The Pridhams of Puddle Dock (Portsmouth, NH)

Isaac Charles Haven Pridham was born in New Castle, New Hampshire in 1847. He was a fisherman, and veteran of the Civil War (having served three years in the US Navy). He moved for a short time to Gloucester, MA, where he was married in 1871 to Catherine Hessian, the daughter of Dennis and Mary Hessian. They soon returned to the seacoast, and rented a home at 17 Jefferson St (near the eastern corner of Jefferson and Liberty). By 1888, he moved his family across the street to 4 Liberty St (u-shaped bldg on left of map below). 

1898 map of Jefferson and Liberty Streets

Isaac gave up the fisherman's life around 1892, and went to work for the Boston and Maine Railroad as a cook. He left Portsmouth and moved to Cambridge, MA by 1910, where he resided with his daughter Pauline Randall. He died in Brighton, MA in 1924.

Isaac's daughter Catherine and her husband Hugh McCann lived in the same building at 4 Liberty (later renumbered 25) for many years, buying it in 1912.

Son William Howell Pridham, upon marrying in 1899, first moved to 3b Charles St [1900 census], then to 15 Jefferson [1903 St Dir], and to 16 Gates St by the 1910 census. They soon after returned to Jefferson St.

61 Washington St, viewed from Jefferson St

61 Washington St (highlighted) - 1920 map

The 1920 census shows William H Pridham residing at 47 Jefferson (I did not find this on any map or street dir), but he moved down the road to 61 Washington by 1928, which was at the intersection with Jefferson. He died there in the house in 1934.

Portsmouth Herald, 3/16/1934

William Howell Pridham with daughter Catherine, ca 1901

Widow Louise remained at 61 Washington until around 1935, when she moved to 187 Marcy St. William H Jr, who had been renting at 91 Washington, bought the house at 28 Hancock. Thomas C and Anna Pridham lived at 90 Atkinson for over a dozen years before buying a house and moving across town to Morning St in 1944. Louise, her sons Sherman and Joseph (and their wives), lived in the house at 65 Charles St during the 1940's and '50's, until urban renewal forced everyone out of their houses in the former Puddle Dock area. Historic preservation and the creation of Strawbery Banke saved many of the buildings in the area, including some of those lived in by the Pridham family.  

1920 map of Jefferson and Liberty

The former 65/67 Charles St, now called the "Shapley-Drisco House". Map at left shows location of house (#65 highlighted).

1920 photo of Jefferson St. Alice Pridham (left), her brother Sherman, and Hazel (Jones?). In above map, an "X" marks where photo was taken.

Louise (Condon) Pridham w/ dau Alice and three of her sons

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                                      Genealogical Summary for the Family of Isaac C H Pridham
ISAAC CHARLES HAVEN PRIDHAM (John R, Nathaniel, Isaac, John) was born 11 Sept 1847 in New Castle, NH , the son of John Randall and Ruth Ann (Fish) Pridham. He died at the hospital in Brighton, MA on 9 Apr 1924, and was buried in Riverside Cemetery, New Castle. He had married in Gloucester, MA on 17 Mar 1871 to CATHERINE HESSIAN, the daughter of Dennis and Mary (Waldron) Hessian. She was born in Gloucester on 8 Sept 1853, and died in Portsmouth on 5 Aug 1908. She was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth.

Isaac and Catherine (ie. Katherine, Kate) had the following children, all born in Portsmouth, NH:

i. MARY PAULINE PRIDHAM (called Paulina E on birth record), b. 12 Nov 1872; d. 1962. She married JAMES HENRY RANDALL, the son of Judson P and Melinda Randall, on 3 June 1895 in Portsmouth. They later divorced. She is buried with mother in Calvary Cemetery, Portsmouth.

ii. JOHN D PRIDHAM, b. abt 5 Aug 1875; d. 13 Sept 1875 (in Gloucester?)

iii. ISAAC H PRIDHAM, b. 1 July 1876; d. 14 Nov 1879.

iv. CATHERINE PRIDHAM, b. 23 Mar 1878, d. aft 1934. Married 16 Feb 1904 to HUGH McCANN, son of Hugh and Ellen (Welch) McCann. They had two sons, Hugh G and John W.

v. WILLIAM HOWELL PRIDHAM, born 19 Apr 1881 in Portsmouth, NH. He died there on 15 Mar 1934, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery. He married, on 29 Nov 1899 in Portsmouth, NH to LOUISE E (or J) CONDON, the daughter of John and Ellen (Griffin) Condon. She was born 2 Jan 1879 in Portsmouth, NH and died in East Derry, NH on 26 Jan 1962.
   Their children, all born in Portsmouth:
   1. Catherine Pauline Pridham, b. 12 May 1900. Married 3 Aug 1920 to James Leon Richards.
   2. John H Pridham, b. 16 Nov 1901; d. 9 Nov 1950 in Portsmouth, NH. Marr Dorothy E Stickles, b.25 Oct 1911 Portsmouth; d. 21 Nov 1994 Brentwood, NH.
   3.. Thomas Condon Pridham, b. 28 Aug 1903. Marr Anna Driscoll
   4. Alice Louise Pridham, b. 29 Aug 1905; d. 3 Feb 1980 in Exeter, NH. Marr 29 Apr 1928 in Portsmouth, NH to Reginald L Dow.
   5. Herbert Pridham, b. ca 1908
   6. William Howell Pridham Jr, b. ca 1910. Marr on 22 July 1933 in Gonic, NH to Eleanor P Moore. 
   7. Sherman Charles Pridham, b. 19 May 1919; d. 19 Sept 1983. Marr 24 Oct 1941 in Portsmouth to Blanche Louise Jones, dau of Ralph and Etta, and sister of Hazel, wife of Joseph. 
   8. male (stillborn) 9 Feb 1912; bur Cotton Cemetery, Portsmouth
   9. Joseph Clayton Pridham, b. 15 Mar 1913; d. 10 July 1969 in Portsmouth. Marr in Eliot, Maine on 2 Sept 1939 to Hazel Mae Jones.
   10. Anastasia Pridham, b. 10 Nov 1916; d. 27 Apr 1918 in Portsmouth, NH

vi. ALICE M PRIDHAM, b. 19 Dec 1882; d. 16 May 1885.

vii. stillborn (f), 10 Nov 1884

viii. ELIZABETH PRIDHAM, b. Oct 1885; d. 1 Apr 1886 in Portsmouth

ix. GEORGE SHERMAN PRIDHAM, b. 4 Sept 1886; d. 2 Apr 1946 in Portsmouth. Marr 13 Nov 1906 in Portsmouth to MARY A GRACE. They had at least 4 children, seen in the 1930 Portsmouth census.

x. stillborn, 2 Dec 1890