To see full list of articles in this Spring '98 Issue, Click Here
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Spring 1998 and Revised 19 Nov 2004
Update: Samuel Prentiss is a descendant of Valentine Prentice. Persons desiring to purchase a copy of that eBook should contact us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email because, if you do not, your email to us may be deleted as spam by our email filter.
Original Article:
1. Samuel Prentiss was born, 4 Oct 1749, in Preston, CT and died, 1815, in Cooperstown, Otsego Co., NY89. He is one of the folks for whom Binney's 1883 book had not been able to identify parents and ancestry (pg. 338). With the help of Bard Prentiss, we have now been able to identify him in our new eBook as the son of Elihu Prentice (pg. 273, #7) whose roots have been traced back to England.
Samuel appears in the 1790 census in Canajohari, Montgomery, NY and in the 1800 census in Cooperstown, Otsego, NY.
Samuel married Anne Benjamin in 1771 and had a daughter, Abigail born at Preston 1772. He appears to have moved from there soon thereafter as no further Preston record of his family is found. He is probably the same person as:
- the Samuel living in Canajohari, Montgomery Co., NY in 1778-90,
- living in Paris, Oneida Co., NY in 1790,
- who married Milicent Judd at New Hartford, Oneida Co.in 1793, and
- who settled in Cooperstown, Otsego Co. about 1795-6 and operated a small inn and a bakery.
In 1800 he was named executor of the estate of a William Prentiss; one could reasonably infer that William was his son. On 23 Jan 1807 he borrowed $800 from Jonathan Silsbury of Canajohari, his apparent son-in-law and a former neighbor, a circumstance appearing to tie together Preston, his daughter Abigail, Canajoharie and Cooperstown. Binney says he died in a fall from a loaded wagon, but Presb. Church records there apparently show cancer as the cause of death. He married, first, Ann/Anne Benjamin, 29 Aug 1771, in Preston, CT. Born, 7 May 1752, in Preston, CT. Died, c. 1792, perhaps in Paris, Oneida, NY. Children:
- Abigail Prentiss. . . . . . . . . [2]
- William Prentiss, d. 1800, aboard ship, "General Greene". Identification of William as his son seems likely, but no confirming evidence has yet been found.
- (perhaps) Lydia Prentice, b. 17 Oct 1778. . . . . . . . . [3]
- Fanny Prentiss. She is probably the same Fanny baptized 8 Feb 1801 at
Cooperstown in Presb. Church records. Identification of Fanny as
his daughter is, so far, only tentative because of lack of confirming
evidence.
- Comment by Bard Prentice: Samuel did have a daughter named Fanny who appears in a listing of baptisms of his children in the Cooperstown Presb. Church records: 8 Feb 1801. The missing link is a tie between that Fanny and the Fanny Prentice born 8 Jun 1791 in Paris, NY. It is highly probable that Samuel and his wife were in Paris in 1791 and that after that wife died he met and married Millicent who lived there with her mother and brother. The curious thing is that Garret Prentiss did not supply Fanny's name to Binney when he sent Binney the family of Samuel and Millicent. Perhaps it was because Fanny was only a half sister. Also curious is the listing by Garret of a Joel Prentiss Bishop as a son of Ann Maria Prentiss Bishop, Samuel's Daughter. Fannie married Amos Bishop and also had a Joel Prentiss Bishop a generation earlier. The Brewster Genealogy does not mention Ann Maria having a son of that name.
Samuel Prentiss married, second, Milicent/Millicent Judd on 1 Jan 1793, in New Hartford, Oneida, NY. Died, 23 Feb 1828. Dau. of Elnathan & Mirriam (Richards) Judd. Children:
- Milicent (Millicent) Prentiss was born after 1793 and died after 1830.
- Ann Maria Prentiss. Born, after 1793. Died, after 1820. Identification of Ann Maria as his daughter is, so far, only tentative because of lack of confirming evidence. An 1820 baptismal record calls Ann Maria Prentiss a "servant of Dr. Elnathan Judd,." the brother of Ann's mother, Millicent.
- Samuel Prentiss Jr.
2. Abigail Prentiss. By email of 17 Oct 2002, Joan de Vries Kelley, a descendant, relates that Abigail m. Jonathan Silsbury on who served in the Rev. War. Both are buried in Canajoharie, NY. Joan has provided us with a copy of Abigail's Application for a pension based on her husband's Civil War service. The application reads as follows:
- State of New York, Mongomery County:
On this twelfth day of May in the year One thousand Eight hundred & forty three personally appeared before me Phineas Randall First Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County (the said unit being a court of record) Abigail Silsbury, a resident of the town of Canajoharie in the said county, aged Seventy years, who first being duly sworn, according to the law, on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the pension made by the act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 " An Act granting half pay & pension to certain widows.".
That she is the widow of Jonathan Silsbury who was a soldier in the Revolutionary Army & a Pensioner under Act of Congress passed May 15, 1828 at $80 per annum. She further declares that she was married to the said Jonathan Silsbury in the sixth day of July in the year Seventeen hundred and Eighty Eight, that her husband the aforesaid Jonathan Silsbury died in the twenty first day of October Eighteen hundred and forty that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service and the marriage took place previous to first of January Seventeen hundred and Ninety four irz. at the time above stated.
She further states that her surname previous to her marriage was Prentice & that she was married by her uncle Jesse (?) Kimbale [Kimball] a Justice of the peace in the town of Canajoharie Montgomery County New York.
- Note: Jesse Kimball m. Lydia Benjamin, sister of Anne Benjamin,
Samuel Prentice's wife...making him Abigail Prentice's uncle.
She further declares that the annexed leaf or memorandum is one cut out of her family Bible and was written in the year Eighteen hundred & thirty two by one of her sons and contains a true record of the time of her marriage and that of several of her children & also of the births of her children - and that she never learned to write.
Sworn to & subscribed in the day her & year above written before me Mr. Chase Jenkins Abigail x Silsbury P Randall first judge of the mark Montgomery Count Court
I certify that the above named deponent is aged and infirm and in my opinion unable to attend court P. Randall first Judge Dated 12 may 1843 of the Montgomery County Court
Joan Kelly has also provided a copy of the following letter:
- Rev.War Section
- Simeon Silsbury, born May 13, 1790, married December 11,1816.
- Anna Silsbury, " May 12, 1792, married March 14,1813.
- Olive Silsbury, " September 15, 1794, married April 24,1814.
- Electa Silsbury, " December 2, 1796,
- Wealthy Silsbury, " November 30, 1798, married July 16, 1822.
- Rhoda Silsbury, " June 5, 1801, married February 9, 1825.
- Julia Silsbury, " September 11, 1803, married February 9, 1825.
- Samuel W. Silsbury, " July 16, 1805
- Alvah Silsbury, " August 8, 1807, married January 6, 1831. . . . . . . [4]
- Jonathan Silsbury Jr, " June 26, 1809, married August 22, 1830
- David Silsbury, " February 14, 1811.
- Lester Silsbury, " December 27, 1812.
- Phebe Silsbury, " February 17, 1816.
January 2, 1913
Mr. T.J. Silsbury, Room 408, 50 Congress Street, Boston, Mass
Sir:
In response to your letter dated the 21" and received the 23" ultimo, you are advised that the papers in claim, W. File No. 24.966. Rev. War. show that Jonathan Silsbury was pensioned at $80. per annum on account of his service of two years as private in Captain Moore's company, Massachusetts troops. Paces and dates of enlistment and discharge not shown.
Solder was born June 9, 1762, married July 1788, Abagail Prentice who was born November 12, 1772; he died October 21, 1840, and she was allowed pension on her application executed may 12, 1843, while a resident of Canajoharie, New York. Their children were:
Very respectfully,
Commissioner,
A detailing of Jonathan Silsbury's Rev. War record can be found in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols. Volume 14, page 209:
-
Silsbury, Jonathan, Westifield. Descriptive list of men raised in
Hampshire Co. to serve in the Continental Army for the term of 9 months,
agreeable to resolve of June 9, 1779, as returned by Noah Goodman,
Superintendent; Capt. Moseley's co., Col. Moseley's regt.; age, 17 yrs.;
stature, 5 ft. 2 in.; hair, light; engaged for town of Westfield; also,
Private, Lieut. Colonel's co., Col Shepard's regt.; Continental Army pay
accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780, to Dec. 31, 1780; residence,
Westfield; also, Licut. Colonel's co., 4th Mass. regt.; return made up for
the year 1780, dated West Point; enlisted Nov. -, 1779; enlistment, [p.209]
during war; also, Private, Capt. Elnathan Haskell's co., Col. William
Shepard's (4th) regt.; muster roll for May, 1781, dated West Point; also,
muster rolls for June-Sept., 1781; also, muster rolls for Oct., 1781-Feb.,
1782, dated York Hutts.
Joan Kelly is a descendant of Jonathan Silsbury Jr. who married Julia Ann Gray in Montgomery County, NY and moved to Lapeer County, MI around 1840. Their daughter, Mary Jane Silsbury, married James Bruce. Their son, Arthur Lester Bruce, married Emma Jane Chadwick. Their daughter and her husband, Edna Blanche Bruce married Walter Wallis Kelley are Joan's grandparents.
3. (perhaps) Lydia Prentice, b. 17 Oct 1778. Identification of Lydia as his daughter is, so far, only tentative because of lack of confirming evidence.
She m. Rev. Abriam Skeel whose name appears in 1794 Canajoharie Free Will Bap. Ch. rec. at Canajoharie. Ancestor Charts for him can be found at Ancestry.com . Children (per Ancestry.com ):
- Affa Skeel, b. 1 Jan 1797 in Warrensburg, Washington, NY and d. Oct 1879 in Lena, Stephenson Co., IL. She m. Smith Wix Pickard on 1 Nov 1816, Camillus, Onondaga Co., NY. He was b. 25 Sep 1795 in Ovid, Cayuga Co., NY. Their children and descendants can be found at Ancestry.com .
- Terrisa/Terresa Skeel, b. 22 Feb 1800 in Warrensburg, Washington, NY.
- Ardilla Skeel, b. c. 1802, NY.
- Cornelia Skeel, b. 1802.
- Alanson Skeel, b. c. 1806, NY
- Caroline Skeel, b. c. 1808, NY.
- Sarah Marie Skeel, b. c. 1813, NY.
- Olive Skeel, b. c. 1815, NY.
- Samantha Skeel, b. c. 1817, NY.
- Oren Skeel, b. c. 1815-21. He m. Caroline Maria Douglas.
They had 1 or more children, Including:
- James D. Skeel, b. 1850 in Stephenson Co., IL and d. 1922 in Savanna, IL. He m. Elizabeth Schadell
who was b. in MI. Children (per Ancestry.com ).
- Cora Skeel. She m. William M. Schlott.
- Alvah Skeel
- Theron Skeel
- Maurice Skeel
- Ethel Skeel. She m. Albert Albright.
- Pearl Skeel. She m. Daniel MacNeil
- Adelbert Arthur Skeel, b. 15 May 1878 in Lena, Stephenson, IL. He m. Helen Louise Peck
on 5 Jul 1904 in Cheshire, CT. She was b. 1 Dec 1883 in Cheshire, CT. Daughter:
- Esther Elizabeth Skeel, b. 22 Apr 1907. She m. James F. Rettger and they had 3 children.
- James D. Skeel, b. 1850 in Stephenson Co., IL and d. 1922 in Savanna, IL. He m. Elizabeth Schadell
who was b. in MI. Children (per Ancestry.com ).
- Truman Adam Skeel, b. 28 Feb 1820, NY.
- Harlow B. Skeel, b. 25 Sep 1824, Sterling, Cayuga Co., NY.
4. Alva/Alvah Silsbury. Born, 8 Aug 1807 and d. 1 Jul 1884. He m. Lydia on 6 Jan 1831. She was b. 2 Oct 1810, Canajoharie, Montgomery Co., NY and d. 7 Jun 1889 at the home of her daughter, Phoebe Storey in Sharon, Walworth Co., Wi. They were buried in the Big Foot Cemetery, Chemung Township, McHenry County, Illinois.
The following were transcribed by Sharon Sisk and provided by Jamian Wetlaufer's email of 18 Nov 2004:
- The Sharon Reporter
Vol. XI - Number 44
Sharon, Walworth County, Wisconsin
Thursday, June 13, 1889
DIED At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Storey, June 7th 1889, Mrs. Lydia Silsbury, aged 78 years, 8 months and 5 days. Deceased was born in Canajoharie, Montgomery Co., New York. She was married to Alvah Silsbury, January 6th, 1831. They emigrated to Wisconsin in 1842. To them five daughters were born, four of whom are left to mourn the loss of a kind and loving mother. She was a great sufferer for many years, although she bore her trials patiently, always believing in Christ and his goodness. Her remains were placed in the Big Foot cemetery beside those of her husband, who preceded her nearly five years ago.
-------------------------------
Card of Thanks
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To the many friends and neighbors who so kindly assisted us through the sickness and death of our beloved mother and to the singers for their service at the funeral, we desire to return our sincere thank. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Storey
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The Sharon Reporter Thurs., Jan. 13, 1881 Golden Wedding To Mr. and Mrs. A. Silsbury, Big Foot, Jan. 6th, 1881
On this day of your Golden Wedding your friends and neighbors wish to make you a present, as a token of their respect and good feeling toward you. Although sickness and suffereing has fallen upon one, yet the Lord will enable you to endure to the end, and, as life's sun shines, may your hopes for that heavently land grow brighter, is the wish of your friends:---
Mother Lake, J.C. Smith, D. Sargeant, C. Brown, J. Godfrey, T. Barnes, M. Bombard, W. Moody, E Hildreth, J. Le Brec, Lucy Wurz, W.B. Walton, Julia Howland, Mrs. Martin, E. Wilkinson, H.R. Whiteley, C. Hagerman, A.D. Crumb, P.W. Lake, Wm. Mosher, Wheeler Stevens, F. Daniels, B. Burton, Geo. Burton, Jacob Shunk, Wm. Hoard, Jotham Stevens, John Hoard, E. Story, John Cramer, James Staley, M.F. Pierce, Henry Huntley, Doctor Maxon, G. Rodman, J.S. Belknap, Jonathan Fish.
The persons named in the above paragraph made up a purse of $40 in gold, appointed a committee of three to deliver this their present to Mr. and Mrs. A. Silsbury, Mrs. S. Being quite feeble, and unable to entertain company. She was taken with a stroke of paralysis about the 20th of last June, and has not since then been able to bear her weight on her feet, and the probabilities are that she never will.
However, Mr. and Mrs. Silsbury return their sincere thanks to their many friends and neighbors who so kindly remembered them on their Golden Wedding day.
By email of 10 Nov 2004, Jamian Wetlaufer provides the following additional information:
- He bought land in Walworth Co., WI in 1844 and 1848. He lived in Sharon, Walworth Co. in 1850 and 1855.
In 1860 he and his family were living in Yellow Springs, Greene Co., OH, but returned to Sharon by 1870.
In 1880 Alvah and his wife, Lydia, were living in Chemung, McHenry Co., IL where their daughter Lucinda,
Jamian's great-great-grandmother, also lived.
Lucinda moved in spring 1891 to Adams Co., WI, where her husband died, and she remarried. Her sons, Arthur and Alvah, stayed on in Adams and Marquette counties, WI, and son, George, Jamian's great-grandfather moved to SD and then NY in the late 1920s and early 1930s, before returning eventually to WI.
Children of Alvah and Lydia:
- Martha Silsbury b: Abt. 1836 in New York
- Olivia Cordelia Silsbury, b. 24 Oct 1839 in Schoharie Co., NY. She m. Isaac Tooker. He d. 1869. Daughter:
- Hattie E. Tooker, b. Aug 1864 in McHenry Co., IL.
- Lucinda Silsbury, b. Jul 1847, probably in Sharon, Walworth Co., WI. She m. William Wetlaufer
(son of Henry Wetlaufer, Sr and Anna Elisabeth Romer). William was b. 1838 in Syracuse,
Onondaga Co., NY and d. 2 Oct 1892 in his home at Adams Center, five miles from Friendship,
Adams Co., Wisconsin. Children:
- Arthur Leslie Wetlaufer, b. Oct 1867 in IL. He m. Anna Iverson. She was b. Jul 1858, WI.
- George Chester Wetlaufer, b. 19 Jul 1873 near Harvard, Chemung, McHenry Co. IL, and d. 25 Apr 1968 in Portage Hospital, Marquette, WI, age 94 (Jamian's great-grandfather). He m. Olga Arabella Kirckhoff. She was b. Mar 1881 in SD and d. 1930 in NY.
- Alvah Henry Wetlaufer, b. 21 Dec 1878, IL and d. Jul 1947, WI. He m. Edith M. Parrott who was b. c. 1884 in SD and d. c. 1927.
- Phebe Silsbury b: Abt. 1853
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.
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