| Page content last modified: | June 9, 2006, added Nancy Prentis' obituary. |
| FOUNTAIN GREEN CEMETERY HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS |
NANCY PRENTIS (nee HUGHES) 1818-1892
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DANIEL PRENTIS
BORN JAN. 31, 1799 DIED DEC. 29. 1882 |
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NANCY
Wife of DANIEL PRENTIS BORN MAR. 2, 1818 DIED OCT. 17, 1892 |
| The following family information is drawn from the History of Hancock County, Illinois, edited by Thomas Gregg, 1880; the History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1921, edited by Charles Scofield; federal census listings, marriage and death records, tombstone inscriptions, Nancy Prentis' obituary, news items and The History and Genealogy of The Prentice Families of New England, by C. J. F. Binney, 1883, shared by Scott Prentice. |
| Daniel Prentis was born in Weathersfield Township, Windsor County, Vermont on January 31, 1799. He was the son of Thomas Prentis and Mary Spencer.
Daniel came to Township 6 North, 5 West (later named Fountain Green Township), Hancock County, Illinois, in 1833, one of the early settlers in the area. Arriving the same year was Daniel's first cousin, From the 1880 Gregg history: Daniel Prentis, still living in the village, was a native of Vermont, son of a Revolutionary soldier, and was born in 1799; came to Fountain Green and settled in 1833; was engaged in merchandising in Carthage about 1835, and under the wild scheme of internal improvements had a contract with the State for grading a portion of the Warsaw & Peoria Railroad, in 1838-39. "Prentis' Shanty," on the line of said road, was for years a well-known landmark. Daniel "Prentiss" was named as one of the early settlers in vicinity of the present day Majorville Church. From the Scofield history: [Daniel], about 1839, took a contract on what is now the Wabash Railroad to build a railroad roadbed. He then bought a steamboat of Joseph Smith, loaded this boat with pork, took this down the river to New Orleans. Finding no sale there for pork, he dumped the cargo into the river there, then came back. During this time he lived in Carthage. On June 24, 1840, Daniel married Nancy Hughes in Adams County, Illinois. Nancy Hughes was from Camp Point in Adams County, where the Hughes family had settled in 1830. She was born in Clark County, Indiana, March 2, 1818. After their marriage, Daniel continued to farm in Fountain Green Township, where he reportedly owned as much as 200 acres. The birthplace of their second son, Silas, born in 1842, was reported to be in Section 35, which lies in the southeast corner of the township. A news article about daughter Frances stated she was born at Joe Duncan, a village that existed for a short time also in the southeast corner of the township, and that the family later moved into Fountain Green. From the Scofield history: In 1852 Daniel Prentiss was made superintendent of the county poor farm and continued as such until 1856. In a letter dated 1857 Daniel stated that Jared was "all the relation that I had in this country". In the same letter, he wrote "I now reside two miles from Fountain Green on a farm formerly owned the the late James Renshaw." Anna, the recipient of the letter, had visited with the Prentis family; the above sentence indicates they had relocated since her visit. James Milligan Renshaw had purchased several properties in Fountain Green Township, so we are at present unable to pin down where Daniel was living at the time he wrote this letter. From the Gregg History: Daniel Prentis served as Township Supervisor in 1861 and Assessor in 1858. Daniel Prentis died December 29, 1882. Nancy died October 17, 1892. They share a tombstone at Fountain Green Cemetery.
 Transcription of the 1857 letter from Daniel Prentis to his cousin, Anna
Shared by Shelley Cardiel |
Carthage, Illinois October 26, 1892 Page 1, column 1 Ishmael's column, excerpt Mrs. Nancy Hughes Prentiss died at her home in Fountain Green, Oct. 17, 1892, at 11 a. m. She was born in Clark county, Indiana, March 2, 1818, and baptised as a member of the M. E. Church at an early age. She came to Illinois with her parents in 1829, was married to Daniel Prentiss June 24, 1840, and has been a resident of Hancock county since that time. For nearly fifty years she has been a resident of Fountain Green township. Her husband died ten years ago. They raised a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, three of whom survive: Silas W. living near the old home; Fannie L. McCandless, of Moberly, Mo.; Laura M. Sawyer, of Camp Point. She suffered for more than a a [sic] year, but was patient and fully resigned at all times. She appreciated the kindness of her many friends during her prolonged illness. The funeral services were conducted the following day at the M. E. Church by Rev. Weakly, of Colchester, after which her remains were laid to rest beside those of her departed husband. Weep not for her as for those who have no hope, for we trust that our loss is her eternal gain. S. W. Prentiss and niece Bertha Stimpson left Saturday for Chicago. Miss Bertha expects to remain all winter. Mr. Prentiss will return in a few days by the way of Joliet and visit friends there.
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The children of Daniel Prentis and Nancy Hughes were probably all born in Fountain Green Township. They were:
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George Waggoner Prentis, born May 2, 1841. In 1883, George was said to be living in Wichita, Kansas. He died before October 17, 1892.
Household of Daniel Prentis
enumerated October 28, 1850, dwelling #940 (corrected page number February 2005) Daniel Prentiss, 57, male, farmer, value of real estate 1000, born VT
enumerated July 25, 1860, dwelling #3352 Daniel Prentice, 61, male, farmer, value of real estate 4000, value of personal estate 1500, born VT
enumerated June 1, 1870, dwelling #4 Prentiss, Daniel, 71, male, white, retired farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 1000, born VT, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
enumerated June 4, 1880, dwelling #60 (immediately following the residence of Silas Wright Prentiss) Prentise, Daniel, white, male, 81, married, retired farmer, born VT, father born CT, mother |
PrenticeNet
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