Prentice, Prentise or even Prentis
Prentice as a family surname is widespread so tracking down the family connections of those members who played significant roles in Stowupland’s story is not straight forward. Their key areas of interest seem to have been the Explosives industry, religion and education. Some lived in Stowupland others in surrounding areas but we will try to give information here about those members without whom our history might have been different.
Thomas Prentice was very involved in Stowupland’s chapel and Sunday School and according to Ena Carter’s notes there was a plaque to his memory in Earl Stonham Brethren meeting house – though we don’t know where this was. It is known that Thomas converted to the Brethren. He lived at Violet Hill House, Stowmarket.
Thomas Prentice –
b. 14 Sep 1794 and d. 19 Jul 1852.
Prentices were in the corn trade, and both they and the Isaacs, into which their daughter, Sarah, married, were Congregationalists. Thomas formed the firm of Prentice and Co. at Navigation Wharf, as well as running the towns gasworks they were corn and coal merchants, maltsters and dealt in chemical manure.
From this last aspect of the business developed Messrs Prentice Brothers run by Thomas`s sons Manning III and Eustace. This company employed about 40 people in 1874 and were described as “manufacturers of dissolved bones, superphosphates & special manures”. This was an industry that had been developed in the county by amongst others the Fisons and in fact the Prentice company was eventually taken over by Fisons who as we have seen the Prentices were related to by marriage. In the 1840`s Thomas left the church & joined the Plymouth Brethren.
A second company formed by the sons of Thomas Prentice was The Patent Gun Cotton Co. established about 1863 in the explosion of 11th August 1871 Edward Prentice (son of Thomas) and his nephew William who were helping to haul boxes of cartridges away from the resulting fire when a second explosion occurred killing them both.
Thomas Prentice m. Mary Lungley on 18 May 1819. She was b. 23 Apr 1794 in Lavenham and d. 10 Jun 1865. They appear in the 1841 and 1851 census in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Not in 1861 and later census. Children of Thomas and Mary:
Neil Langridge extracted (2023) from – https://prenticenet.com/pnet/news/?/news/99/prentices_palgrave_england.htm
Death of Thomas Prentice
1852
Obituary in Bury and Norwich Post – Wednesday 21st July, 1852.
The death of Mr. Thomas Prentice, announced in our obituary, is an event that demands more than ordinary notice,. As an old inhabitant of the town, a member of a highly respected family, and the head of an important commercial establishment, it is not remarkable that the announcement of his death should be heard with deep concern. He was attacked with paralysis last Sunday week, and has, since that time lingered in a state of almost entire unconsciousness till he expired on Monday morning. Since his attack, a deep gloom has prevailed throughout our town, in consequence of the high estimation in which Mr. Prentice was held by all classes, on account of his sincere piety, his energetic labours for the temporal and spiritual good of his fellow man, his kindness to the poor, and constant readiness to promote in every way the welfare and improvement pf the town. Perhaps it may be said with truth, that our town has never before sustained so severe loss.
Ernest Prentice
1879 (PO Directory) Hill House / Uplands
William Stephen Prentice
William Stephen Prentice was headmaster at Stowupland (Elementary) school for 25 years from 1876.I n 1891 &1901 we know he was living in the school House. His wife Mary was also a teacher, named as a sewing mistress 1889 to 1899. Neil Langridge commented that he was born in Harwich so may not have had a family connection to the Stowmarket Prentice family
learn more about the Prentice family and their businesses in ‘Stowmarket’, Britain in Old Photographes’ by Robert Malster, section 5, Chemicals. (Alan sutton Publishing 1995).
