| Notes |
- "Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren VincentSprague, page 2.
Francis Sprague came in the good ship, "Anne" which sailedfrom London, England, and arrived at Plymouth, July, 1623.He was one of those "passengers" who, as Morton writes,"seeing the low and poor conditions of those that werebefore them, were much daunted and dismayed, and accordingto their divers humors, were diversely affected. Somewished themselves in England again; others fell to weeping,fancying their own misery in what they saw in others; othersome pitying the distress they saw their friends had longbeen in, and still were under. In a word, all were full ofsadness; only some of their old friends rejoiced to seethem, and it was no worse with them for they could notexpect it should be better, and now hoped they should enjoybetter days together. And truly it was no marvel theyshould be thus affected, for they were in a low condition,both in respect of food and clothing at that time."Governor Bradford, in allusion to the passengers who camein the Anne and the James, says: "The best dish we couldpresent them with, is a lobster, or a piece of fish,without bread, or any thing else but a cup of fair springwater: and the long continuance of this diet, with ourlabors abroad, has somewhat abated the freshness of ourcomplexion; but God gives us health."
He married in England, Lydia ______ who with their daughtercame with him.NOTE: The above line has been proven to not be true butsince it is part of the highly respected volume by Dr.Warren Vincent Sprague it has been highly quoted. Pleasedo not enter this false information into your familyhistory database.
"Pilgrims Republic of 1888", Goodwin, pages 362-596. 1623, Autumn. He shared in the division of lands withthose who came in the Anne. 1627, At the division of cattle he gives the names ofhis children as Ann and Mary. 1627, July. Signed an agreement with William Bradfordand others pertaining to the carrying on of the fur trade. 1632-3, Jan. 2. Was taxed at Plymouth, being assessedfor 18 shillings. 1632. About this date he settled in the N.E. part ofDuxbury, near the Nook, so called.
1637, June 17. Admitted Freeman of the Colony. 1637. Licensed to sell spirituous liquors. 1640.Owned land on North River. 1644, Apr. 1. Deeded to his son-in-law WilliamLawrence 50 acres on South River. 1645. Was one of the original proprietors ofBridgewater, but he nor any of his family came to residethere. He was one of the original purchasers of Dartmouth. 1659, Oct 26. Deeded land to his son-in-law RalphEarle of Rhode Island. 1666. Was an Inn Holder up to this date and ownedconsiderable property. Mr. Sprague did not adhere strictlyto the enactments of the civil code of the Puritan Fathersand was several times brought before the Court for whatthey considered departures from the strict line of duty.His ardent temperament and great independence of mind didnot fully accord with the principles of the Puritans, butconsidered from the present standards of estimating thecharacters of men, he must have been a person of worth andgreat respectability. We know that he was the head of amost honorable and respected family of descendants. 1669. His son John succeeded to his business of"keeping an Ordinary" or tavern, where spirituous liquorswere sold, and it is presumed that his death occurredshortly before. 1662. The Court admonished good wife Tubbs (hisdaughter Mercy) for "mixed dancing"; she left her husbandand in 1668 the court granted him a divorce. They had ason, William Tubbs, Jr., who married in 1691, Judith, widowof Isaac Baker.
From a note from Richard Fricke, descendant of WilliamSprague.
Francis Sprague arrived at Plymouth in July, 1623 on theGood Ship Anne from England. The tale is recounted in thebook "Pilgrims Republic, dated 1888, by Goodwin, pages362-596.
From Eugene Aubry's "Plymouth Colony" BiographicalSketches, page 357.
Arriving in 1623 on the Anne, Francis Sprague had threeshares in the 1623 land division, and he was in the 1627cattle division with Anna Sprague and Mercy Sprague, thelatter known to be his daughter, but his relationship toAnna, possibly a wife or another daughter, is not known.His son John Sprague was born in Plymouth and married RuthBasset, daughter of William Basset. Mary Lovering Holman,The Scott Genealogy, page 241, gives him four children. Inaddition to a son John, Francis had Mercy Sprague, whomarried 9 November 1637 William Tubbs, Anna Sprague, whomarried before 1 April 1644 William Lawrence, and DorcasSprague, who married before 26 October 1659 Ralph Earle.Though William Lawrence's wife was a daughter of FrancisSprague, it is assumed that her first name was Ann, and ifit should later be learned that the Anna in the 1627division was Sprague's wife, then the first name ofLawrence's wife is unknown. One of the purchasers,Sprague was on the 1633 and 1634 tax lists and became afreeman 7 June 1637. On 2 January 1637/38, he waspresented for beating William Halloway, erstwhile servantto William Bassett. In 1638, he was licensed to keep anordinary at Duxbury; his license was suspended in 1640, buthe was licensed again in 1646. In 1650, he became aconstable for Duxbury. On 27 April 1661, Francis Spragueof Duxbury deeded his dwelling house and land to his sonJohn Sprague with the provision that John would not takepossession until his father died. Francis was listed in the29 May 1670 list of freemen in Duxbury, but his name wascrossed out, which would seem to indicate that he diedshortly after that date. The Anthony Sprague who marriedElizabeth, daughter of Robert Bartlett, and the JoannaSprague who married Caleb Church, were not of this family,but were children of William Sprague of Hingham.
From "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", byNahum Mitchell.
Francis Sprague was one of the forefathers, and arrived atPlymouth 1623 in the ship Ann. He settled in Duxbury, andwas one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater, but didnot, nor did any of his family, come to reside there.There is no mention of a daughter, Dorcas.
From George Davis.
Francis Sprague married ?Lydia/Anna? according to Torrey'sMarriages before 1700. The Munsey-Hopkins Genealogy by D.O. S. Lowell says Anna.
From George Sawyer.
Francis sailed from London for New England in 1623, withAnna & Mercy, his wife and daughter. They reached Plymouthin the latter part of June in the ship "Ann". The sameyear 3 acres of land was allotted to him "to the seaeastward". In 1627, at the time of the division of cattle,Francis Sprague was in the "sixt lott", of thirteenpersons. There is no mention of any other Sprague in thecolony at that time except Anna & Mercy. Probably his twochildren John & Dorcas were born in Plymouth or in Duxbury.
In 1632, Duxbury was set off from Plymouth, and in 1637,incorporated as a town. The following year Francis waslicensed as an inn holder there, and continued there atleast until 1666. He is spoken of as being "a man ofinfluence and property". He was one of the originalproprietors of Bridgewater (1645), though he never residedthere. In 1660, he became one of the purchasers ofDartmouth. The date of his death is unknown but if fallsbetween 1666 & 1669.
From Sherie Sprague Winslow.
Francis Sprague arrived in Plymouth as a Purchaser in July1623 on the ship Anne from London with wife Lydia anddaughter Anna. (Various references do not agree). He was aman of influence and property for those times. In 1623, heshared in the division of lands given to those who came onthe Anne. (Every person was given one private acre.)
In 1632, he settled on the NE part of Duxbury, MA. In1637, he was admitted as Freeman of the colony. Scholarsare undecided, because of the inconclusive early records,but it appears that being elected Freeman had to do withthe right to vote in Plymouth Colony affairs. This rightwas not extended to everyone. In 1632, he was alsolicensed to sell liquor. It appears that this was thefirst liquor license granted in the colonies. His licensewas suspended in 1638 (for imbibing too many of the spiritshe sold) and renewed in 1640. (FEF: Saints and Strangerspages 235 and 321.)
In 1645, he was one of the original purchasers ofDartmouth. In 1650, he was made Constable of Duxbury."Mr. Sprague did not adhere strictly to the enactments ofthe civil code of the Puritan Fathers and was several timesbrought before the Court for what they considereddepartures from the strict line of duty. His ardenttemperament and great independence of mind did not fullyaccord with the principles of the Puritans, but consideredfrom the present standards of estimating the characters ofmen, he must have been a person of worth and greatrespectability. We know that he was the head of a mosthonorable and respected family of descendants".
"Supplemental to Sprague Families in America", 1915, byFrank H. Sprague.
His death must have occurred shortly before 1669 as that iswhen his son John took over the running of the tavern. (Aseparate source says his death was approximately5-29-1670.) (Other reference: Planters of the Commonwealth)
"The Great Migration Begins", by Robert Charles Anderson,Volume III, 1996, page 1727
There are very few dates for this family, and manyunanswered questions. The household of Francis Spragueconsisted of three persons in 1623 and again in 1627 [PCR12:5, 11], and we assume here that these three are in bothcases Francis, Anna, and Mercy. Mercy was clearly thedaughter who married in 1637, but opinion is divided as towhether Anna was wife or daughter of Francis.
We know that a daughter of Francis Sprague had marriedWilliam Lawrence by 1644, but we have no record which givesher Christian name. But to have married by that date, andbe born after the cattle division of 1727, she would beseventeen at marriage at most, an perhaps younger. Themore likely solution is that the Anna of the cattledivision was a second daughter, and Francis did not bring awife with him to New England.
The other two children of Francis (John and Dorcas) wereapparently born in the 1630s, and so fifteen or twentyyears younger than Mercy and Anna, with no evidence of anychildren born in between. This alone suggests that thesewere children of a second marriage. We postulate,therefore, that Francis Sprague had two wives, the first ofwhom died in England before 1623, and the second of whom hemarried in New England about 1630. If our conclusion thatAnna Sprague of the 1627 cattle division became wife ofWilliam Lawrence is correct, then we do not know the givenname of either of the wives of Francis, nor do we havedates of birth, marriage or death for either of them.
"The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers"
FRANCIS SPRAGUE
This name does not occur in the Leyden Archives, and inaddition to this it is of great rarity in England. Earlysettlers of the name emigrated from Dorset to New Englandbut no other occurrence of it is known. It appears asSpragg and sometimes as Sprake, and such few instances ofits occurrence are found in the counties of Devon andSomerset. As none of the passengers have been traced tothe West Country it is probable that this emigrant was atransient resident in London whence most of this companycame. As two daughters shared with him in the 1627division and he had a son-in-law in 1644 it is probablethat he was married and past middle life when he emigrated.
The occurrence of the name of Spragg at Knutsford, CountyChester, whence some other emigrants to New England,indicates a possible connection between him and Tatliffeand Hilton who preceded him in the Fortune (q.v.).
From A. J. Sprague, correspondent.
Francis came to America on the Anne as stated. All thelists of the passengers on the ship list Francis as comingwith two (apparently) females. Anna and Mercy. There isno Lydia on the list anywhere. I have been searching forseveral years now. I can find no historical evidence ofany kind as to the existence of a Lydia. The onlyreference to a Lydia was where a Lydia Sprague made hermark on a document selling the land in Duxbury. It was soldby Francis' grandson, John. John had a wife named Lydia.The laws of the time said that wives had to sign off onproperty that was to be sold. The only logical assumptionwas that this Lydia was John's wife. If she was Francis'wife she would have to be quite old and there is still theproblem of where did John's wife sign. Some believe thatFrancis married a second time, his first wife having diedin England. If so, this marriage would have to have beenbefore 1633 or after 1640 as his marriage is not listed inthe Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, Vol. 1. Icannot find vol. 2 but his second marriage is not listed inthe index of that vol. Volumes 3 and 4 do not seem to listmarriages although I have not had a chance to search themyet. All the volumes are available in the Plymouth Countyoffices in Plymouth. The Mayflower Society in Plymouthalso has a set although one volume seems to be missing, orat least it has not been there the last three times I wentthere over a span of about four years.
From Sue Bates, correspondent.
No records seem to exist presenting the reasons orcircumstances which might have prompted Francis Sprague andhis family to leave England and embark upon what was to bea new and often perilous life in the colonies. It canhowever be surmised that those reasons were not purelyreligious, as were those of many of the others who hadchosen to become part of the colonial endeavor in NewEngland. This is made evident by a number of subsequentfactors. One indication is the fact that Francis Sprague,rather than having been designated as one of the Saints ortrue Puritans by George F. Wilson in his book SAINTS ANDSTRANGERS, published 1945 by Reynal and Hitchcock of NewYork, was instead designated as having been among theso-called "Strangers". These "Strangers" were those whowere part of the colony but who did not strictly adhere tothe Puritan religious principles. For even though he hadimmigrated and settled with the Puritan or Pilgrim companyat Plymouth Colony, Soule's descriptive narrative of him inSprague Memorial makes the following descriptive notationregarding him:
"It appears that grave and sober though he was, he did notwholly escape the displeasure of the scrupulous magistratesof those days. The Court records disclose the fact that hewas several times brought before them for what theyconsidered departures from the strict line of duty. A fairinterpretation, however, of the evidence, drawn from theOld Colony Records, warrants the conclusion that Francis(Sprague) was a person of ardent temperament and of greatindependence of mind; in short, that his sympathies withthe principles of the Puritan Fathers did not go to thelength of Passive acquiescence in all the enactments oftheir civil code. We know that he was the head of a mosthonorable and respected family of descendants."
Regardless of their reasons for having done so, FrancisSprague, his wife and daughter left England in early 1623and arrived at Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts on or about10 July of that same year, and all three were laterdesignated as having been among the 189 settlers who wereto be acknowledged as the "Founding Fathers of America".
In the fall of 1623, Francis Sprague and his familyparticipated in a harvest feast that also turned into acelebration of the marriage of Governor William Bradford toAlice Southworth. This feast, which was attended by thelocal Indian chief Massasoit and 120 of his people, was theoccasion that has since become noted as the firstThanksgiving.
Shortly after arriving at Plymouth Colony, Francis Spraguetook part in a division of land among the passengers of theship ANNE in which he was granted a plot of land that mayhave been about 100 acres or more.
On 5 November 1623, Francis Sprague took part in what maywell have been one of the first "volunteer" fire fightingefforts to have taken place in New England. On that eveninga fire broke out in one of the settlement houses that soonspread to and destroyed two or three other houses andthreatened to engulf the storehouse where the settlement'swinter food supply was being kept. Governor Bradfordorganized the fire fighting effort and the food stores weresaved. It was later discovered that the fire had resultedfrom a deliberate act of arson.
Sometime around May or June of 1627 Francis Spragueobtained a number of head of cattle in a division oflivestock among the colonists. In July of that same year,he entered into an agreement with Governor Bradfordregarding the fur trade and was thus well on his way tobecoming one of the more well to do and respected citizensof Plymouth Colony.
On 2 January 1632 he was taxed 18 shillings on his land andholdings at Plymouth. Shortly after this, apparentlyseeking larger and more fertile fields, he and his familymoved to the northeast area of what was then known as the"Duxburrow Side" of the bay north of Plymouth Colony. Thisarea has since become the city of Duxbury, Massachusetts.
At Duxburrow they settled on a large grant of landadjoining that of Elder William Brewster, not far from thetown meeting house. This land, near what was known as the"Nook", lay along a bay with good meadows, salt marshes anda creek that is still known as Sprague's Creek.
On 17 June 1637 Francis Sprague was admitted as a Freemanof the Massachusetts Colony. Such status, given only tomale members of the colony, required the passing of arigorous examination of the individual's religious viewsand moral character. There is some indication that may haverequired formal membership in the church. And finally, itrequired that the applicant own property valued at no lessthan £20, though this later requirement was not strictlyenforced. That same year he was granted a license to sellliquor in New England and on 1 October 1637 he establishedwhat has since been recognized as having been one of thefirst taverns and inns to be operated in New England.
At least four other such establishments are known to haveexisted in the region about this same time, some perhapsbefore that of Francis Sprague. James Cole operated atavern just above Plymouth, and others in the area wereeither owned or operated by Constant Southworth, AssistantGovernor of the colony William Collier and by IsaacRobinson.
All of these establishments faced the same problems,problems which appear to have been purposely directedtoward them by the religious minded, colonial authorities.There were officials appointed for the sole purpose offollowing patrons into such taverns and then monitoringtheir intake of liquor, individuals who had the authorityto force the tavern operator to stop serving any individualor group of persons if, in that official's mind, suchpersons were beyond what they felt to be the "legal" limitsof intoxication. The officials have often been noted ashaving made extreme nuisances of themselves. In addition,no tobacco could be used in the taverns, no card playingwas tolerated nor was dice gaming.
Beyond that, official approval and permission to operate atavern that served liquor was usually granted only to themost respectable persons, and such approval was seldomgiven to anyone known to drink to intoxication. Tavernowners were also held responsible for the sobriety of theirpatrons and could be brought to account equally for theactions of any of their patrons who, when intoxicated,caused some problem.
That Francis Sprague was of such independence of mind as tobalk at such official interference with the process of freetrade is indicated by the fact that within next year hisliquor license was suspended for his "...drinking overmuchand tolerating too much jollity" and was admonished forpurposely and knowing serving guests beyond the legallimit. That suspension was lifted though by the end of 1638.
Sometime around this same period of time Francis Spraguebecame a member of the Duxbury Militia under the leadershipof Captain Myles Standish.
In 1640 he obtained more land near Duxbury, along the NorthRiver. On 1 April 1644 he deeded a 50 acre tract of landalong the South River to William Lawrence, husband of hisdaughter Mary. This may well have been a wedding present.
In 1645 Francis Sprague became one of the originalproprietors of Bridgewater, Massachusetts and alsoco-purchased, with the Earle family, a large amount of landat the present site of Dartmouth, in what is presentlyRhode Island, apparently as the first stage toward theestablishment of a settlement at that location. The sitewas subsequently settled in 1650 and became incorporated asthe town of Dartmouth in 1664.
In 1648 and again in 1657 he served as Surveyor of Highwaysfor the area and in 1649 he served as Constable of Duxbury.
On 26 October 1659 he deeded land to his son-in-law RalphEarle of Rhode Island. This land, given on the occasion ofthe marriage of Ralph Earle to Dorcas Sprague, daughter ofFrancis Sprague and Anne _____(?), was apparently a weddingpresent and may have been some of the land purchased atDartmouth, considering that the newlyweds almostimmediately settled at Dartmouth, Rhode Island after theirmarriage. Several months after this, in 1660, FrancisSprague's wife Anne _____(?) died in Duxbury.
On 5 June 1666 Francis Sprague's liquor license was againsuspended because of a brawling incident in his tavern.This suspension was also temporary, being lifted a shorttime later.
On 29 October 1669 Francis Sprague's son John entered intoco-proprietorship of the family tavern. This may have takenplace because of the advancing age of the founder of thisfamily line in America. Following both their deaths in1676, this inn was owned and operated by John Sprague's sonWilliam, who later passed it on to his son Jethro. Its fateafter that time is presently unknown.
Francis Sprague is reported to have died in 1676, sometimeafter March of that year and after the death of his sonJohn. He is reported as having been one of the 10wealthiest men in New England at the time of his death.
NOTE: from Richard E. (Dick) Weber relative to the claim ofFrancis Sprague's participation in the first Thanksgivingcelebration (above):
The first Thanksgiving isn't as precise as we might like.Here's what the
World Book Encyclopedia has to say:
"In the United States and Canada, a day is set aside eachyear as Thanksgiving Day. On this day, people give thankswith feasting and prayer for the blessings they may havereceived during the year. The first Thanksgiving Days wereharvest festivals, or days for thanking God for plentifulcrops. For this reason the holiday still takes place latein the fall after the crops have been gathered. Forthousands of years people in many lands have held harvestfestivals. The American Thanksgiving Day probably grew outof the harvest-home celebrations of England.
In the United States, Thanksgiving is usually a family day,celebrated with big dinners and joyous reunions. The verymention of Thanksgiving often calls up memories of kitchensand pantries crowded with good things to eat. Thanksgivingis also a time for serious religious thinking, churchservices, and prayer.
One of the first Thanksgiving observances in America wasentirely religious and did not involve feasting. On Dec.4, 1619, 39 English settlers arrived at BerkeleyPlantation, on the James River near what is now CharlesCity, VA. The group's charter required that the day ofarrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.
The first New England Thanksgiving was celebrated less thana year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in the newland. The first dreadful winter in Massachusetts hadkilled nearly half of the members of the colony. But newhope grew up in the summer of 1621. The corn harvestbrought rejoicing. Governor William Bradford decreed thata three-day feast be held. A Thanksgiving Day set asidefor the special purpose of prayer as well as celebrationwas decreed by Governor Bradford for July 30, 1623.
The women of the colony spent many days preparing for thefeat. The children helped by turning roasts on spits infront of open fires. Indians brought wild turkeys andvenison (deer Meat.) The men of the colony brought geese,ducks, and fish. The women served the meat and fish withjourney cake, corn meal bread with nuts, and succotash.Everyone ate outdoors at big tables."
From Russell Sprague, correspondent:
Here is something you might find interesting. Start at:
<http://istg.rootsweb.com/>
Click on 'volume 2', then 'I agree (copyright)' then'1600s', then 'Anne and Little James'.
This is the passenger list and a bit of description of theships that Francis Sprague and others came over on in 1623.
"The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers", byCharles Edward Banks, page 162
FRANCIS SPRAGUE
THIS name does not occur in the Leyden Archives, and inaddition to this it is of great rarity in England. Earlysettlers of the name emigrated from Dorset to New Englandbut no other occurrence of it is known. It appears asSpragg and sometimes as Sprake, and such few instances ofits occurrence are found in the counties of Devon andSomerset. As none of the passengers have been traced to theWest Country it is probable that this emigrant was atransient resident in London whence most of this companycame. As two daughters shared with him in the 1627 divisionand he had a son-in-law- in 1644 it is probable that he wasmarried and past middle life when he emigrated.
The occurrence of the name of Spragg at Knutsford, co.Chester, whence came other emigrants to New England,indicates a possible connection between him and Ratliffeand Hilton who preceded him in the Fortune.
From Suzi Miller, correspondent, note of July 12, 2010
From the book, "The English Ancestry and Homes of thePilgrim Fathers who came to Plymouth on the 'Mayflower' in1620; the 'Fortune in 1621; and the 'Anne' and the 'LittleJames' in 1623":
"THE ANNE. Bradford gives the following particulars ofthe company of emigrants who came in this ship: 'About 14days after, (i.e. July 10, 1623, came in this ship caledthe Anne, whereof Mr. William Pierce was Master. . .Theybrought 60 persons for the generall, some of them beingvery usefull persons, and became good members to the body,and some were wives and children of shuch as were hearalready. And some were so bad, as they were faine to be atcharge to send them home againe the next year. . .' RobertCushman had written to Bradford early that year: 'Ourfriends at Leyden. . .will come to you as many as can thistime,' and by the ship Anne he sent another letter,advising Bradford that 'Some few of your old friends arecome, as &c. So they come droping to you. . .And becausepeople press so hard upon us to goe, and often shuch as arenone of the fitest, I pray you write earnestly to theTreasurer and direct what persons should be sente. Itgreeveth me to see so weake a company sent you. . ."
The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England,1620-1633, Volume III, by Robert Charles Anderson,published at Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, page 1727.
Comments. There are very few dates for this family, andmany unanswered questions. The household of FrancisSprague consisted of three persons in 1623 and again in1627 [PCR 12:5, 11], and we assume here that these threeare in both cases Francis, Anna and Mercy. Mercy wasclearly the daughter who married in 1637, but opinion isdivided as to whether Anna was wife or daughter of Francis.
We know that a daughter of Francis Sprague had marriedWilliam Lawrence by 1644, but we have no record which givesher Christian name. But to have married by that date, andbe born after the cattle division of 1627, she would beseventeen at marriage at most, and perhaps younger. Themore likely solution is that the Anna of the cattledivision was a second daughter, and Francis did not bring awife with him to New England.
The other two children of Francis (John and Dorcas) wereapparently born in the 1630s, and so fifteen or twentyyears younger than Mercy and Anna, with no evidence of anychildren born in between. This alone suggests that thesewere children of a second marriage. We postulate,therefore, that Francis Sprague had two wives, the first ofwhom died in England before 1623, and the second of whom hemarried in New England about 1630. If our conclusion thatAnna Sprague of the 1627 cattle division became the wife ofWilliam Lawrence is correct, then we do not know the givennames of either of the wives of Francis, nor do we havedates of birth, marriage or death for either of them.
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Abt 1590 - 1676 (~ 86 years)
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