Prentice is an old English name and has been spelled variously as Prentice, Prentys, Prentiz, Prentis, and Prentiss. Valentine Prentice was born c.1568 in Essex, England, immigrated to the U.S. 1631, and died in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He married Alice Bredda. His father, also called Valentine, and his probable grandfather and great-grandfather are also mentioned. The bulk of the book; however, treats the descendants of the grandsons and covers a total of seventeen generations. In addition to vital statistics, data covered may include residences, the spouse's parents, biographical information, and analysis of conflicting or unclear facts. A variety of primary and secondary sources were used to compile this work.