Prence Howland

Parentage

Prence Howland who married Job Otis was the daughter of Prence Howland and Deborah Barker. Her husband Job Otis mentioned all her four children and his other five children from his first marriage to Thankful Otis, deceased, in his will.

Prence (Howland) Otis named her son, Prince Otis after her father's name, Prence Howland and named her daughter, Deborah Otis after her mother's name Deborah (Barker) Howland. Also, her son, David Otis named his son Howland Otis after his grandfather, Prence Howland's surname as well as his mother's maiden name. Evidently, she preserved her heritage from the legacy of Arthur Howland and Elizabeth Prence to her children and her grandchildren.

Birth

"Prence the daughter of Prence Howland & Deborah his wife was born the third day of October 1713" in Marshfield, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay.[1][2]

Prence Howland was the daughter of Prence and Deborah Howland.

Gender

In past, Prence Howland has been presumed to be a male child of Prence Howland and his wife Deborah because Prence is a male name. True, Prence is a male name because the father's name is Prence; however, just two primary sources say otherwise.

Two important documentations prove Prence is a female name also and a daughter of Prence Howland and his wife Deborah.

First, the original birth record of Prence Howland in Marshfield says in exact text, "Prence the daughter of Prence & Deborah his wife was born the third day of October 1713."[1] Note the use of a word "daughter" which means it is a female child of Prence Howland and Deborah his wife. In past, for example, The Howland Quarterly in 1939 had inserted "[sic]" after an abbreviated word "daughter"; it intended to imply that Prence Howland is the son of Prence Howland and his wife, Deborah. However, the original birth record unmistakably says otherwise.

Second, Deborah Howland, widow of Prence Howland, made a request to Judge Nathaniel Thomas for the guardianship for her daughter, Prence Howland. Judge Nathaniel Thomas approved her deposition and granted her to be guardian for her daughter, Prence Howland. He sent his letter to her and made clear that she is the relict widow of Prence Howland, deceased, and Prence Howland is her daughter. He granted her to be guardian of Prence Howland on March 23, 1713/14 (Old Style/New Style).[3] Evidently, the letter of guardianship clearly identified that Prence Howland is not a male child but is a female child of Prence Howland and his wife, Deborah. She sent the letter to ask the same judge specifically that she is appointed to be the guardian for her son Robert Howland and daughter Alice Howland as well.[4][5]

Prence Howland was only five months old girl when Judge Nathaniel Thomas granted her mother to be guardian for her. Clearly, she loved her as well as Prence's two siblings, Robert and Alice so much so that they would not be taken to other relative or stranger.

Name

Her birth name was Prence Howland as recorded in the birth records of Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Bay in 1713.[1]

Her mother identified her daughter and named her as Prence Howland in the request for the guardianship for her daughter in 1713.[3]

Her husband, Job Otis named his wife, Prince in his will in 1781.[6]

She made her deposition to identify herself as Prince Otis as the wife of Job Otis in the probate records of Job Otis's estate in 1792.[7]

Guardianship

Letter of Guardianship granted Deborah Howland to be guardian for her daughter, Prence Howland, March 23, 1713[3]

Nathaniel Thomas Esqr. Appointed & Commssioned by his Exelence the Govr with the advice & Consent of the Councill to be Judge of the Probate of Wills &c in the County of Plimouth within her Majesties Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England

To Deborah Howland Relict widow of Prence Howland Late of Marshfeild in the County of Plimouth aforesd decd Greeting

I do hereby appoint you to be Guardian unto Prence Howland the Daughter of your said deceased Husband Prence Howland who is a minor under the age of fourteen years & her the said Prence Howland during her Minority to take into your Care & Fashion & her Estate lands moneys Goods & Chattels to take into your hands & possision for her & to Improve the same in such maner as you shall Judge best for her & to Render a Plans & true accompt of your said Guardianship upon oath & of [the crossed out] all & singular such Estate as shall Come to your hands be vertue therof & of the improvments of the same so far as the Law will charge you therwith when you shall better unto Lawfully Required and shall Pay & Deliver such & so much of the said Estate as shall be found Remaning upon your accompt (the same being first Examined & allowed of by the Judge of Probate for the time being of the said County unto the said Prence when she shall arrive at full age or otherwise as the said Judge by his decree or sentence Pursuant to Law shall limit & appoint In Testimony wherof I have hereunto set my hand & the seale of the said Court of Probate the twenty third day of March Anno Dom 1713

Nathaniel Thomas

Marriage

Prence Howland married Job Otis sometime before 1747, probably in the St. Andrews Episcopal church, of which Job Otis was a member in August 1780;[8] however, St. Andrew Episcopal church's marriage records from 1731 thru 1781 did not survive.[9] In addition, there exists the deed record dated September 20, 1745 proves the relationship between Job Otis, Jr and Prince Otis as husband and wife. It can be ascertained that they were married before September 20, 1745.[10]

Children

The births or baptisms of children of Prence and her husband Job Otis do not seem to be recorded anywhere, so the baptism records did not survive until 1790.[11] However, Prence and her children were mentioned in Job Otis's will in 1781.[6] All four children were born probably either in Hanover or Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Bay:

1. David Otis, b. abt. 1747; d. 14 December 1828.
2. Prince Otis, d. 24 July 1801.
3. Deborah Otis
4. Abijah Otis (1754 - 1837)

Probate Records

'Last Will and Testament of Job Otis, December 12, 1781. Proved June 2, 1791.'

"In the Name of God Amen The Twelth day of December Anno Domini 1781 I Job Otis of Scituate in the County of Plimouth in New England Yeoman being of sound Mind and Memory after commiting my Soul to God and my Body to the Earth do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament in manner following viz

Impr. I give and bequeath to my well beloved Wife Prince Otis the use and improvement of the House in which I now dwell and the land adjoyning on both sides of the high way with the appurtenances (saving the priviledges which I shall hereafter allow to my Daughter Eunice) and likewise the use & improvment of a Field called Buck's Field on the north side of the old meeting House Hill and likewise the improvement of piece of salt Marsh lying between the third and fourth Clifts, and likewise I bequeath to my sd Wife all my personal Estate and likewise I order my Executors hereafter mentioned to deliver to my sd Wife annually eight Cords of good hard wood at her door cut up fit for the fire during the time she continues to dwell in this my House. The above bequeath to my Wife to be during her life."[12]

Deposition of Prince Otis, widow of Job Otis, March 7, 1792.

To the Honble. Joshua Thomas Esqr. Judge of Probate of Wills &c for the County of Plymouth These may Certify that I Prince Otis Widow of Job Otis Late of Scituate Deceased Do Except of What the said Job Otis give me By his Last will and testament in sted of any Right of Dower I Could Demand in any of the Estate Witness my hand this Seventh Day of March in the year of our Lord 1792
Prince Otis
Attest
Ephraim Turner
Joseph Clapp
Recordd Lib. 31 folio 445 & Compd.
P J Lothroop Regr.[7]

Death

Prence (Howland) Otis survived her husband, Job Otis and died sometime after March 7, 1792 when she made her deposition in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Bay.

Sources

1. Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1621-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). <https://www.americanancestors.org/DB190/i/14517/77/265074475>.
2. Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997M-Y9JB-X : 20 May 2014), Plymouth County, Marshfield, Births, marriages, deaths, town records 1708-1810, Vol. 2, p. 99, image 196 of 239; Marshfield town clerk office, Massachusetts. Text: "Prence the daughter of Prence Howland & Deborah his wife was born the third day of October 1713".
3. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) <https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20951/10956-co3/45416514>.
4. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20951/10956-co9/45416520).
5. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org'. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20951/10956-co7/45416518).
6. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20954/14968-co18/45483891).
7. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20954/14968-co5/45483878).
8. Briggs, L V. History and Records of St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, of Scituate, Mass., 1725-1811, of Hanover, Mass., 1811-1903, and Other Items of Historical Interest, Being Volume II of the Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass. Boston, Mass.: Press of W. Spooner, 1904, p. 15.
9. Briggs, L V. History and Records of St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, of Scituate, Mass., 1725-1811, of Hanover, Mass., 1811-1903, and Other Items of Historical Interest, Being Volume II of the Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass. Boston, Mass.: Press of W. Spooner, 1904, p. 72.
10. Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9Z7-RFZV?cc=2106411&w... : 22 May 2014), Plymouth County, Deed Records, 1744 - 1745, vol 37, p. 175, image 670 of 724; Plymouth County courthouse and office, Massachusetts.
11. Briggs, L V. History and Records of St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, of Scituate, Mass., 1725-1811, of Hanover, Mass., 1811-1903, and Other Items of Historical Interest, Being Volume II of the Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass. Boston, Mass.: Press of W. Spooner, 1904, p. 92.
12. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1558/i/20954/14968-co18/45483891).

See also:

• Payne-Joyce Genealogy, created Jul 2014 by D. Payne-Joyce. <https://mathcs.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr06/rr06_237.html#P14...>
• Williams, Alicia C, Robert S. Wakefield, and Judith H. Swan. Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620, Family of Richard Warren. Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2004. #170iii.