Robert Prentis was born about 1741 in England. He emigrated to Colonial Virginia prior to 1765, joining his uncle William Prentis at his store in Williamsburg.
Although the exact date of his arrival in Virginia has not been identified, it must have occurred about 1755 as he was well acquainted with his relatives and the running of the Prentis mercantile at the time of William's death in 1765. Operation of the store fell to William's son John Prentice who relied on Robert's financial skills, and eventually solely to Robert (Robert Prentis and Co. 1775-1779).
Robert Prentis was a British Loyalist and left the Virginia Colony for both political and financial reasons before the end of the American Revolution. He settled in Trinidad, held by Spain, which had begun offering land to foreigners who would help populate the island. Writing to Joseph Prentis in 1786 concerning his own financial misfortune, he suggested selling the Prentis Store in Williamsburg to help settle his debts in Trinidad.
A spouse or children for Robert have not yet been documented. It is reported that he passed away about 1809 in Trinidad but evidence has not yet been located.
See Also
Connections to Super Bowl halftime show performers: Robert is 26 degrees from Prince Nelson, 22 degrees from Dan Aykroyd, 18 degrees from Garth Brooks, 29 degrees from Chubby Checker, 24 degrees from Ella Fitzgerald, 20 degrees from Dusty Hill, 33 degrees from Whitney Houston, 19 degrees from Mick Jagger, 22 degrees from Paul McCartney, 21 degrees from Tom Petty, 18 degrees from Chris Stapleton and 25 degrees from Shania Twain on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
Categories: Williamsburg, Virginia | Trinidad | Prentice Name Study