Josiah Prentice

Other Events:

• Name: Josias Prentice

Notes:

On the church birth record of Josiah Prentice in Chelmsford, Essex, England, is given the maiden name of his mother Alice Bredda.  Josiah died at an unknown date; either before 1631, when his parents sailed to America, or during that voyage.

Notes:

VALENTINE PRENTICE

ORIGIN: Probably Chelmsford, Essex

MIGRATION: 1631

FIRST RESIDENCE: Roxbury

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Admitted to Roxbury church as member #52, in 1632: "He came to this land in the year 1631 & joined to the church in the year 1632. He brought but one child to the land, his son John, & buried another at sea" [RChR 76].

FREEMAN: 7 August 1632 [MBCR 1:367].

BIRTH: By about 1601 based on apparent date of marriage.

DEATH: Roxbury before 3 April 1634 (date of widow's remarriage).

MARRIAGE: "Valentine Prentys" married "Alice B[____]" (remainder of surname illegible) in Chelmsford, Essex, on 29 June 1626, and this is probably the marriage of the immigrant couple [TAG 10:15, 41:216-17]. She was admitted to Roxbury church immediately after her husband, as member #53: "Allice Prentise the wife of Valentine Prentise, after her husband's death she was married to John Watson of this church" [RChR 76].  JOHN WATSON and Alice Prentiss married at Roxbury 3 April 1634 [RVR MS 128].

CHILDREN:

   i   JOHN, b. say 1627; m. (1) about 1651 Hester Nichols; m. (2) by 1683 Esther Nichols; m. (3) by contract dated 12 June 1685 Rebecca Parker. (See TAG 34:81-89 for a detailed account of his wives and children; the first two wives were first cousins.)

   ii   Child, buried at sea 1631 [RChR 76].

COMMENTS: Valentine Prentice was almost certainly a passenger on the Lyon on its second 1631 voyage, arriving in Massachusetts Bay on 2 November. This ship brought Reverend JOHN ELIOT and other passengers who would settle at Roxbury, many of them from the western part of Essex, not far from Chelmsford.

Both Savage and Pope note that an Alice Prentice died at Concord on 8 March 1643, but, other than the given name, there is no evidence that she was related to Valentine Prentice [CoVR 3]. Presumably Savage's statement that he "perhaps had one child born here" is based on a guess that this Alice who died in Concord was his daughter.

(from The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33)

Valentine married Alice Bredda 29 Jun 1626, Chelmsford, Essex, England, UK. Alice was born , probably Chelmsford, Essex, England, UK; died Aft 1672. [Group Sheet]