To see full list of articles in this Winter '98 Issue, Click Here
The Prentices of Wigenhall, England
Note: This article has been superseded and updated by our Summer 2001 article on Henry Prentice of Wigenhall, England.
By E-mail of 29 Oct 1998, we received the following information from Ian Prentice,
our English correspondent. He thought the information would be of interest to
readers of our Newsletter, and we thought so, too. His information is as follows:The Prentices of Wigenhall St. Mary Magdalene, Norfolk (just outside Kings Lynn) are the only English Prentice family to have been granted a Coat of Arms: 'Part per chevron or and sable, 3 greyhounds counter charged'. The Crest is a demi-greyhound or, collared and lined sable. The other coat of arms was granted to Thomas Prentice of Armagh, Ireland in 1890. His Arms are: a demi-greyhound rampant or, collared, ringed and lined sable and charged on the shoulder with a trefoil slipped vestment. The motto: 'Nec timeo nec sperno'. Descendants of the family are living in England. The similarity with the Wigenhall arms may be due to a family connection, but more probably to the College of Arms making use of a defunct crest in a modified way. The family is recorded in the Visitation to Norfolk in 1563. It is probable that the family previously came from Boston, just round the Wash into Lincolnshire where a John, Burgher of Boston was recorded in 1298. His son John was Bailiff of Boston but had died by 1368; this John had a son John who was Bailiff of Boston in 1384. 1. Henry Prentice. The earliest Prentice of Wigenhall was Henry, Gentleman who was accused of theft in 1342. Sons: i. John Prentice of Wigenhall and perhaps of Castle Acre. (2). ii. Henry Prentice of Wigenhall. (3). 2. John Prentice of Wigenhall had a son: i William Prentice of Castle Acre; recorded as one of the Gentry in 1433 and a Collector of Taxes in 1440 and 1469. He does not seem to have had any heirs. 3. Henry Prentice of Wigenhall: Children: i. John Prentice of Wigenhall. (4). ii. Thomas Prentice. Freeman of Kings Lynn in 1400, may have been a second son. iii. Simon Prentice, Rector of the Church of Corneythe, who died in 1438 may have been a third son. 4. John Prentice, Gentleman, died in 1450 leaving a will and was married to Agnes. John and Agnes's children were: i. John Prentice, Gentleman, of Wigenhall who died in 1474. (5) ii. Katheryn Pentice who married William Iwayn of Wallington, Norfolk and after his death she married a Mr. Hullyn. iii. Richard Prentice who died in 1469 leaving a will. He was made a Freeman of Kings Lynn in 1427, was married to Agnes and had two daughters: a. Catherine Prentice b. Sarah Prentice. iv. Simon Prentice who married Alice before 1438 and was living in Wigenhall in 1452. 5. John Prentice, Gentleman, of Wigenhall. Died 1574. Sons: i. William Prentice (6) ii. Thomas Prentice of Tilney who died in 1515 may have been a second son. iii. John Prentice who was alive in 1515 and the beneficiary of Thomas' estate may have been a third son. 6. William Prentice. He married Isabell Day, the daughter of Simon Day and was assessed at £40 in 1523. His children were: i. Simon Prentice of Wigenhall and Briston (7) ii. Rose Prentice. She had a son Richard. iii. Henry Prentice. iv. Thomas Prentice of Wigenhall, Bexwell, Terrington and Walsoken. (8) 7. Simon Prentice of Wigenhall and Briston, (the village is given in all pedigrees as Burston, which is an error). He was granted a coat of arms by William Harvey Clarenceaux well before the 1563 Visitation. He marred Elizabeth Rimston who, after Simon's (early) death, married Humphrey Kerville of Kings Lynn who died in 1526. Children: i. William Prentice of Wigenhall. (7a) ii. Simon Prentice whose cousin Ann married John Dawny iii. Robert Prentice might also be a son, who died in Kings Lynn in 1569 7a. William Prentices of Wigenhall was the object of a Visitation from the College of Arms in 1541. He had land in Tilney in 1557 and married Margaret Waters, daughter of Thomas Waters of Kings Lynn. She died in 1562 and William was buried in 1563. Children i. William Prentice, born 1541 and died 1608. (7b) ii. Robert Prentice, b. c. 1535-45, Yeoman, of Barling, Essex. (7c) iii. John Prentice, b. c. 1535-45, Gentleman who was buried in Bawsey on 10 Apr 1600. (7d) 7b. William Prentice, Gentleman, of Briston. Born in 1541 and died in 1608. In 1586 he was living in Bawsey. He married Joane Bazoune, daughter of Robert Bazoune Esquire of Whissingsett, Norfolk; she died in 1609 in Kings Lynn. William Prentices's children were: i. Herbert Prentice, b. c. 1565-74. Not mentioned in his mother's Will; ii. Roger Prentice, b. c. 1565-75. Again not mentioned in his mother's Will; iii. Robert Prentice, b. c. 1565-75, Gentleman, who was a personal servant to Sir Anthony Bacon (brother of Sir Francis) and was alive in 1616 but thereafter I can find no trace of him. v. Ann Prentice who was baptised on 18 Jun 1573 and married William Pelham in Bawsey on 20 May 1591. vi. Priscilla Prentice who was baptised on 21 Aug 1574 and married Thomas Sugar in Bawsey on 20 May 1591. 7c. Robert Prentice, b. c. 1535-45, Yeoman, Barling, Essex. Died in 1585 in Prittlewell, Essex leaving a will. He married Ann Olyff, daughter of Arculas Olyffe (the son of Sir John Olyffe, Knight and Lord Mayor of London and Ann Smith, daughter of John Smith Lord Mayor of London). Robert Prentice's children were: i. Elizabeth Prentice who married Arthur Peke. ii. Mary Prentice who married a cousin from the Bazoun family. iii. Frances Prentice who married a Mr. Playle. Son: a. Christopher Prentice. Died in 1630 with no heirs. iv. Anne Prentice who was under 21 in 1585. v. Dorothy Prentice . vi. Robert Prentice, Gentleman, of Barling. (7e) 7d. John Prentice, b. c. 1535-45, Gentleman. Buried in Bawsey on 10 Apr 1600. Children: i. Katherine Prentice who was baptised on 25 Mar 1565 in Wigenhall; ii Thomas Prentice, baptised on 12 Oct 1567; iii. Ann Prentice, baptised on 5 Dec 1575; iv. John Prentice, baptised on 21 Jan 1579. I have been unable to find out anything more about these people. 7e. Robert Prentice, Gentleman, of Barling. He married Lucy Stonard, the eldest daughter of Clement Stonard Esquire of Knoles Hill, Stapleford Abbot, on 8 Sep 1606 at Great Yeldham, Suffolk. Robert was alive in 1630. Children: i. Robert Prentice, b. c. 1607-10, Gentleman, of Barling. In 1628 living at Great Totham, Essex. He married Sara Brocket of St. Swithins, London on 24 Jul 1629 at Stepney St. Dunstan. I can find out noting further about him. ii. Stonnard Prentice, Gentleman; born 1610 in Stapleford Abbots. (7f). iii. Lucy Prentice, b. c. 1611-15. iv. Elizabeth Prentice, b. c. 1611-13. She married Thomas Leach of Great Totham in the 1620s. v Ann Prentice, b. c. 1611-20. vi. Isabelle Prentice, b. c. 1611-20. vii. Francis Prentice, Gentleman, of Stapleford Abbott. Alive in 1649 and probably married Ann Tidnar in 1659 at London All Hall. viii. Frances Prentice who married John Clark in 1629 at Great Totham. ix. Mary Prentice who married Richard Horsnail in 1632 at Great Totham. 7f. Stonnard Prentice, Gentleman; born 1610 in Stapleford Abbots and was living in Great Braxted, Essex in 1637. He married Elizabeth Bennet on 11.1.1632 at St. Gregory by St. Paul, Middlesex. She died in 1636 and he then married again at Barling on 11.1.1637. Children: (i). Elizabeth Prentice who was baptised at Terling, Essex on 14.4.1636 (ii). John Prentice who was baptised at Great Braxted on 3.1.1638. (iii). Stonnard Prentice, Gentleman. (7g). 7g. Stonnard Prentice, b. 1610 in Stapleford Abbots.Gentleman, was living in Ratcliff Highway, London in 1660. He married Elizabeth Hoare on 2 Feb 1660 at St. Bartholamew the Less. Stonnard Prentice had a son: (i). Stonard Prentice, baptised on 25.8.1660 at Stepney St. Dunstan. Again I can find out nothing further about him. 8. Thomas Prentice, b. c. 1585-1595; of Wigenhall, Bexwell, Terrington and Walsoken. He was living in Walsoken in 1522 and married Sibell Withe, the daughter of Thomas Withe, Esquire, of Wisbech who died in 1522. Thomas died in 1547. Children: i. Thomas Prentice of Wigenhall, b. in 1516. (9) ii. Sibell Prentice. iii. Henry Prentice. iv. Anne Prentice who married William Osant of Burnham Stath. 9. Thomas Prentice of Wigenhall, born in 1516 and died before 1589. He had land in Tilney in 1557. He married Margaret Strethwen, the daughter of Edmund Strethwen and after her death Mary the youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Le Strange of Hunstanton. She died in 1589 in Kings Lynn leaving a will which makes no reference to any Prentice. THomas had a son by his first wife: (i) John Prentice, b. 1544. (10) 10. John Prentice, Gentleman, was born in 1544 and died in Longham in 1586. He married Anne who was buried on 26 Sep 1568 and subsequently Mary who survived him Children: i. John Prentice who was born in 1558 and buried later that year; ii. John Prentice (another John) who was baptised on 25 Jan 1579 in Wigenhall. I have been unable to find any trace of this John. iii. Anne Prentice who was baptised on 6 Aug 1584; iv. Faith Prentice who was baptised on 10 Oct 1585. It is most curious that information about members of the family dries up in the early to mid 1600s. Given the social standing of many of the men, one would expect them to have left Wills when they died but none exist. One possibility is that many of them emigrated, perhaps to America or to Ireland (where most records have been destroyed) or possibly to Scotland (perhaps being the forebears of Sir John Prentice Laird of Thorn, Lanarkshire who was alive and fighting in the 1650s (though his coat of arms is different). If anyone can throw any light on these later generations I would be most grateful. I hope this is of interest. If so I can let you have a few more family trees which span several centuries from early times. If there's any feedback from the Pulham article or anything in the future I'd be very grateful to hear of it. Please let me know if and when you would like any other extended trees like this. Best wishes, IanIf you have any information which can help us identify any of the folks mentioned
above, please contact us at dewald@prenticenet.com..
Return to Top of this Article .
A member of PrenticeNet - Questions/Comments? Email: Contact Us!
No comments