Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 531-533 [Christian]

     JOHN P. PROWSE, county clerk of Christian county, Kentucky, is
a native of this state and dates his birth in Muhlenberg county,
Kentucky, December 29, 1844.  America has been the home of the
Prowses for a number of generations.  Their original nationality is
not known.  It is supposed, however, that the progenitor of the
family in this country came here from England.  Thomas and Colonel
George O. Prowse, the grandfather and the father of John P., were
born in North Carolina and passed their lives as farmers.  When
George O. was two years old the family came to Kentucky, where he
was reared.  He was an old line Whig and then a Republican, and when
the Civil war broke out he showed his colors as a Union man.  He was
a colonel in the state militia and was a recruiting officer.  He
died February 24, 1862.  His wife was Miss Mary J. Wells.  She was a
native of Kentucky, and a daughter of Francis Wells, who came from
North Carolina to Kentucky at an early day and settled in Muhlenberg
county, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits.  The Wells family
traced its origin to England.  Colonel George O. and Mary J. Prowse
became the parents of fifteen children, thirteen of whom reached
adult age, and of that number only three are now living, namely:
Mark L., ex sheriff of Muhlenberg county, Kentucky; I. S., a farmer
of Muhlenberg county; and John P.
     John P. Prowse was the twelfth in order of birth in this
family.  He was reared on the home farm, receiving a common school
education, and remained with his mother until his twenty-fourth
year, having charge of the farming operations after his father's
death.  Then he left the home place, married and settled on another
farm.  He continued farming in Muhlenberg county until 1873, when he
sold his farm, came to Christian county and turned his attention to
merchandising.  He opened a country store, which was known as
Johnson's Postoffice, and dealt in general merchandise and tobacco,
making a specialty of the latter.  He continued in business at this
point until 1885, when, in order to give his children better
educational advantages, he moved to Hopkinsville.  He served one
year as deputy collector, under John Feland, and in 1890 he was
elected county clerk, in which official capacity he is still
serving, having been re-elected four times.
     Mr. Prowse was married January 13, 1870, to Miss T. J.
Atkinson, who was born in Henderson county, Kentucky, but reared in
Christian county, daughter of S. C. and Theodosia (Baily) Atkinson,
who came to Kentucky from North Carolina.  Mr. and Mrs. Prowse had
four children, two of whom are living.  The eldest son, Frank O.,
died at Columbus, Georgia, June 11, 1899, while a soldier in the
Spanish-American war.  Their next son, Charlie, is a prominent
attorney of Hopkinsville.  Nonia A. died February 24, 1901.  John
P., Jr., is deputy clerk in his father's office.
     Mrs. Prowse died September 20, 1903, at Battle Creek, Michigan. 
In both religion and politics Mr. Prowse has followed in the
footsteps of his worthy father, being a Republican and a member of
the Universalist church. 

Prowse Wells Feland Atkinson Baily
=
Muhlenberg-KY England NC Henderson-KY MI

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/christian/prowse.jp.txt