Mary Howes
Personpeople/mary-howes-fl1676.md
As written
- name
- Mary Howes
- aka
- [Mary Prence]
- sex
- female
- access
- public
- summary
- Probably the widow of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth who became the last wife of Gov. Thomas Prence; her maiden name is unknown. Her son Capt. Thomas Howes's will of 1675/6 asked that "my Mother Prence" keep the house she lived in for her life. Probably the mother of Jeremiah Howes, she was also stepmother to his wife, Sarah Prence.
- died
- date
- 9 Dec 1695
- place
- Yarmouth, Massachusetts
- basis
- compiled
- confidence
- probable
- note
- Elliot, Mayflower Descendant 6:230-235; Swift, Old Yarmouth, p. 117, says she died at the house of her son-in-law, Jeremiah Howes.
- residences
- date
- 1668
- place
- Plymouth, Massachusetts
- basis
- inferred
- confidence
- probable
- note
- Married Gov. Thomas Prence by 1 Aug 1668; he had lived at Plymouth as governor since 1657 and died there in 1673, after which she went back to Yarmouth.
- date
- 1676
- place
- Yarmouth, Massachusetts
- basis
- documented
- confidence
- probable
- sources
- [will-thomas-howes-1676]
- note
- Her son Capt. Thomas Howes's will of January 1675/6 asks that "my Mother Prence" keep the house she lives in.
Mary was the widow of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth, and then the last wife of Gov. Thomas Prence (Elliot, MD 6:230-235): so the mother, probably, of Jeremiah Howes, and the stepmother of his wife, Sarah Prence. The governor died in 1673, and she lived on at Yarmouth, where her son Capt. Thomas Howes's will of 15 Jan 1675/6 asks that "my Mother Prence Injoy without molestation During her Naturall life the house shee Now lives in."
King Philip's War. Her son Jeremiah sat on Yarmouth's council of war, and her son Capt. Thomas Howes led the town's men in two expeditions and died that November (see Thomas Howes). Yarmouth's rate "towards the charge of the late war," made on 29 Apr 1676, charges "Mrs. Prence, 1. 3. 4," probably she (Freeman, History of Cape Cod 2:195).
Open questions
- Her maiden name.
---name: Mary Howesaka: [Mary Prence]sex: femaleaccess: publicsummary: >-Probably the widow of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth who became the last wife of Gov. Thomas Prence;her maiden name is unknown. Her son Capt. Thomas Howes's will of 1675/6 asked that "my MotherPrence" keep the house she lived in for her life. Probably the mother of Jeremiah Howes, she wasalso stepmother to his wife, Sarah Prence.died:date: 9 Dec 1695place: Yarmouth, Massachusettsbasis: compiledconfidence: probablenote: "Elliot, Mayflower Descendant 6:230-235; Swift, Old Yarmouth, p. 117, says she died at the house of her son-in-law, Jeremiah Howes."residences:- date: "1668"place: Plymouth, Massachusettsbasis: inferredconfidence: probablenote: "Married Gov. Thomas Prence by 1 Aug 1668; he had lived at Plymouth as governor since 1657 and died there in 1673, after which she went back to Yarmouth."- date: "1676"place: Yarmouth, Massachusettsbasis: documentedconfidence: probablesources: [will-thomas-howes-1676]note: "Her son Capt. Thomas Howes's will of January 1675/6 asks that \"my Mother Prence\" keep the house she lives in."---Mary was the widow of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth, and then the last wife of Gov. Thomas Prence(Elliot, MD 6:230-235): so the mother, probably, of Jeremiah Howes, and the stepmother of his wife,Sarah Prence. The governor died in 1673, and she lived on at Yarmouth, where her son Capt. ThomasHowes's will of 15 Jan 1675/6 asks that "my Mother Prence Injoy without molestation During herNaturall life the house shee Now lives in."**King Philip's War.** Her son Jeremiah sat on Yarmouth's council of war, and her son Capt. ThomasHowes led the town's men in two expeditions and died that November (see [ThomasHowes](/people/thomas-howes-fl1676/)). Yarmouth's rate "towards the charge of the late war," madeon 29 Apr 1676, charges "Mrs. Prence, 1. 3. 4," probably she (Freeman, [*History of CapeCod*](/files/sources/book-freeman-1862-history-of-cape-cod/) 2:195).## Open questions- Her maiden name.