PrenticeNet

We are helping Diana Herrick in tracing her Prentiss roots. Here is what we have so far:

1. Robert Henry(?) Prentiss was b. 5 Apr. 1871 in Sterling Run, Cameron Co., PA, and d. 2 Dec 1937 in Portage, Cameron Co., PA, age 66, from Typhoid Fever per his Death Certificate and the 1910 census (per Diana Herrick, emails of 29 and 30 Oct 2008 and 22 Nov 2010). His Death Certificate says that at the time of his death he was a "Glycerine Maker in a Dynamite Mill."

Robert's middle name might be "Charles" per Diana Herrick's email of 30 Oct 2008 which relates that her mother said that Roberts middle name the family thought was Charles, not Henry ". . . because Grandma Josephine named her oldest son after her father. Robert Charles."

Robert m. Annie Laura Dickinson on on 25 Dec 1903 in Olean, NY. The 1910 census says she was b. in PA with both parents b. in "Canada English". The 1910 census also appears to indicate that Robert had been m. to Annie for 6 years (m. c. 1904) and was Robert's 2nd marriage and her 1st marriage. For now we have no reliable information about a prior 1st marriage for Robert.

Robert and Annie had 2 daughters:

1. Josephine May Prentiss. b. 1 May 1906 in Sizerville, PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]

2. Beatrice Prentiss, b. 16 Jun 1904 in Shippen, Cameron Co., PA

2. Josephine May Prentiss, b. 1 May 1906 in Sizerville, PA, and d. 4 Jun 1997 in Tucson, AZ. She appears in the 1930 census in Shippen, Cameron Co., PA, with her husband and family.

She m. Neil Coet Barker on 1 Mar 1921 in Emporium, PA. He was b. 3 May 1903, PA, and d. May 1983, Emporium, Cameron Co., PA. Both of his parents were b. in PA. Children of Josephine and Neil:

1. Robert C. Barker, b. c. 1923, PA. At home in Shippen, PA, in 1930 census.
2. Pauline V. Barker, b. c. 1925, PA. At home in Shippen, PA, in 1930 census.
3. Rena E. Barker, b. c. 1926, PA. At home in Shippen, PA, in 1930 census.
4. Eugene M. Barker, b. c. 1928, PA. At home in Shippen, PA, in 1930 census. It is unclear whether he is the Eugene M. Barker shown in the SSDI as b. 16 Feb 1928 and d. 23 May 1994 in Port Allegany, Mckean Co., PA.
5. Rose A. Barker, b. c. 1930, PA. At home in Shippen, PA, in 1930 census.

The only clue we have for now comes from the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census and Robert's Death Certificate, and from those we get mixed messages:

• The 1910 census for Shippen, Cameron Co., PA, says both of Robert's parents were b. in PA.
• The 1920 Shippen census says Robert's father was born in England and his mother was born in PA.
• The 1930 Shippen census reverses the 1920 census says Robert's father was b. in PA and mother in England.
• Robert's Death Certificate identifies his parents as Harry Barnes (b. in England) and mother's maiden name as "Mary Prentice" (b. in PA).

We tried the US census records. No Prentice family was living in Sterling Run in the 1870 census, and his family does not appear in the 1880 census. There is no 1890 census because it was burned in a great fire in Washington, DC. Neither does Robert appear in the 1900 census.

Since Robert's Death Certificate identified his father as a "Harry Barnes" b. in England, and since Robert was b. in 1871 in Sterling Run, Cameron Co. PA, we checked the 1870 census and found a Harry Barnes living in Lumber Twp., Cameron Co., PA. He was then 25, a Laborer, apparently unmarried, and b. c. 1845 in England. A Google map shows that Lumber lies only about 5 miles NE of Sterling Run, well within "courting distance." Further investigation is needed to determine whether he is Robert's father.

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.

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