| Notes |
- "The Sprague Family from Dorset, To Massachusetts &Gibraltar", by Joan Watkins, 1992, correspondent.
(NOTE: continued from notes for his father, Edward Sprague.)
NOTE: (added 3 June 2016: Joan Watkins gatheredsignificant documentation on the Sprague family. Because of information not available when Watkins wasconducting her research, we now know that Joanna Warren'sfather was Richard Warren, as shown in the descendants'list of this database. Fordington St George parishrecords show that Joanna Warren and Ralph Sprague weremarried 15 Aug 1623. Their sons John and Jonathanwere baptized at St George in 1624 and 1625,respectively. Jonathan may have died inchildhood--1626 parish records are damaged and 1629 recordsare missing--but some researchers, and this database,report that he died in Malden, MA in1650.
Soon after the death of her father Alice married RichardEames and moved to the Dorchester area to live nearPuddletown. Ralph followed and went toFordington. It is thought that being still in histeens, he was apprenticed to his grandfather Tristram'smill, thus easing the burden on his mother in Upwey.
In 1623 he married Joanna Warren whose father Thomas Warrenwas thought to have lived in the Manor House atFordington. In 1624 their first son John was born andbaptised in the Church of Fordington St. George. Jonathan followed in 1625, (although there is no latermention of Jonathan it could be that he died in childhood.)
Religion in England was still going through a verydiscordant time, especially when King Charles I ascendedthe throne in 1623 and married a Catholic FrenchPrincess. The town of Dorchester was alsoexperiencing hard times as a result of two devastatingfires in 1613 and again in 1622. The prosperity ofWest Country began to wane too. The taste in clothing andtextiles were changing. The King and his entouragewere demanding finer woven woolens, silks and cotton, noneof which were available locally and had to be imported fromthe Continent. Added to this there were years of poorharvests and great cold in the winters, with the ruralpopulation suffering many hardships and becoming restive bylack of employment and near starvation.
Meanwhile, a forceful Puritan Cleric, Rev. John White beganto play a significant part in Ralph Sprague's future. As early as 1606 the Rev. white was appointed Rector of twochurches in Dorchester. The Holy Trinity and St. Peters.This Patriarch, as he became known, with his great energyand religious zeal, spread his strong Puritan influencegradually throughout the County and in fact assumed therole of Religious Leader to the West Country. At thesame time he endeavored to maintain his loyalty to theChurch of England, but dedicated his life to the service ofAlmighty God with a simplicity of lifestyle and strongconvictions.
The Rev. White became very interested, when in 1623 areligious body by the name of 'Pilgrim Fathers' organisedan expedition and set sail from Plymouth for "NewEngland". He began to look towards this new countryas a place to further his own religious ambitions. The change in fortunes in Dorset and the West Country as awhole played a large part in his campaign. He triedto organise a Charter to colonise the area known asMassachusetts. In order to obtain financial backing,he had to battle against City Magnates and well-to-dopersonalities who themselves had begun to see the greatpossibilities of wealth and trade, as opposed to those of apurely religious nature. He had a few abortiveattempts.
Eventually he succeeded and the Company of New England wasformed. According to Francis Higginson's diarywritten at the time, the following is an extract: "TheCompany of New England consisted of many worthy gentlemenof the City of London, Dorchester and other places, aimingat the glory of God, the propagation of the Gospel ofChrist, the conversion of the Indians and the enlargementof the King's Majesty's dominions in America, and beingauthorised by his Royal Letters Patent for that, and attheir very great costs and charge furnished five ships togo to New England for the further settling of the EnglishPlantations that had begun in 1628". The five shipswere "Talbot", "George", "Lyon's Whelp", "FourSisters", and "Mayflower".
The year was 1629, Ralph was about 29 and a great friend ofthe Rev. John White. Somehow he was persuaded touproot his family and join this scheme. According torecords, Ralph, his wife Joanna and son John (aged about 4)together with his brothers Richard and William (only 19)agreed to join and set sail it is thought on the "Lyon'sWhelp".
What impelled the Spragues to make this great decision toleave England can only be conjecture. being friendsof the Patriarch John White, the underlying motive musthave been religion. It was a mammoth undertaking,fraught with dangers but the overwhelming desire was tosearch for a land where the true principles of faith andmorality could be practised, which was proving difficult inEngland. Added to this there must have been a great spiritof adventure in an age of increasing discoveries. Ahope too of gaining a better way of life than they couldenjoy in Dorset. Their courage to face such a voyage with ayoung family must have been daunting.
They were bolstered and encouraged by Ministers saying theywould find honour and glory in the works of the AlmightyGod beyond the seas. It was thus they embarked on the"Lyon's Whelp" in 1629. Ralph's younger brother Edwardremained at Upwey with his Mother Christian, who latermarried John Corben.
To quote further from Francis Higginson's Diary, he writes:"The Lyon's Whelp" was a neat and nimble ship of 120 tons,eight pieces of ordinances carrying in her many marinersand forty planters specially from Dorchester an thereaboutswith provision and 4 goats. On 10th May 1629 the shipwas in the port of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight ... Mondaymorning 11th May blew a fair wind from east southeast, theLyon's Whelp having taken in all her provisions forpassengers about three o'clock in the afternoon we hoistedsail and ... by God's guidance safely passed the narrowpassage (the Needles) and entered into the sea....".
On 11th June they reached the Grand Banks ofNewfoundland. Here they encountered frighteningmountains of ice in the sea. Towards night came athick fog and the "Lyon's Whelp" became lost and spent manyhours the next day trying to locate the other ships intheir company. They continued to experience fogs anddifficulties for more than two weeks until 19th June whenMr. Higginson writes: "This day by God's blessing and thedirections (from Pilots) we passed the curious anddifficult entrance into the large spacious harbour ofNaimkecke." (Which became known as Salem.)
The landing and uploading of the ships took many days butwhen complete the Spragues together with severalcompatriots, by joint consent and approbation of Mr. JohnEndicott, the Governor who had arrived in 1628, theyundertook to travel on further afield westwards. Fordays they explored the uncouth wilderness in search of asuitable site. Eventually they came to the CharlesRiver, where on the North side was a fertile neck of landfull of stately timber, bounded on the East by the MysticRiver. the surrounding countryside was inhabited byIndians called Aborigians. Their old Sachem (Chief)being recently dead, his eldest son called John Sagamorehad taken over. He was a man of gentle and gooddisposition by whose free consent the Spragues and theircompatriots were permitted to settle about the hill (calledMishawum) by the natives.
According to the New England Charter the records read: "Itwas jointly agreed and concluded that this place on thenorth side of the Charles River be called Charlestown.... Mr. Graves, (an Engineer employed by the NewEngland Company" do model and lay out the form of the Townand streets abut the hill. It is jointly agreed thateach inhabitant have a two acre plot to plant upon and tofence in common... upon which Ralph Sprague and othersbegan to build their houses and to prepare fencing fortheir lots which afterwards set up almost in a semicircularform on the South and southeast side of the field laid outto them, which lies situate on the northwest of thetown hill."
It is thus that the Spragues and others founded thebeginnings of Charlestown, which developed in the futureyears to include such places as Malden, Woburn, Stoneham,Hurlington, Somerville, a large part of Medford, a smallpart of Cambridge, West Cambridge, and Reading. TheCharlestown of today however is not quite so extensive.
In addition to building their own homes, a "Great House"had to be erected on the directions of Mr. Graves on thesouth eastern slope of the hill for governor Winthrop andhis associates who were due to arrive in 1630. TheGreat House was also to serve as a Meeting House for thefirst few years.
Their first months in Charlestown was spent in clearinglands, felling trees in order to build the homes. There had not been much time to plant crops and the icyblasts of winter came before they were totallyprepared. That winter of 1629/30 was particularlysevere in a climate none of them had ever experiencedbefore. They became short of provisions and sufferedgreat hardships.
In the Spring of 1630 there was a conspiracy among theIndians who planned to cut off the English. Thefaithful Sagamore however revealed the Indian plot an soall the people of Charlestown agreed to make a small fortwith palisades and flankers on the top of the TownHill. All hands men, women an children laboured atthe digging and building until the work was done. Thenearby town of Salem joined in the counter attacks thatensued with their big guns, and after quite a number ofskirmishes the Indians were scattered. After thisexperience Charlestown felt themselves compelled toorganise a form of Militia to prevent any future incursions.
When the Governor arrived later in 1630 he "found theColony in a sad and unexpected condition. No lessthan eighty had died during the very cold winter and thosethat had survived could hardly procure the means ofsubsistence." Gradually the summer saw a generalimprovement. More Settlers arrived in New England andtrade and cultivation of the lands soon began. However, the Puritan moral codes and strictures stilldominated the scene.
According to the Massachusetts Records, Ralph took theFreeman's Oath in May 1630 and was appointed Constable ofCharlestown in the same year. It is also recordedthat in 1634 he was commissioned with two others toadvocate certain interests of the town before the GeneralCourt, and the next year 1635 he was chosen Selectman, andcontinued in that position for some time. In 1632with his wife, Joanna, they were listed as Members of thefirst Church and "did enter into the Covenant". In1635, the General Court granted him 100 acres of land"having borne great difficulties in the beginning." Their home stood in Crooked Lane, later called Bow Streetnear the Great House and what is now part of the CitySquare.
During these years there were further additions to thefamily: Richard, Samuel, Mary, Phineas and lastly Jonathan(who is thought to have died when he was young). In1649, Ralph was one of a Commission to settle theboundaries between the Mystic River and Charlestown. He also joined the Militia and later became a member of theBoston Artillery Company. The records of the timestate: "the Sprague family were noted persons of character,substance and enterprise, excellent citizens and generouspublic benefactors." Just before Ralph died in 1650,he petitioned among others for their own lands on theMystic side of Charlestown to be known as Malden. This was granted.
(NOTE: continued in notes for Ralph's brother, RichardSprague.)
"Ancestral File" Ralph Sprague [LT] (AFN:GVLW-87)
"Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren VincentSprague, page 123.
Birth year is reported as 1603 in England. RalphSprague was a farmer and one of the founders ofCharlestown, MA. Frothingham in History ofCharlestown, says, "He was a prominent and valuablecitizen, active in promoting the welfare of the town and ofthe Colony".
"Genealogical Register" April 1909, page 147.
Ralph Sprague, eldest son, born in Upwey, County Dorset;came to Salem, MA in 1628 and from there went toCharlestown in 1629. Other sources have listed hiswife as Joanna Warren, daughter of Richard Warren; TheGenealogical Register lists his wife as Joan Corbin,daughter of John of Fordington, County Dorset.
"The Genealogical Register", after April 1946.
Ralph Sprague was husbandman, and fuller of Upwey, CountyDorset, England. He emigrated to Salem, MA in 1628,was made a constable in Watertown in 1630, served as deputyin 1635, and afterwards, and finally settled in that partof Charlestown which became Malden. In this issue,his wife is listed as Joane Warren.
"History of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company",page 78.
Ralph Sprague, son of Edward Sprague, a fuller of Upway,County Dorset, England, is said by Felt, in his Annals ofSalem, to have come to America in the ship "Abigail" withMr. Endicott, leaving Weymouth June 20, and arriving atSalem September 6, 1628. "After Mr. Endicott arrivedat Naumkeag [Salem], he commissioned Messrs. Ralph, Richardand William Sprague and others to explore the country aboutMishawum, now Charlestown. Here they met with a tribeof Indians, called Aberginians. By the consent ofthese, they commenced a plantation." He and his wife Joanwere members of the First Church, Boston, but, withthirty-one others, were dismissed October 14, 1632, "toenter into a new church body at Charlestown." He wasa brother of Richard Sprague, and father of Richard. He became a freeman October 19, 1630, and was the firstperson chosen to the office of constable at Charlestown, in1630. He was active in military matters, andsuccessively became sergeant in 1634, ensign in 1646,lieutenant in 1647, and captain. He representedCharlestown in the General Court in May, 1635, andafterwards, in all for nine years, --being a deputy whenthe charter of the Artillery Company was granted.
He was one of the first selectmen of Charlestown, chosenFebruary 10, 1634. His homestead, consisting of oneacre of "earable land, ... with a Dwelling house upon itwest upon the highway," was situated "at the east end ofthe common, butting south and west upon the highway,"having Mystic River on the northeast. The Charlestownland Records, p. 53, describe twelve different pieces ofreal estate as the possession of Ralph Sprague.
He died November, 1650.
"American Families--Genealogies and BiographicalInformation from Most Authentic Sources Including MuchValuable Material Drawn from Hitherto Unpublished FamilyRecords with Accurate Reproduction--and Descriptions ofAncient Emblazonry Compiled by Masters of Genealogic andHeraldic Science", published by The American HistoricalSociety, Inc., New York, 1921, pages 30-40.
Ralph Sprague came to Salem, Mass., in 1628, with his twobrothers, Richard and William, his wife and two littleboys, John and Richard. Whether actuated by thedesires for religious liberty or by hopes of gain, there issome controversy. With several others they journeyedtwelve miles to a hill on the north side of the Charlesriver, and on the south and southeast slope they made asettlement in 1628, building their homes in a semi-circleon the two acres of land Gov. Endicott granted to each ofthem. This settlement, called Charlestown, was withinthe present city limits of Boston. Here they foundupon their arrival one solitary white man, Thomas Welford,an Englishman, living in a palisado house. Thisterritory was owned and occupied by the MassachusettsIndians, a powerful but friendly tribe, with Sagamore Johnas sachem, who gave them permission to settle. Whether theSpragues came to America in the Abigail or the Lyon's Whelpis immaterial, but their arrival has been convincinglyshown by [p. 32] the Hon. H. H. Sprague to be in1628. The following spring, Mr. Bright, a ministerand Mr. Thomas Graves, an engineer, with one hundredothers, joined them.
On Sept. 28, 1630, Ralph Sprague was one of a juryimpaneled; this was the first jury in Massachusetts. In his short life of forty-seven years he was a veryprominent man. On Oct. 19, 1630, he made requisitionto be admitted as a freeman of the colony, and took thefreeman's oath May 18, 1631. At General Court thismonth he was made constable, and became in regularsuccession sergeant, ensign, lieutenant, and captain ofmilitia. On May 18, 1631, he was admittedfreeman. Oct 14, 1632, he and his wife were dismissedfrom the "Congregation of Boston" to enter into a new bodyat Charlestown. In 1634 he was made one of the firstselectmen of Charlestown; in May, 1635, he was arepresentative and frequently afterwards, 1636-1636,1644-1645; in 1639 he became a member of the ArtilleryCompany. Nine years from the settlement inCharlestown, Ralph and Richard owned large tracts of landalong the opposite side of Mystic river, near Ell Pond,which the called "Pond Feilde." This was in the westpart of Malden, now Melrose. Ralph had ninety acresand Richard sixty acres. At Ralph's death he bequeathed hishomestead and its farm to his sons John and Phineas, andhis farm in Pond Feilde" to his sons Richard andSamuel. His home was located in what is now Mountainavenue. By a letter dated Mar. 25, 1651, one JohnCorbin of Upwey, England appears to have been Ralph'sfather-in-law. A copy of this letter is to be foundin the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register,"IV, 289. In "Lochford's Note Book" are several legalpapers and letters of 1638-39 from Ralph Sprague and Joan,his wife, wherein it is expressly stated that her fatherhad died, and that his name was Richard Warren, so thatinstead of John Corbin being her father he had probablymarried her mother the Widow Warren. Besides the "NewEngland Historical and Genealogical Register," muchinformation can be obtained form Bradford's "History ofMassachusetts," Frothingham's "History of Charlestown," andfrom the "Glimpse of the Beginning of the Massachusetts BaySettlement", by H. H. Sprague and others. TheCharlestown Land Records, page 53, describe (1638) twelvedifferent pieces of real estate in Ralph'spossession. His homestead consisted on one acre of"earable--with a dwelling house upon it and otherapitnances," and was situated at the east of the common,butting south and west upon the highway, having Mysticriver on the northeast. Ralph Sprague, some time ofFordington, Dorset, fuller, afterwards of Charlestown, NewEngland, planter, and his wife Joan, daughter of RichardWarren, of Fordington, husbandman, sent, in 8-9-1638, powerof attorney to William Derby, of Dorchester, England,gentleman, to demand and receive such portion as might cometo them from Warren's estate, and remit the same throughSprague's sister Alice (Sprague) Eames, of Pomberry Mill,near Dorchester, and a letter was sent the same day byRalph to his sister Alice about this same matter. InAug. 1640, Ralph and his wife Joan made John Holland, onTinckleton, Dorset, fuller, and attorney to receive JohnCox, of Bowlington, and Elizabeth, his wife, executors ofRichard Warren, deceased, seven pounds given by his will tosaid Joan and her children John, Jonathan, Richard, Samuel,Mary, Phineas, or any other sum due upon them.
He died in Sept. 1650, at the age of forty-seven, inMalden, Mass., which has been the home of some of hisdescendants during all of these two-hundred and fiftyyears. His will was dated June 11, 1650, and enteredin 1651.
"The Brothers Ralph & William Sprague and some of TheirDescendants", by Frank William Sprague, 1909, page 3.
Ralph Sprague came to Salem, Mass., in 1628, and from therewent to Charlestown in 1629.
ABRIDGED COMPENDIUM, Frederick Virkus, pages 3528 and 3529.
SPRAGUE, Ralph (1603-50); brother of William), from Eng. toSalem, Mass., ca. 1626; re- moved to Charlestown, 1629;dep. Gen Ct, 1635 et seq.; ensign for Charlestown, 1646;it., 1637-41 1647-49; mem. A. and H. A. Co., 1637; m JoanWarren.
Lt. Ralph Sprague was born about 1595 in Upwey,Dorsetshire, England. He was christened on 20 Jun 1599 inUpwey, County Dorset, England. He died on 24 Nov 1650 inMalden, Middlesex Co., MA. "Ancestral File" Ralph Sprague(Lt) (AFN:GVLW-87)
Notes from Harry Sprague.
Was born in 1603 in Upwey, Dorset County, England andmarried Joan Warren in Fordington, St. George Church,Dorchester, Dorset County, England August 15, 1623; came toSalem, Massachusetts, in 1628 with his two brothers,Richard and William, his wife and two little boys, John andRichard. Whether actuated by desires for religious libertyor by hopes of gain there is some controversy. With severalothers, they journeyed twelve miles to a hill on the northside of the Charles River, and on the south and southeastslope they made a settlement in 1628, building their homesin a semi-circle on the two acres of land Governor Endicottgranted to each of them. This settlement, calledCharlestown, was within the present city limits of Boston(1913). Here they found one solitary white man, ThomasWelford, an Englishman, living in a pallisadoed house upontheir arrival. This territory was owned and occupied by theMassachusetts Indians, a powerful but friendly tribe, withSagamore John as Sachem, who gave them permission tosettle. Whether the Spragues came to America in the Abigalor the Lion's Whelp is immaterial but their arrival hasbeen convincingly shown by the Hon. H.H. Sprague, to be in1628. The following spring Mr. Bright, a minister and Mr.Graves, an engineer, with a hundred others, joined them.September 28, 1630, Ralph was one of a jury impaneled. Thiswas the first jury in Massachusetts. In his short life offorty-seven years he was a very prominent man. On October19, 1630, he made requisition to be admitted as a freemanof the Colony, and took the freeman's Oath May 18, 1631. AtGeneral Court this month he was made constable and becamein regular succession, sergeant, ensign, lieutenant andcaptain of militia. May 18, 1631, he was admitted as aFreeman. October 14, 1632, he and his wife were dismissedfrom the "Congregation of Boston" to enter into a new bodyat Charlestown. In 1634 was made one of the first selectmenof Charlestown, Massachusetts. In May, 1635 wasRepresentative, and frequently afterwards, 1636-1638,1644-1645. In 1639, he became a member of ArtilleryCompany. Nine years from the settlement in Charlestown,Ralph and Richard owned large tracts of land on theopposite side of Mystic River, near Ell Pond, which theycalled "Pond Feilde." This was in the west part of Malden,now Melrose, Massachusetts. Ralph had ninety acres, andRichard, sixty acres. At Ralph's death, he bequeathed hishomestead, and its farm, to his sons John and Phineas, andhis farm in "Pond Feilde" to his sons Richard and Samuel.His home was located near what is now Mountain Avenue. By aletter dated March 25, 1651, one John Corbin of Upwey,England, appears to have been Ralph's father-in-law. A copyof this letter is to be found in the N.E.H. and G. Reg. IV289. In Lochford's Note Book are several legal papers andletters of 1638-9 from Ralph Sprague and Joan his wifewherein it is expressly stated that her father had died andthat his name was Richard Warren, so that instead of JohnCorbin being her father, he had probably married hermother, the widow Warren. Besides the N.E.H. abd G. Reg.much information can be obtained from the Bradford'sHistory of Massachusetts, The Young's Chronicles andHutchinson's History of Massachusetts. Frothingham Historyof Charlestown and from the "Glimpse of the Beginning ofMassachusetts Bay Settlement" by H.H. Sprague, et. al. TheCharlestown land records, page 53, describes (1638) twelvedifferent pieces of real estate in Ralph's possession. Hishomestead consisting of one acre of "earable land----with adwelling house upon it and other aptinances" was situatedat the east of the common, butting south and west upon thehighway, having Mystic River on the northeast. RalphSprague, sometimes of Fordington, husbandman, sent in8-9-1638 power of attorney to Wm. Derby of Dorchester,England, gentleman to demand and receive such portion asmight come to them from Warren's estate and remit the samethrough Sprague's sister Alice (Sprague) Eames of PomberryMill near Dorchester, and a letter was sent the same day byRalph to his sister Alice about this same matter. InAugust, 1640, Ralph, and his wife Joan, made John Hollandof Tinekleton, Dorset, fuller, an attorney to receive ofJohn Cox of Bowlington, and Elizabeth his wife, executorsof Richard Warren, deceased, seven pounds given by his willto said Joan and her children John, Jonathan, Richard,Samuel, Mary, Phineas or any other sum due unto them.(Ref.--N.E.H. and G. Reg. LI 1897 105.) He died inSeptember, 1650, at the age of 47, in Malden Massachusetts,which has been the home of some of his descendants duringall of these 250 years (1913). His will was dated June 11,1650 and entered in 1651. Joan his widow, married DeaconEdward Converse of Woburn, Massachusetts, September 2,1662. She died there February 24, 1680.
American Biographical Library: The Biographical Cyclopædiaof American Women, Volume II
American Biographical Notes, S, The Chicago HistoricalSociety, page 374
SPRAGUE, RALPH, came to America, a. 25; was prominent inthe early settlement of Charlestown, Mass., where he wasseveral years a selectman; in 1630, first constable, in1639 lieut. and in 1637 and 8 years after, arepresentative; d. in 1650. (Young's Chron. Mass., p. 373.)
THE PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS, pages 11320-11329,Ancestry.com, 1998.
1. SPRAGUE, Ralph, husbandman, fuller, son of Edward,of Upway. Dorset, fuller, "sometimes of Fordington, co. ofDorset," came with his bro. Richard to Salem in 1628. Theymade their way through the woods to Charlestown in thespring of 1629, and were there when the party arrived tobuild the Great House and make other preparations for thecoming of Gov. Winthrop and his party. He appl. frm. Oct.19, 1630, was adm. frm. May 18, 1631. Lieut. The court app.him constable of Watertown in 1630. Deputy 1635 andafterward. He rem. to the part of Char. which became Malden.
2. He m. Joane, dau. of Richard Warren of Fordington,yeoman, who left legacy to her and her children John,Jonathan, Richard, Samuel, Mary and Phinehas; she empoweredJohn Holland of Tinckleton, Dorset, fuller, to collect thisfor her, 29 (6) 1640. [L.] She was adm. to the chh. withher husband in 1630, and joined with him in theorganization of the Charlestown church in Nov. 1632, and in that of Malden in 1649. His father-in-law, John Corbin,wrote him from Upway, Dorset, March 25, 1651. [Reg. IV,289, and LI, 105.] Ch. Samuel bapt. at Bo. 3 (4) 1632, Marybapt. at Char. 14 (7) 1634, (m. Daniel Edmunds,) Phinehasbapt. 31 (5) 1637, Jonathan d. Dec. 1650.
3. He d. (9) 1650. Distribution of his est. was made6 (11) 1650, to widow Joanna and ch. John, Richard, Samuel,Mary and Phinehas. The widow m. 2, EdwardConverse, q.v
4. Richard, bro. of Ralph, [see letter of Corbin,above said, and will of their father Edward, in Reg. XLIX,264.], Charlestown 1629. Frm. May 18, 1631. Town officer.One of the appraisers of Thompson's Island in 1657. Lieut.His wife Mary was memb. chh. Boston with him in 1630, andin that of Char. at its organization In 1632. He d. Nov.25, 1668, ae. 63. Will dated 17 (7) prob. 11 Dec. 1668,beq. to wife Mary; to Nathaniel Rand; cousins Richard andJohn S. Mary, wife of Daniel Edmunds; bro. William S. ofHingham; Margery, wife of Lawrence Dowse; Alice, wife ofThomas Lord; to Harvard College; a liberal amount to thechurch of Char. His widow deeded to the chh. 1 March, 1671,her shop and chamber over it adjoining the meeting house,fronting on the market-place, adjoining land of John Long.
5. William, bro. of Ralph and Richard, planter,Charlestown, rrem. to Hingham. Propr. 1636. Town officer.Wife Millicent adm. chh. Char. 3 (2) 1635; ch. Antony bapt.23 (3) 1636, John bapt. at Hing. April, 1638, Samuel bapt.May 24, 1640, Jonathan bapt. March 20, 1641-2, d. 4 July,1647, Persis b. Nov. 12, 1643, (m. John Doggett,) Joanna b.Dec. 1645, (m. Caleb Church,) Jonathan b. May 28, 1648,William b. July 2, 1650, Mary b. April 5, 1652, (m. ThomasKing,) Hannah b. Feb. 25, 1654, d. 31 March, 1659.He d. 26 Oct. 1675. Will dated 19 Oct. 1675. To wifeMillicent; ch. Anthony, Samuel, William, John, Jonathan,Persis, wife o[ John Doggett, Johanna, wife of CalebChurch, and Mary, wife of Thomas King. To Anthony the swordthat was his bro. Richard Sprague's. The widowd. 8 Feb.1695-6.
"Genealogical and Family History of Northern NewYork", page 477-481
(II) Ralph, son of Edward Sprague, was born in Dorsetshire,England. He was about twenty-five years old when hecame to this country. He was on what is thought tohave been the first jury empaneled in this country. He was lieutenant of the train band. He was admitteda freeman May 18, 1631; appointed by the general courtconstable of Watertown in 1630; deputy to general court in1635 and afterward. He removed to the part ofCharlestown that was set off as Malden. He diedNovember, 1650. The distribution of his estate wasmade February 6, 1650-51, to widow Joanna and childrenJohn, Samuel, Mary and Phinehas. The widow marriedEdward Converse. He married Joane, daughter ofRichard Warren of Fordington, England, who left legacies toher and her children. She gave a power of attorney toJohn Holland of Tinckleton, England, to collect thesebequests. She was a member of the Charlestown andlater of the Malden church. Descendants of Ralphlocated at Lebanon, Connecticut.
"The Ralph Sprague Genealogy", by E. G. Sprague, page 25
Ralph came to Salem, Mass., in 1628 with his two brothers,Richard and William, his wife and two little boys, John andRichard. Whether actuated by desires for religiousliberty or by hopes of gain there is somecontroversy. With several others, they journeyedtwelve miles to a hill on the north side of the CharlesRiver, and on the south and southeast slope they made asettlement in 1628, building their homes in a semi-circleon the two acres of land Governor Endicott granted to eachof them. This settlement, called Charlestown, waswithin the present city limits of Boston. Here theyfound one solitary white man, Thomas Welford, anEnglishman, living in a pallisadoed house upon theirarrival. This territory was owned and occupied by theMassachusetts Indians,a powerful but friendly tribe, withSagamore John as Sachem, who gave them permission tosettle. Whether the Spragues came to America in theAbigail or the Lion's Whelp is immaterial but their arrivalhas been convincingly shown by the Hon. H. H. Sprague, tobe in 1628. The following spring Mr. Bright, aminister and Mr. Graves, an engineer, with a hundredothers, joined them. September 28, 1630, Ralph wasone of a jury impaneled. This was the first jury inMassachusetts. In his short life of forty-seven yearshe was a very prominent man. On October 19, 1630, hemade requisition to be admitted as a Freeman of the Colony,and took the Freeman's oath May 18, 1631. At GeneralCourt this month he was made constable and became inregular succession, sergeant, ensign, lieutenant andcaptain of militia. May 18, 1631, he was admitted aFreeman. October 14, 1632, he and his wife weredismissed from the "Congregation of Boston" to enter into anew body at Charlestown. In 1634 was made one of thefirst selectmen of Charlestown. In May, 1635 wasRepresentative, and frequently afterwards, 1636-1638,1644-1645. In 1639, he became a member of ArtilleryCompany. Nine years from the settlement inCharlestown, Ralph and Richard owned large tracts of landon the opposite side of Mystic River, near Ell Pond, whichthey called "Pond Feilde." This wasin the west part of Malden, now Melrose. Ralph hadninety acres, and Richard, sixty acres. At Ralph'sdeath, he bequeathed his homestead, and its farm, to hissons, John and Phineas, and his farm in "Pond Feilde" tohis sons Richard and Samuel. His home was locatednear what is now Mountain Avenue. By a letter datedMarch 25, 1651, one John Corbin of Upwey, England, appearsto have been Ralph's father-in-law. A copy of thisletter is to be found in the N. E. H. and G. Reg. IV289. In Lochford's Note Book are several legal papersand letters of 1638-9 from Ralph Sprague and Joan his wifewherein it is expressly stated that her father had died andthat his name was Richard Warren, so that instead of JohnCorbin being her father, he had probably married hermother, the widow Warren. Besides the N. E. H. and G.Reg. much information can be obtained from the Bradford'sHistory of Massachusetts, The Young's Chronicles andHutchinson's History of Massachusetts, Frothingham'sHistory of Charlestown and from the "Glimpse of theBeginning of the Massachusetts Bay Settlement." by H. H.Sprague, et. al. The Charlestown Land Records, page53, describes (1638) twelve different pieces of real estatein Ralph's possession. His homestead consisting ofone acre of "earable land ____ with a dwelling house uponit and other aptinances" was situated at the east of thecommon, butting south and west upon the highway, havingMystic River on the northeast. Ralph Sprague,sometime of Fordington, Dorset, fuller, afterwards ofCharlestown, N. E., planter and his wife, Joan, dau. ofRichard Warren of Fordington, husbandman, sent in 8-9-1638power of attorney to Wm. Derby of Dorchester, England,gentleman to demand and receive such portion as might cometo them from Warren's estate and remit the same throughSprague's sister Alice (Sprague) Eames of Pombery Mill nearDorchester, and a letter was sent the same day by Ralph tohis sister Alice about this same matter. In August,1640, Ralph, and his wife, Joan, made John Holland ofTinckleton, Dorset, fuller, an attorney to receive of JohnCox of Bowlington, and Elizabeth his wife, executors ofRichard Warren, deceased, seven pounds given by his will tosaid Joan and her children John, Jonathan, Richard, Samuel,Mary, Phineas, or any other sum due unto them. (Ref.-N. E.H. and G. Reg LI 1897 105.)
He died in September, 1650, at the age of 47, in Malden,Mass., which has been the home of some of his descendentsduring all of these 250 years. His will was datedJune 11, 1650 and entered in 1651.
From Don Whitman, correspondent, note of February 11th, 2007
Below is a message I received from Chris Carter of Upwey,Dorsetshire. Chris is the historian at the Upwey St.Lawrence Church very near the Sprague home and mill sites.He is the person who happened to be present the day Margeand I dropped in to visit the Sprague place of worship whenwe were in Upwey visiting the sites where that side of ourfamily lived, worked and worshiped. Chris stopped theproject he was doing at the time, and gave us an 'insiders'tour along with a wonderful discussion about the history ofthe church and the contents of the building with Spragueconnections.
The information that Chris passed along in the messagebelow gives some indication the Sprague brothers did notall travel to North America on the same vessel, or at thesame time. Up to now, I had assumed they did. But earlierinformation I have speaks to their immigration on theLion's Welp in 1629--a year later than thisinformation reveals about Ralph. It also confirms thefather's name of Edward as well as the younger brother,Edward. Far as I can tell, I am descended from William.Chris' message also confirms they were 'fuller'millers. Here is a brief explanation of that process:
The Fulling or Tucking Process
Immediately after a piece of woollen cloth has been woven,the fibres of its fabric are loose, airy and unmeshed,similar in texture and appearance to a piece ofcheese-cloth or sack-cloth. Langland highlighted theuncomfortable and impractical nature of unfulled cloth aswell as noting the processes closely associated withfulling - raising and shearing. Also the cloth stillretains, clinging to its fibres, a significant amount ofoil or grease, introduced to facilitate weaving. This mustbe removed if the cloth is to be dyed, since oils andgrease will inhibit the binding action of the dyes.
Fulling, also known as felting, was one in a sequence ofprocesses involved in the production of woollen cloth andfulfilled two functions that were necessary for the properfinishing of the cloth: scouring andconsolidation of the fibres of the fabric.
The few days that Marge and I were in Dorsetshire, our homewas a room in Weymouth--on the coast just a short distancesouth of Upwey. The bus stop nearest the Sprague home andmill is a few blocks away, so we had a delightful walkthrough some of the residential area getting there. BelowChris' message is a couple of Upwey photos taken along ourwalk--the first showing a thatched roof, and the second isa wider view of that same street along the walk from thebus. Delightful village! And these views are only a shortdistance from where our ancestors lived.
Hi Don, Thanks for mail and attachment I am sure theSprague cousins will be interested that you have shown themwhere their roots started here in Upwey,Dorset,England. Ihave been given some information concerning Ralph Srague (1599-1650) which might be of interest toyou. Ralph was the son of Edward Sprague ,afuller Miller of Upwey Dorsetshire, and afriend of the Rev John White of Dorchester.When Charles I ascended the English throne in 1625and married a Roman Catholic, Henrietta Maria, daughter ofKing Henry I V of France. At that time the town ofDorchester was suffering hardships due to bad harvests andfire. This puritan-cleric John White began to play asignificant part in Ralph Sprague's future. the Rev Whitebecame very interested in the New World, when in 1623 areligious body by the name of the PILGRIM FATHERS setsail-from Plymouth for New England. Possibly religionplayed a great part in Ralph Sprague's leaving England. Hesailed with a Mr Endicott on the ship Abigail from Weymouthon June 20th 1628 arriving at Salem Sept 6th 1628. The restis American History. Ralph's younger brother Edwardremained in Upwey with his Mother who later married a JohnCorben of Dorchesterr.
BEST WISHES to you and yours. CHRIS CARTER . [2, 11, 12]
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Abt 1599 - 1650 (~ 51 years)
[3, 4, 5, 6, 7] 
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