth, Essex. Children:

1. William G. Dean, b. c. 1878, Rawreth.
2. Thomas Dean, b. c. 1880, Rawreth.

7. Thomas St. Peter Prentice (Maria Prentice's grandfather) was b. 1887, Pitsea and d. Sep 1971, Orsett, Essex. He m. Sarah Eldred in 1911 in Romford, Essex. Sarah was b. 1889 in Aveley, Essex and d. Nov 1950. Children:

1. Gladys Prentice, b. 1913 and living in 2004. She m. Frederick Nye, now deceased. Son:
   1. John Nye, b. 1948.
2. Catherine Prentice, b. 1915, Aveley, Essex and living in 2004. She m. Albert Wood, now deceased. Twin daughters:
   1. Peggy Wood, b. 1939.
   2. Pam Wood, b. 1939
3. Alfred William Prentice, b. 24 Mar 1917 in Aveley, Essex. . . . . . . [8]
4. May Prentice, b. c. 1921, Aveley, Essex, and living in 2004. She m. Albert Witham, now deceased. Children:
   1. Anthony Witham, b. c. 1945.
   2. Carol Witham, b. 25 Dec 1948.

8. Alfred William Prentice (Maria Prentice's father) was b. 24 Mar 1917 in Aveley, Essex and in 2004 lives in Romford, Essex. He m. May Emily Nye on 6 May 1942 in the Old Davenham Parish Church, Dagenham, Essex. She was b. 31 Mar 1920 and d. 29 Sep 1987. Children:

1. Shirley Prentice, b. 23 Nov 1945, Dagenham.
2. Maria Prentice, b. 26 Apr 1950, Dagenham.
3. Robin Alfred Prentice, b. 14 Nov 1952, Dagenham.
4. Rita Prentice, b. 6 May 1956, Dagenham.

Who is Joseph Prentice and who are his parents?

As noted above, the Records Office in Chelmsford, Essex, has confirmed that "Woodham Ferris" and "Woodham Ferrers" are different spellings of the same location which is now shown on maps as Woodham Ferrers .

With that understanding, it may be that Joseph Prentice is the same person as the Joseph Prentice discussed in our Fall 2002 article about Joseph Prentice of Good Easter .

In that other article we had suggested that Joseph Prentice may have been born at, or near, Good Easter where his son, born in Woodham Ferris, was living in 1844. Our suggestion was based on an assumption that Woodham Ferris was near Good Easter. It now appears that Woodham Ferrers lies some 12-15 miles SE of Good Easter. Consequently, it appears somewhat more likely that Joseph Prentice may have been born at, or nearer to, Woodham Ferrers in a time frame of perhaps 1770-1780.

If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please contact us at dewald@prenticenet.com.

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