Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about the scandal surrounding the sale of one of the most famous and beautiful pieces of colonial-era furniture: the Prence-Howes Court Cupboard. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

While researching the Howes family line in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, an article entitled “Pilgrims’ Relic Revealed in Suit: Teacher Seeks Recovery of Rare Cupboard Once Owned by Governor Prence” caught my attention. (Note: this article spells the surname “Prince,” but most sources use “Prence.”

In 1925 Abby Willis Howes, a high school teacher, sold a rare cupboard from her family collection that had once belonged to her ancestor Mary Howes Prence, wife of Plymouth governor Thomas Prence.

According to this article, Miss Howes sold the piece to Wallace Nutting, a known artist and antiquarian, for $3,000. Nutting turned around and sold it to J. P. Morgan for $20,000.

Miss Howes filed a lawsuit charging Nutting for fraudulently obtaining this antique from her by undervaluing its worth, and sought to recover it or monies he made from its sale.

When this case reached the press one of the oldest pieces of colonial furniture came into the spotlight, known as the “Prence-Howes Court Cupboard.” Below is a photograph of this relic courtesy of John Miner, author of the “Miner Descent” blog.

I will return to this news clip in my second part.

I did a little digging and found this next article published in the Dennis Historical Society Newsletter titled “How a Priceless Antique Left the Howes Family,” submitted by another descendant: Marjorie S. Wheeler.

Majorie was the grandniece of Abby Willis Howes. In this newsletter article she writes:

My Great Aunt Abby may have been a wonderful schoolteacher, but as an antiques dealer, she left a lot to be desired. In 1925 after the death of her father (my great-grandfather Henry Francis Howes, 1840-1925), Aunt Abby’s actions provided a sad tale in the chronicles of my branch of the Howes family. The famous “Prince (or Prence) Court Cupboard,” which is literally priceless today, was part of my great-grandfather’s estate. Upon his death Aunt Abby, being the executrix of his will, decided to sell the cupboard. Perhaps she was experiencing financial difficulties or maybe the cupboard was just too large, but whatever the reason, she made the decision to sell.

Below is photo of Henry Frances Howes, son of Augustine Howes and Jerusha (Hall) Howes and a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley through their daughter Desire, who married John Gorham.

Henry married 1st Mercy Caroline Howes, daughter of Daniel Howes and Mercy (Lincoln) Howes, and 2nd Eugenie Helene Maud Turner, daughter of John Turner and Frances Jemima (Thompson) Turner.

Abby had been hired by Nutting as a colorist for his photographs of colonial interiors and pastoral landscapes, and that is how he became acquainted with the Prence-Howes Court Cupboard in her possession.

After Nutting sold the cupboard to J. P. Morgan for many times the amount he paid Abby, she sued him for further payment. She lost the suit in court, and the Howes family lost the Prence-Howes Court Cupboard forever.

In 2007 Skinner Auction House sold a lot described as “Partial archive of documents related to the case of Abby W. Howes v. Wallace Nutting regarding the Prince-Howes Cupboard sold to J.P. Morgan, including handwritten notes, checks, typed correspondence, letterhead, legal documents, etc.,” which fetched $407.

I will furnish the original will and genealogy for this family line, supporting the provenance of this precious cupboard, as well as some anecdotes on Mary Howes Prence, in Part 2.

Below is Abby’s obituary published in the Boston Herald. She died in Pasadena, California, at age 67. The clip includes some of the genealogy and I added her siblings that were not listed.

This article reports:

SAGAMORE, Aug. 29 – Miss Abby Howes, 67, died at Pasadena, Cal., Saturday night, following a long illness, it was learned here today. She was born in Dennis, daughter of the late Henry Francis and Mercy Caroline Howes. Funeral services were held at Pasadena yesterday. She attended Wellesley College and Simmons College and later became a teacher, first teaching in East Dennis and later at Holbrook and Wilkesbarre [Wilkes-Barre], Pa.

For several years she taught English at Lasalle Seminary in Auburndale. She also taught at the Farmington school for girls and at Swampscott and Danvers high schools. She retired three years ago and moved to California. She was the author of two texts books on American and English literature.

She is survived by three sisters: Mrs. Jennie P. Nye [born Jennie Frances Howes, married George Thatcher Perkins and 2nd Walter Edwin Richards Nye] and Mrs. Carrie L. Gibbs [born Carrie Lincoln Howes, married John Lambert Gibbs] of Sagamore; Mrs. Fiora H. Clampitt [born Flora Augusta Howes, married Frederick James Clampitt] of Chicago; and one brother, Frank E. Howes [born Frank Ellsworth Howes, married Nellie Smith Howes] of Dennis.

Other siblings not listed are the following: Henry Wilson Howes (married Elizabeth H. Pickert); Frances Beatrice Howes (married Benjamin Burgess Swift); and Frederick E. Howes (died at age 19 in an auto accident).

To be continued…

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Note on the header image: Prence-Howes Court Cupboard. Credit: John Miner.