PrenticeNet

We are helping Phyllis Raut and Patricia Prentice in their efforts to trace the roots of Joseph, William, Frederick and Augustus Prentice of Toledo, Ohio. The following combines their information with information obtained 10 & 25 Aug 1998 from Jim Riles and earlier articles, including Joseph Prentice of Toledo who is discussed in our Spring 1998 Newsletter, and W. A. Prentice of Toledo, OH discussed in our Fall 2001 article. Here is what we have so far:

1. Joseph Prentice was b. 6 May 1782, and d. 6 Mar 1845 near Toledo, OH. A posting on RootsWeb.com reads as follows:

"[Joseph was] born in CT or NY, but ancestors supposedly from CT. Moved to Brooklyn, NY, during War of 1812 (Note: Not in the 1810 census) and involved in government contracting. In 1817 with wife, Eleanor Nichols, and children,William, Augustus, and an unnamed daughter, left Buffalo, NY, for Port Lawrence (Toledo) OH. Joseph had a warehouse in Port Lawrence; he built the first bridge there. . .He might have lived in Monroe Co., MI, for a while as there is a Joseph Prentice there near Augustus Prentice in the 1820 and 1830 census. . ."

He m. Eleanor Nichols. She was b. 27 Jan 1784, and d. 16 Feb 1853 at the age of 69 years, 8 years after Joseph. The date and place of their marriage, and their places of birth are not yet known. A search of the IGI and Ancestry.com was inconclusive.

In 1817, Joseph and Eleanor boarded their small skiff with their sons William and and Augustus, a daughter, and a few household items and rowed his skiff from Buffalo, NY to Port Lawrence, near Toledo, OH, a distance of about 150 miles. In 1825 they settled on the east bank of the river where Joseph died 6 Mar 1845. Joseph apparently had a second marriage and Eleanor was probably his second wife. Children of Joseph, but it is unclear which of Joseph's wives were the mothers of William, Augustus and his daughter, but Eleanor is apparently Frederick's mother.

1. William Prentice. No further information.
2. Augustus Prentice, b. 1805 in NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
3. (daughter) Prentice, b. before 1825.
4. Frederick Prentice, a son of Joseph by a second marriage, was b. 6 Dec 1832 at Port Lawrence, Lucas, OH. He was the first white child born in Toledo. He does not appear in the 1850, 1860 or 1870 census. In 1905 he lived in New York City according to the obit. of his nephew, William A. Prentice, below. He married, first, Mary Ann (b. 10 Mar 1823 and d. 17 Jan 1844). He m., second, Sarah Ann (b. 25 Nov 1823 and d. 1 Jun 1853). She does not appear in the 1850 Lucas Co. census. All are buried at the Willow Cem., Oregon, Lucas Co., OH.

2. Augustus Prentice was b. 1805 in NY and d. in the cholera epidemic of 1852 in Wood County, OH. He is Phyllis' ancestor. 1830 census in Monroe Co., MI. 1840 census in Whiteford Twp., Monroe Co., MI. He appears in the 1850 census in Perrysburg, Wood Co., NY, as b. c. 1805, NY, with his wife and family.

He m. Sophronia Horton on 27 Dec 1829 in Monroe Co., MI (per Joyce Jocobs, email, 26 May 2008) She was b. c. 1807, Canada. She is Phyllis' ancestor. Children:

1. Rev. Joseph Prentice, b. c. 1832, MI. At home in Perrysburg, Lucas Co., OH in 1850. In 1905 he was living in Northern Michigan according to the obit. of her brother, William, below. Not in 1880, 1900 or 1910 census.
2. William A. Prentice, b. c. 1835-1838, Sylvania, Lucas Co., OH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
3. Hannah Prentice, b. c. 1840, MI. At home in Perrysburg, Lucas Co., OH in 1850. In 1905 she was m. to George Slotterbeck and living in Bloomdale, OH, according to the obit. of her brother, William, below. She does not appear in the 1900 or 1910 census.

3. William A. Prentice. We have conflicting information about his birth:

In an email, "Bill of Toledo" says that William was b. Dec 1838, Sylvania, Lucas Co., OH. which lies on the NW edge of Toledo, and d. at 4:30 a.m. on Fri., 17 Feb 1905 at his home at 5th St. and Greenwood Avenue. His obituary related that his health was impaired in the service of his country and for a year or more before his death he was quite feeble. (See Fn. 1)

His Obituary in Fn. 1 says he was b. in 1830 in Sylvania, Lucas Co., OH.

The 1850 Toledo census show William as age 15 (b. c. 1835) and b. in MI. However, a map shows Sylvania, OH, lying only about a mile south of the OH-MI State Line. .

At the age of 2, he moved with his parents to what was then called the "East Side" of settling in the woods on a farm now owned by Charles Hicks. In the cholera epidemic he was taken ill of the disease and his father died of the plague.

His uncle, Frederick K. Prentice of New York City , was the first white child born in Toledo. During the gold fever William went to California and spent ten years in gold mining. When the civil war broke out (c. 1861) he enlisted with the Fifth California regiment and served three years fighting the Indians in New Mexico and Arkansas.

After the war, and about 1865-6, he returned to Toledo and has lived in or near Toledo ever since. He was last engaged in the grocery business at Plymouth and Nevada streets, when his health began to fail about 1903. William was survived by his wife, one sister, Mrs. George Slotterbeck, of Bloomdale. and one brother, Rev. Joseph Prentice of Northern Michigan.

William was a member of Ford post, G.A.R. and the flag at G.A.R. hall was flown at half-mast on the day of his death. The funeral was be conducted by the post from the home at Fifth street and Greenwood avenue at 2 p.m. Sunday, 19 Feb 1905.

William m. Sabina Tyler b. 28 Nov 1843 in Walbridge, OH, dau. of Ephraim Tyler and Margaret Beam and sister to Warren Tyler (per Joyce Jacobs, email, 22 May 2008, a granddaughter of Warren Tyler). Sabina d. 3 Jul 1920, Toledo. Buried at Walbridge, OH; Undertaker was A. C. Walter. (name, death date and burial per death record provided by "Bill in Toledo") Known children:

1. Margaret/Maggie Prentice. Born, 1867. Died, 11 Sep 1890, age 23 years. Bur Lake Twp. Cem., Walbridge Road, Wood Co., OH.
2. Mable I. Prentice. Born, 1870. Died, 30 Dec 1879, age 9 years. Bur Lake Twp. Cem., Walbridge Road, Wood Co., OH.
3. Walter V. Prentice, b. Nov 1876, OH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
4. Carrie Prentice, adopted, living and unmarried in 1905 at the time of her father's death.

4. Walter V. Prentice, b. c. 1851, in OH. Died in the hospital on Mon., 30 Apr 1945, Toledo, OH (per obit. provided by "Bill in Toledo"). Funeral services were at the Walter Mortuary and burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery. (See Fn. 2)

Walter was a doctor, staff member of the East Side Hospital, and founder of the first Toledo Blood Bank. He was associated 35 years with Dr. Clarence S. Ordway, founder and chest surgeon of the hospital.

He married Anna Reed (per Joyce Jacobs, email, 22 May 2008). Anna was b. c. 1878, in KY. Children:

1. Reed Tyler Prentice. Born, circa 1903. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]
2. Jane Prentice. Born, circa 1913, in OH. Census: 1920, in Toledo, Lucas, OH. She m. Mr. Busson and was living in Toledo in 1949.

5. Reed Tyler Prentice. Born, circa 1903, in OH. Died Wednesday, 20 Apr 1949 at his home, 4346 (or 4326 per Rescue Squad record) S. Detroit Ave., Toledo, following a heart attack. The Rev. Dallas F. Green, pastor of Divinity Lutheran Church conducted services Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Walter Funeral Home. Burial was in Wodlawn Cemetery. (Per obit. from the Toledo Blade provided by "Bill in Toledo".) He was formerly an x-ray technician for his father, Walter V. Prentice. He was a member of the Elks.

Reed married Anna L. Day. She d. 30 Sep 2006, at Fairhaven Health Care Community, Upper Sandusky, OH. Living in Toledo in 1949. Her obituary reads as follows:

Courier, The (Findlay, OH) - Monday, October 2, 2006: Anna Prentice

UPPER SANDUSKY -- Mrs. Prentice died at 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006, at Fairhaven Health Care Community, Upper Sandusky.

Funeral services for Anna Louise Prentice, 101, formerly of 420 E. Church St., Upper Sandusky, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bringman-Clark Funeral Home, Upper Sandusky, the Rev. Brad McKibben officiating. Burial will be in Old Mission Cemetery, Upper Sandusky. Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Church of Christ or to Fairhaven, in care of the funeral home, 226 E. Wyandot Ave., Upper Sandusky OH 43351.

Making a tentative assumption that Joseph was still in New York at the time of the 1810 census, we determined that the only Joseph Prentice shown in the 1810 NY census was the Joseph Prentice who appeared in the 1810 census for the town of Coventry, Chenango County, NY. It also showed that he had two sons, both under the age of 10 in 1810. Joseph does not appear in the 1820 NY census.

That information is sufficient to enable us to draw a tentative conclusion that Joseph Prentice of Toledo and Joseph Prentice of Coventry are the same person.

We are currently exploring the possibility he is a son of Ozias Prentice, a Valentine Prentice descendant. That investigation will be the subject of a future article.

Patricia Prentice relates that Joseph Prentice may have lived for a time in Pennsylvania before moving to Toledo. An examination of PA census records may disclose additional information.

Fn. 1: Obituary of William A. Prentice:

From the Toledo Daily Blade, Friday, February 17, 1905, obit: Heading: East Side News, DEATH CLAIMED W. A. PRENTICE - Was a Veteran of Civil and Indian Wars. - WENT TO COAST IN 1840 -

Funeral Will Be Under Auspices of G.A.R. at 2 O'Clock Sunday Afternoon.

Text: William A. Prentice, a resident of the East Side for the most part since 1841, a California "forty niner" and a veteran of the civil and Indian wars, died at his home at Fifth street and Greenwood avenue, at 4:30 o'clock this morning. His health was impaired in the service of his country and for a year or more past has been quite feeble.

Mr. Prentice was a native of Sylvania where he was born in 1830. When two years of age he moved with parents to the East Side, settling in the woods on a farm now owned by Charles Hicks.

In the cholera epidemic he was taken ill of the disease and his father died of the plague. His uncle, Frederick K. Prentice of New York city , was the first white child born in Toledo. During the gold fever deceased went to California and spent ten years in gold mining. When the civil war broke out he enlisted with the Fifth California regiment and served three years fighting the Indians in New Mexico and Arkansas.

After the war he returned to Toledo and has resided at or near this place ever since. He was last engaged in the grocery business at Plymouth and Nevada streets, when his health began to fail two years ago. He leaves a wife, one son, Dr. Walter Prentice and an adopted dughter, Miss Carrie Prentice. He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. George Slotterbeck, of Bloomdale. and one brother, Rev. Joseph Prentice of Northern Michigan.

He was a member of Ford post, G.A.R. and the flag at G.A.R. hall floats at half-mast today. The funeral will be conducted by the post from the home at Fifth street and Greenwood avenue at 2p.m. Sunday.

Fn. 2:   Obituary of Walter V. Prentice:

From the Toledo Blade, Tuesday, May 1, 1945, S1-P7-C1, obit: Heading: Dr. Prentice, Blood Bank Founder, Dead (picture) DR. W. C. PRENTICE, Planned first blood bank.

Text: Servces for Dr. Walter V. Prentice, 1328 Broadway, staff member of the East Side Hospital who died in the hospital yesterday will be at 1:30 pm.m. Thursday in the Walter Mortuary. The Rev. A. C. Peterson of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Rev. D. S. Green of the First English Church, will officiate. Burial in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Dr. Prentice, who was 68 (b. c. 1877), is given credit for initiating Toledo's first blood bank. He was associated 35 years with Dr. Clarence S. Ordway, founder and chest surgeon of the hospital, who died Friday. He is survived by a son, Reed and a daughter, Mrs. Jane Busson, both of Toledo.

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.