More on the Princes of York
The Prince family, that is. A few days ago I wrote and that I thought there were two contemporary David Princes in York. I based that assumption on that two different women married David Prince, and that one David Prince moved to Baltimore and another taught at the York County Academy for around forty-five years.
Click here to read the previous Prince post.
A further search at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives of transcribed original records shows that they were indeed the same person, and he did all the things listed above.
According to Gibson’s 1886 History of York County, David B. Prince is listed as a teacher at York County Academy as early as 1819 and continued until 1866, “with the absence of several years. I should have noticed that “absence.”
First Reformed Church of York records list David Prince’s first marriage to Mary Anderson on 28 October 1824. The births of sons David Oaks Prince on 1 January 1827 and James Anderson Prince on 17 January 1829 come from York’s First Presbyterian Church records.
Daughter Mary E. was born 6 February 1831, according to her gravestone. The family might have moved to Maryland before she was born–the 1850 census lists her birthplace as Pennsylvania, but the 1880 census lists Maryland.
Baltimore resident Mary Anderson Prince’s death on 6 September 1832 was reported in a York County newspaper. She was the daughter of James Anderson, deceased, of York and her spouse was David B. Prince of Baltimore.
Prince and the children must have returned to York County by 17 May 1836, when the York County Orphans’ Court Docket made him “guardian of his three minor children under 14 years of age.” They are listed as David, James A., and Elizabeth M. (very probably Mary Elizabeth).
On 6 April 1837, David B. Prince married Elizabeth Sando, according to Christ Lutheran Church, York records.
YCHT cemetery records show that Prince and both wives are buried near one another at York’s Prospect Hill cemetery, as are David O., James A., and Mary E.
So David Prince did have a total of two wives, and he did evidently move from York to Baltimore and then come back to resume his long teaching career here. It just goes to show how important it is to search original sources whenever possible, instead of jumping to conclusions like I did.
Click here for the York County Heritage Trust website.
