Barnes Prowse (1672 - bef. 1715)

Born 2 Aug 1672 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Deborah (Kimball) Prowse — married 29 Jan 1702 in Amesbury, Essex, Mass

Descendants

Died before 1 Aug 1715 before age 42 in Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Barnes Prowse was born on 2 Aug 1672^[1][2] in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, son of John Prowse (<1638 - 1706) and Hannah (Barnes) Prowse (1644 - 1688).

Barnes (29) married Deborah Kimball (28) , daughter of John Kimball and Mary Jordan, on 29 Jan 1702^[3] in Amesbury. Their children were:

1. Mary (Prowse) Jones (1703 - 1781)
2. Hannah (Prowse) Short (1705 - ).

Barnes died before 1 Aug 1715 in Essex County aged 42.

      He apparently had an older brother John, born 15 Feb 1669 in Amesbury according to town vital records, but Barnes was described as the "eldest son" in the probate of his father's estate in 1707 meaning that his brother had died before that date.^[4]

      Little seems to be known about him other than that he went missing after a July 4, 1706 attack on Amesbury by Indians (Native Americans) and was eventually declared dead.^[5]

A letter written on the day of the attack by Capt. John Wadleigh reported the incident to Capt. True: "Sir, about one of the clock, the Indians killd Natt Weed's wife and three children; one of them dead and two mortally wounded. At the same time Robert Hoytt's wife killd, a child missing and a boy of Thomas Hoyt's killd. John Ash killd. Barnes Prowse missing; we fear killd all at one time, as neer as we can judg. Sir, pray send a party of men. I think it is a good way to go out this knight. We think to be about 30 Indians."

His estate was probated 1 August 1715^[6], it is uncertain whether he had a will. The probate link on ancestry.com below leads to a single page showing his name and no other papers; it seems to be out of sequence amidst some "Proctor" entries so possibly his actual estate administration papers are elsewhere in that set of content.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
   citing FHL microfilm: 877468; Record number: 96;
   FamilySearch Record: FHL1-JLG (accessed 19 February 2023)
   Barnes Prouse born on 2 Aug 1672, son of Jno. & Hannah, in Massachusetts Bay.
2. ↑ Birth: "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001"
   citing Birth, Norfolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009706.
   FamilySearch Record: DZ35-CL6Z (accessed 19 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-9979-WW1F Image number 00545
   Barnes Prouse born on 2 Aug 1672, son of Jno. Prouse & Hannah, in Norfolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
3. ↑ Marriage: "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001"
   citing Marriage, Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007578655.
   FamilySearch Record: FHNH-WZZ (accessed 19 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89XF-WZWP Image number 00383
   Barnes Prowse marriage to Deborah Kimball on 29 Jan 1702 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
4. ↑ Probate: "Essex, Massachusetts Probate Records, 1648-1840"
   Sanborn, Melinde Lutz. Essex County, Massachusetts Probate Index, 1638-1840. Salem, MA, USA: Essex County
   Ancestry Record 4592 #29292 (accessed 19 February 2023)
   John Prouse probate on 2 Sep 1706. Occupation: Mariner.
5. ↑ Hoyt David Webster. 18971917. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts : With Some Related Families of Newbury Haverhill Ipswich and Hampton. Providence R.I: Snow & Farnham printers. The old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts ; with some related families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich and Hampton page 54
6. ↑ Sanborn, Melinde Lutz. Essex County, Massachusetts Probate Index, 1638-1840. Salem, MA, USA: Essex County.

• Birth of daughter Mary Prowss: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
  citing FHL microfilm: 599730;
  FamilySearch Record: FCVZ-KMT (accessed 19 February 2023)
  Mary Prowss born to Barnes Prowss on 26 Nov 1703 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.
• Birth of daughter Hanah Prowss: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
  citing FHL microfilm: 599730;
  FamilySearch Record: FCVX-QMH (accessed 19 February 2023)
  Hanah Prowss born to Barnes Prowss on 29 Jul 1705 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.

• Probate Documents at Ancestry.com

Acknowledgments

Thanks to David McAvity for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by David and others.