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The Sprague Mill, Upwey, England

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Jonathan Sprague^{[1, 2]}
1648 - 1741

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• Birth	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA   [3, 4, 5]
  Christened	28 May 1648  [2, 6, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA   [1]
  Residence	Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   [1]
  Residence	1672	Mendon, Worcester Co., MA, USA   [3]
  Died	Sep 1741	Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   [3]
  Age	~ 93 years
  Person ID	I36081	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	06 Jul 2010

  
  

  Father	William Sprague,   b. Abt Oct 1609, Upwey, Dorsetshire, England ,   d. 26 Oct 1675, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA    (~ 66 years)
  Mother	Millicent Eames,   b. 1615, Fordington, Dorchester, , Dorset, England ,   d. 8 Feb 1695/96, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA    (81 years)
  Married	26 May 1635	Charlestown, Suffolk Co., MA, USA
  Family ID	F13547	Family Group Sheet

  
  

  Family / Spouse 1	Mehitable Holbrook,   b. Abt 1649, Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA ,   d. 29 Oct 1719, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA    (~ 70 years)
  Married	20 Jul 1670	Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA   [3, 8]
  Children	+ 1. Jonathan Sprague,  b. Abt 1672, Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,  d. 22 Apr 1764, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   (~ 92 years) + 2. Patience Sprague,  b. 1674, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,  d. 29 Aug 1770, RI, USA   (96 years) + 3. Joanna Sprague,  b. 1676, Richmond, Washington Co., RI, USA ,  d. 1757, South Kingston, Washington Co., RI, USA   (81 years)   4. Persis Sprague,  b. 1681, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,  + 5. Capt. William Sprague,  b. 2 Feb 1690/91, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,  d. 20 Oct 1778, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   (87 years) + 6. Mary Sprague,  b. 1697, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,  d. 29 Aug 1770   (73 years)
  Family ID	F13648	Family Group Sheet

  
  

  Family / Spouse 2	Elizabeth Harding?,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F13649	Family Group Sheet

  
  

  Family / Spouse 3	Hannah Harris,   b. 11 Feb 1668/69, Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	5 Jun 1714  [9]
  Family ID	F13650	Family Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map		Event Birth - - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Residence - - Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA Residence - - Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA Married - 20 Jul 1670 - Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA Residence - 1672 - Mendon, Worcester Co., MA, USA Died - Sep 1741 - Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  From Richard Fricke. Jonathan Sprague moved to Providence, Rhode Island. "Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren Vincent Sprague, page 132. 1671-2, Jan. 1. Was living near his brother John, and father-in-law, William Holbrook, in Mendon, MA and chosen Recorder of Mendon. 1675. Austin in Gen. Dict. RI says his father died in this year and left him a legacy of 60 acres of land in Providence. 1680, July 16. He was taxed 7 pence. 1681, May 3. Made a Freeman of Providence. 1687. His ratable estate was 2 oxen, 6 cows, 2 mares, a horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres of planting ground and 6 acres of meadow. 1687, Dec. 13. He refused to take oath as grand juror and was fined 6 shilling, 8 pence. 1695, July 2. One of a committee of seven, appointed by Gen. Assembly, to propose a method for making a rate, and also on a commission to run the eastern boundary line of the Colony. 1695, Oct 31. Was one of a committee appointed to draw up a letter in answer to the Governor of New York. 1695, 1696, 1698, 1700, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1708, 1709, 1710, 1712, 1714. Deputy to Gen. Assembly from Providence. 1701, 1702, 1703. Justice of the Peace. 1703. Speaker of the House of Deputies. 1703, Oct. 27. The Gen. Assembly ordered, in re Jonathan Sprague v. James Bick, that "the said James Bick shall, by the next sitting of the Assembly, bring under the hands of the said three brothers, Anthony, Samuel and William (Sprague), or any two of them, their result on the paragraph of their brother John's will, what shall be allowed their brother Jonathan for what he did on his brother John's land at Mendon". This James Bick had married John's widow, who was a sister of Jonathan's wife. 1703, June 22. He was one of a committee of three appointed by Gen. Assembly to "draw up a method and proceedings" of a new Court of Common Pleas. 1703-4, Jan 4. The Gen. Assembly having heard the report previously ordered in re Jonathan Sprague v. James Bick, ordered "execution should go forth agains said Bick". 1705 to 1712. He was a member of the Town Council of Providence. 1706-7, Feb. 25. He and Capt. Joseph Jeuckes were members of a commission of six to run the northern boundary line of RI. 1707. He was Clerk of the General Assembly. 1709, Oct. He and Maj. Jenckes were appointed to be assistants to the northern boundary line Commissioners. 1713, Jan 16. He was taxed 18 shilling, 6 pence. 1719, May 23. He made an agreement with his sons-in-law William Jenckes, John Teft, and Daniel Brown, deeding them his house and all his lands, they maintaining him for life and he to have choice of which son-in-law he would dwell with. They were to maintain his horse also and pay him 6 pounds a year and 25 pounds to such persons as he directed at his decease. 1719, Nov. 9. He deeded to son-in-law Ebenezer Cook certain lands. 1722-3, Feb. 23. He wrote a long letter to three prominent Presbyterian Ministers in Massachusetts in answere to one they had addressed to him and other citizens concerning the establishment of a Church in Providence. Mr. Sprague and his fellow Baptists failed to see the necessity of a Presbyterian establishment however. This correspondence gives his views in very vigorous and unmistakable terms. 1711, May 20. Proprietors of Mendon laid out to James Bick 25 acres which were a little above where is now (1891) Ballou's Bridge, and about the same time land to Jonathan Sprague, whereon he lived, which was near where is now (1891) the mill of the Harris Woolen Co. at Mill River. Bick afterwards sold his land, and Sprague part of his to William Arnold. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by Nahum Mitchell. Jonathan Sprague died at Hingham, and left no posterity. "Genealogy (in part) of the Sprague Families in America", by Augustus B. R. Sprague, page 15. In 1672, he removed to Mendon, MA. In 1675 his father died and left to him sixty acres of land in Providence, RI, where he located before 1680. He was appointed, with others, by the Assembly to run the eastern line of the Colony. Jonathan Sprague was evidently a man of strong character, was one of the most prominent and influential citizens of his town, and served frequently in public office. He was a member of the House of Deputies for sixteen years between 1695 and 1714; Speaker of the House in 1703, and member of the Town Council, eight years, from 1705 to 1712; Clerk of the Assembly in 1707. In 1703, he, with two others, was appointed to draw up the methods and proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas. Of a decidedly religious bent, he professed the Baptist faith, and preached as an exhorter. "Staples' Annals of Providence". Marriage to Mehitable Holbrook is mentioned but no other marriage is indicated. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr., page 106. Jonathan Sprague removed to Rhode Island and left no posterity. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by Hosea Sprague, page 32. Jonathan Sprague went to Rhode Island where he had 60 acres of land given him by his father. From Frank Polkinghorn, correspondent. Jonathan Sprague went from Hingham to Mendon and in 1672 was living near his brother, John Sprague, and his father-in-law, William Holbrook. In 1675 his father died and left him 60 acres in Providence. In 1680 he was taxed 1s, 7d at Providence. In 1687 his ratable estate was 2 oxen, 6 cows, 2 mares, horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres planting ground and six acres meadow. On December 13, 1687 he was fined 6s 8d for refusing to take the oath as a juryman. On July 2, 1695 he was appointed on a committee by the Assembly to propose a method of making rate; also with others to run the eastern line of the Colony. He was Deputy in 1695-6, 1698, 1700, 1702-11 and 1714. In 1702 he was Justice of the Peace; 1703 Speaker of the House of Deputies; June 22, 1703 he and two others were appointed to draw up a method and proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas. In 1705-12 he was on the Town Council; in 1707 Clerk of the Assembly. On June 16, 1713 he was taxed 18s, 6d. On May 23, 1719 he made an agreement with his sons-in-law William Jenckes, John Tefft, and Daniel Brown, deeding them his house and all lands, they maintaining him for life and he to have choice of son-in-law to live with. They were to maintain his horse also and pay him L6 and L25 to such persons as he should direct at his decease. On November 9, 1719 he deeded to his son-in-law Ebenezer Cook certain land. On February 23, 1722 he wrote a long letter to three prominent Presbyterian ministers in MA, John Danforth, Peter Thatcher, and Joseph Belcher in answer to one they had addressed to him and other citizens concerning the establishment of a church in Providence. Mr. Sprague and other Baptists failed to see the necessity of a Presbyterian church and in his letter gave his views in very vigorous and unmistakable terms. He preached as an exhorter but was not ordained (as Morgan Edwards declares in his account of the Baptists). "The Brothers Ralph & William Sprague and some of Their Descendants", by Frank William Sprague, 1909, page 4. Jonathan Sprague removed to Smithfield, R.I. and was a member of the Assembly from 1695 to 1714. In an agreement, dated Smithfield 29 June 1737, with "his three sons in law, namely William Jenckes, John Teft, and Daniel Brown, by one deed of gift even date given and granted to them his now dwelling house together with his land, for food and care,"




• Sources

  [S30] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), page 164, Volume III. [S73] Book: Sprague, Ralph, Genealogy, Sprague, E. G., (Montpelier, VT:The Capital City Press, 1913), page 29. [S750] Sprague, Augustus B. R., Sprague, Augustus B. R., (Worcester, MA: Privately Published on Press of L. P. Goddard, 1905), page 15.. [S245] Sprague Memorial, Soule, Richard, Jr., (Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1847), page 106.. [S899] Spragues of Hingham, Sprague, Hosea, (Privately Published, Hingham, Hosea Sprague, 1828.), page 32.. [S287] Sprague, Ralph & William, Sprague, Frank William, (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic and Genealogical Society, 1909), page 3.. [S2703] Book: The Great Migration Begins, N. E. H. G. S., Volume III P-W.. [S751] New York Biographical Dictionary, Heidgerd, William. [S3] Correspondent: Sprague, Scott Leroy.