Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

COLONIAL LOT # 51
"Prentis"
Block # 17 - Site # 11
September 28, 1935.

A house was erected on this site between 1712 and 1714 by John Brooke. On March 18, 1724 he sold a small house on the lot to his son-in-law, William Prentis for £20. The property was described in the deed:

...All that messuage or house standing and being on lot No. 51, which house fronts the West, being 25 foot by 16 foot beside the shedd, with the ground which the said house covers and running a direct line North on the said lot the breadth of the said house to an old stable standing on the said lot... ^{Deeds - Vol. III York Co., Va.}

Brooke continued to live on the lot until his death in 1729, as there is no record of his owning any other property in York County, and his will and inventory were recorded there that year. He bequeathed all of his property to William Prentis (Copies of his will and inventory are available in the Research Department). By this bequest, Brooke's house on the same lot must have been bequeathed to his son-in-law. ^{John Brooke's inventory, made at the time of his death, follows:}

When William Prentis died in 1765 he left to his wife "that part of the lot whereon I now live, which was conveyed to me by my father-in-law Mr. Brooks", and the remainder of his property he left to his sons. This residue must have included the larger residence, because the inventory of his estate indicates a much larger building that 16x25 "fronting the west". His inventory, recorded in the York County records on October 21, 1765 follows:

In the Hall:- a large Oval Mahogany Table, a Card Table, a round tea Table, a Walnut square Table, A 2 square do., 12 mahogany (chairs), a Chimney Piece, a sconce Glass, 12 Fruit Pieces, a Tea board, 7 cups and saucers, 2 tea pots, 1 milk pot, 2 Red and white china bowls, 1 Blue and white do., 1 large old china bowl, 1 old red and white pint do., 1 new do., 1 blue and gold bowl, 5 blue and white coffee cups, 5 red and white do., 2 old chocolate do., 9 ribbed custard cups, 5 tea cups, 5 odd saucers, 3 Pudding dishes, 2 do., 1 do., 12 Soup plates, 27 flat do., 2 tea pots, 1 old mug, 8 Wine, 10 Beer Glasses, 1 Cruit, 2 Butter boats, 1 sugar dish, 10 Wine, 9 Jelly glasses, 1 Cruit, 2 tumberls, 2 odd salts, 2 old salvers, 1 Tureen, 18 stone plates, 6 mugs, 1 jug, 1 tea pot, 1 mustard pot, 1 milk pot, 1 small bowl, 2 earthern dishes, i case ivory-handled forks, 1 tea chest, 4 salts -6ozs., 2 salvers-14ozs., 1 Tea Pot and milk pot, 1 pint can, 1 beaker, 1 two quart tankard, 1 pr. Candlesticks stand and snuffer, 1 little candlestick, 1 little cup, 1 punch strainer, 1 punch Ladle, 1 soup spoon, 10 Tea spoons, 3 old table do., 11 Table spoons, 1 marrow do., 8 Tea spoons and sugar tongs, a set of castors.

In John Prentis' Room:- I Easy chair, 1 dressing glass, 1 gilt glass, 1 pr. dogs, a low chair, 2 window curtains, 3 rods, a bed bedstead cord hide boltster 4 pillows & cases, 1 quilt, l pr. blankets, 1 mattress

In the little room:- 1 close stool chair and pan, a corner cupboard, 1 pr. stilyards... (torn) 1 square walnut table, 1 brush, 1 dry rubber.

In Chamber:- A warming pan, bed wrech, old sword, bed bedstead cord hide quilt & Bolster, 1 pr. iron dogs, window curtains and rod.

In Daniel's Room:- a chest drawers, 2 chairs, 1 looking glass, 1 bed bolster pillow and case cord bedstead hide and quilt.

In Dining Room:- 1 large glass and sconce, 13 pictures, 7 horn knives, 10 forks, 15 ivory forks, 4 small do. 1 small knife, 9 large do., 13 chairs, 2 low do., 1 oval mahogany table, 1 do., 1 plate basket, 1 screen, a cabinet, 1 whisk, 2 brushes, 2 window curtains...(torn) 1 table, 1 elbow chair, 1 low chair, a bed bedstead, cord hide bolster & counterpane.

In the Nursery:- 2 beds bedsteads cords hides quilts counterpins 2 pillows and cases, 7 pillows and cases, 1 square table, 1 finecred do. & dressing Glass, 3 pictures, 1 pr. dogs, 5 chains, 4 glass pots and covers, 2 pair candlesticks, 2 pr. do., 5 pairs snuffers, i extinguisher.

In Mr. Prentis's Room:- 3 beds bedsteads cords hides bolsters 1 mattress 2 quilts 3 pillows and cases, 1 counterpin, l pr. blankets, 1 walnut square Table, 4 chairs 1 elbow chair, 1 pair dogs, 6 pair tongs, 5 shovels, 3 - 1 poker, 5 tin cannisters, 2 sugar pots, 1 picture of St. Paul's.

In the little closet:- A Chest of Drawers, a dressing glass... (torn) 3 trunks, 1 brass lock, 2 brooms, 1 quilting frame and stand, a sacking bottom bedstead and curtains, a set of green bed curtains, a bedstead curtains and window curtains, 1 old trunk, 2 pictures, (yard goods) 1 carpet, 1 Wilton do., a parcel earthern and stone ware, old bottles and sppons, 1 old looking glass, 1 lantern, 1 bell, 1 broom, 2 brushes, 1 old chest, 2 old chairs, old drawers ...(some clothing)

In Kitchen and Wash House:- 1 copper kettle, 1 tea kettle, 1 small dutch oven, 1 large do., 5 flat irons, 2 bell metal 1 iron and 2 brass skillets, 1 pr. tongs and ...tables, 1 cloathes horses, 4 trays, 1 stew pan and cover, 3 trivets, 1 ax, 3 old kitchen dogs, 1 spit, 2 mortars and pestles, 3 doz. good plates, 20 do. not so good, 3 basons, 1 fish dish, 8 dishes, 5 do. 1 bason, 24 plates, 53 ozs. old pewter, a large pine table, 4 jars in the smoke house.

In the Meal House:- a search, sifter, meal chest and can.

In the Cellar:- Wines, etc. linens, 4 pr. sheets, 1 pr. do., 1 old do., 18 pillow cases, 10 do., 17 towels, 8 towels, 14 towels, 1 Virginia Counterpin, 2 English Counterpin, 1 quilt, 2 pr. witney blankets, 1 pr. blankets, 3 pair blankets, 1 pr. blankets, 1 pr. blankets, 1 single blanket, 3 odd blankets.

At the store:- 5 old caks, 100 hops, a parcel of lumber, a bed bedstead cord hide sheets 2 pillows and cases, a ships stove, 1 quilting frame.

STORE Room at House :- a parcel old lumber, 5 hoes, 1 adze, 2 axes,

In Out house, Yard etc:- a single chair (riding chair), a double chair, 1 old chest, old little cart, an old chest, old chariot harness, 1 old handmill, a parcel old lumber, a small parcel wheat, a runner and tackle, a parcel of garden tools, 4 hammers, 1 pr. dogs, 1 lanthorn, 1 cross cut saw, 1 garden reele, a bird cage, an old chest, 1 quilting frame, 1 still, 1 grind stone, 1 Wheel barrow, 57 lbs, old copper, 22 lbs, old brass, 97 lbs. old pewter, 46 lbs old copper and brass, 35 lead and tin.

This inventory indicates the number of rooms in the house, which ones had fireplaces, and gives some clue to the number of windows. It mentions, in addition, several outbuildings.

Part of Prentis' estate sold at public auction, but 4 the smaller house became the property of his widow, Mary Prentis, until her death, when she bequeathd it to her four sons. Col. John Prentis, his eldest son, lived there until his death in 1775. His inventory is also available, although it does not mention rooms specifically. It includes, among other articles, "25 lbs of umber, 2 lbs Prussian blue, 25 gallons linseed oil and 12 bags of ground white lead".

There is a brief gap in the title until the property came into the possession of Mathew Anderson, who insured it. Matthew conveyed the property to Rachel Anderson, who insured it in 1806 and in 1810. Copies of these policies accompany this report.

Rachel bequeathed the property to Robert Anderson, in 1826. Robert Anderson had extensive holdings in Williamsburg, and probably rented this property to tenants. In 1842, two of Robert Anderson's Williamsburg buildings were destroyed by fire, according to the tax records. Whether this was one of them, or not, according to Mr. Charles in his "Recollections of Williamsburg", the house had burned before the outbreak of the War Between the States;"

"At the southwest corner of the square bounded by Duke of Gloucester, Nicholson, Botetourt and 'Blair' streets, were, at the earliest recollections of the writer, the brick walls forming the cellar or basement of a big building that had been destroyed by fire. The cellar was filled in when the streets were paved a few years ago."

(Policy No. 669 - p. 2)
(Revaluation No. 1013)

Policy No. 1510 - page 4)

(Policy 669 - Page 3)