M, #99, b. 27 October 1757, d. 23 October 1839
Father*Benjamin Prescott b. 29 Jan 1717, d. 18 Aug 1778
Mother*Rebecca Minot b. 15 May 1720, d. 8 Oct 1761
Charts
Lee Prescott Pedigree Chart
King David I of Scotland
Reference=000064
Last Edited=15 Jan 2018
     Benjamin Prescott was born on 27 October 1757 in Salem.1,2 He was the son of Benjamin Prescott and Rebecca Minot. In 1772, Benjamin Prescott moved from Salem, Massachusetts to the home of his brother-in-law Roger Sherman, signer of the Declaration of Independence, in New Haven, Connecticut. He married Hannah Blakesley, daughter of Tilley Blakeslee and Hannah Alling, on 7 April 1783.3 He was a founding partner of the shipping firm Prescott & Sherman. According to a genealogy of the Sherman family, "...on January 31, 1794, the firm of Prescott & Sherman [was formed], to trade in dry goods, groceries, navigation, shoemaking, and tanning. This firm carried on a very extensive mercantile business on Long Wharf in New Haven, owning and employing many vessels and dealing extensively in real estate..."4,5 On November 2, 1799, the sloop HAWK, a vessel owned by Prescott & Sherman, was captured by French pirates and condemned. The ensuing French spoliation claim was not resolved until 1904.6 French spoliation claims are claims presented by United States citizens against France, Spain, and Holland for vessels and cargo taken by privateers prior to September 30, 1800, and condemned at ports controlled by those countries. A majority of the vessels were captured during the Quasi-War between the United States and France (1797-1801). On June 30, 1800, the schooner LUCY, a vessel owned by Prescott & Sherman, was captured by French pirates and condemned. The ensuing French spoliation claim was not resolved until 1912.7 Benjamin and Hannah appeared on the census of 1800 in New Haven.8 Benjamin and Hannah appeared on the census of 1810 in New Haven.9 Benjamin and Hannah appeared on the census of 1820 in New Haven.10 Benjamin appeared on the census of 1830 in New Haven.11 He married Jane Woodford in October 1831. He died on 23 October 1839 in New Haven at age 81.12

Family 1: Hannah Blakesley b. 24 Sep 1761, d. 10 May 1824

Family 2: Jane Woodford b. 1788, d. 9 Aug 1867

Citations

  1. [S338] Unknown author, Vital Records of Danvers, Massachusetts, To the end of the year 1849 (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1909-1910), Benjamin Prescott entry. Hereinafter cited as Vital Records of Danvers.
  2. [S7] William Prescott, The Prescott Memorial (Boston, MA: Henry W. Dutton & Son, 1870), Benjamin Prescott (III) - PM#256. Hereinafter cited as Prescott Memorial.
  3. [S7] William Prescott, Prescott Memorial, v.1, pg. 69.
  4. [S340] Died, Daily Herald, New Haven, Connecticut, October 24, 1839, pg. 3, Benjamin Prescott. Hereinafter cited as Daily Herald.
  5. [S341] Thomas Townsend Sherman, Sherman Genealogy Including Families of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, England (New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1920), https://books.google.com/books. Hereinafter cited as Sherman Genealogy.
  6. [S347] Sloop HAWK French spoliation claim, Letter from the Assistant Clerk of the Court of Claims Transmitting a Copy of the Conclusions of Law and of Fact in the French Spoliation Cases Relating to the Vessel Sloop Hawk, Joseph Hart, Master (Washington, D.C.: U.S. House of Representatives, December 21, 1904). Hereinafter cited as Sloop HAWK French spoliation claim.
  7. [S348] Schooner LUCY French spoliation claim, Letter from the Assistant Clerk of the Court of Claims Transmitting a Copy of the Conclusions of Law and of Fact in the French Spoliation Cases Relating to the Vessel Schooner "Lucy", Eliakim Benham, Master (Washington, D.C.: U.S. House of Representatives, December 11, 1912). Hereinafter cited as Schooner LUCY French spoliation claim.
  8. [S342] Benjamin Prescott household, 1800 U.S. census record, Provo, Utah, USA, Ancestry.com.
  9. [S343] Benjamin Prescott household, 1810 U.S. census record, Provo, Utah, USA, population schedule, city of New Haven, page number 694, image 702.00, Ancestry.com National Archives micropublication M252.
  10. [S345] Benjamin Prescott household, 1820 U.S. census record, Provo, Utah, USA, population schedule, city of New Haven, page number 314, image 246, Ancestry.com National Archives micropublication M33, roll 3.
  11. [S346] Benjamin Prescott household, 1830 U.S. census record, Provo, Utah, USA, population schedule, city of New Haven, page number 3, Ancestry.com National Archives micropublication M19, roll 9.
  12. [S340] Daily Herald, October 24, 1839, pg. 3.