William Sprague

1650 - 1723  (73 years)

• Name	William Sprague  [1, 2, 3]
  Born	7 May 1650	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA   [4, 5, 6]
  Christened	2 Jul 1650	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA   [3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
  Gender	Male
  AFN	G5JQ-W5
  Residence	Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA, USA
  Residence	Abt 1710	Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA   [1]
  Buried	1723
  Died	26 Sep 1723	Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA   [4, 12]
  Notes	"Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren Vincent Sprague, page 135.      1690, 1699, 1708.  Selectman of Hingham.      1709, Nov. 19.  He bought land in Providence where he had removed.      1711-2, Feb. 19.  Recorded his cattle mark.      1712, May 6.  Freeman of Providence.      1715-6, March 12.  He deeded to son Benjamin half the easterly end of farm at Rocky Hill, and at the same date to son John the other half.      1721, April 7.  Will, proved Nov. 11, 1723, mentions son William, grandson David (son of David), third son Jonathan, fourth son John, fifth son Benjamin, eldest daughter Deborah Beale, grandchildren Deborah, William, John and Abiah West (children of William and Abiah Sprague West), loving wife Mary, and children born of wife Mary, vix: Rowland, Mary, Peter and Judith.      1723, Nov. 11.  Mrs. Mary Sprague, widow, had administration on estate of her mother Elizabeth Tower, who died August 9, 1723. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by Nahum Mitchell.      William married Deborah Lane in 1674, and went to Providence. "Genealogy (in part) of the Sprague Families in America", by Augustus B. R. Sprague, page 16.      William Sprague was a Selectman in Hingham, in 1690, 1699, and 1708.  He removed to Providence, RI in 1710 and died there. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr., page 107.      William Sprague was one of the Selectmen of Hingham in 1690, and again in 1699 and 1708.  He removed to Providence in 1713. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr., page 108.      Children listed do not include David and the four children by his second wife but adds Silence, William, and Jedediah not listed in other sources.  The name of his second wife is given as "widow Silence Tower".  Children are:      Silence, b. Sept 7th, 1708.      William, b. in 1710.  Removed to Abington, and is the ancestor of the Spragues in that town.      Jedediah, b. March 18th, 1713. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by Hosea Sprague, page 32.      William Sprague had land given him by his father which he sold to Jacob Cushing, "beyond Pages Bridge" about the Saw mill.  He lived in the house his father left, in Union Street. He was one of the select men chosen in 1690, in 1699 and again in 1708.  He removed to Bridgewater.  The road over the river was not laid out till 1735. "History of Greene" (Maine)      William Sprague, Jr., went to Bridgwater and became progenitor of a large and prominent race, and Sprague Hill, of that town, honors the name. "History of Hingham", Volume II, by George Lincoln, page 165.      William Sprague removed between 1709 and 1711 to Providence, RI.      1690, 1699, 1708.  Selectman of Hingham. "The Tower Genealogy", by Charlemagne Tower, page 83.      Mary (Tower) Sprague was the second wife of William Sprague, who removed from Hingham to Providence, RI, where he died in 1723.  He names several children by his former marriage, his wife Mary and her children, Rowland, Peter, Mary, and Judah.  To his sons Rowland and Peter, he gives his homestead when they come to the age of twenty-one years; and to his daughters Mary and Judah he gives one hundred acres of land without the seven-mile limet when they come to the age of eighteen years.      The homestead given to Rowland and Peter was situated mostly in Cranston.  Rowland sold his portion to Peter, who by his will, after making provision for his wife, his daughter Amey, and grandson Abner, gives all the rest and residue of his property to his son William. The inventory of his personal property, made in 1790, shows the extent of his business as a farmer, while the prices of the products of the farm may be interesting and instructive by way of comparison with the prices of the same products at the present time.  The following are selected for this purpose:      12 bu. of potatoes, 12s.: that is 16 2/3 cents per bu.     630 lbs. of pork, L10 10 s.; about 5 1/2 cents per lb.      55 lbs. of salt beef, 11 s. 6d; about 3 1/2 cents per lb.      80 lbs. of new milk cheese, L1 10s.; about 6 1/4 cents per lb.      61 lbs. of hog's lard, L1 5s. 5d.; about 7 cents per lb.       6 lbs. of butter, 3s. 6d.; nearly 10 cents per lb.      44 bu. of corn, L6 12s.; 50 cents per bu.       7 bu. of barley, 18s 8d.; about 44 cents per bu.      3.5 bu. of rye, 15 s. 9d.; 75 cents per bu.       .5 ton of English hay, 24s.; eight dollars per ton.      It will be seen that the price of Indian corn, then the great staple for bread, is about the same as at the present time; while all the other products of the farm, which then, as now, were necessary for the support of a family, were held at a greatly reduced rate.      William Sprague the son of Peter and the residuary devisee under his father's will, died April 1, 1795, and by his will, after making provision for his wife and children, Sarah and Peter, gives all the rest and residue of his property to his sons Abner and William.      William Sprague died in Cranston in 1836.  In addition to his work as a farmer on the old homestead, he was one of the pioneer manufacutrers who have made the State of Rhode Island as noted and prosperous.  He is remembered as a man of great capacity for labor, of indomitable energy and persevering industry, united iwth business qualifications in an eminent degree.  The result of these valuable equipments is seen in the provisions of his will, wherein he makes liberal provision for his children and grandchildren, and gives all the rest and residue of his estate, "including mills and machinery, bleaching and printing-works, to his sons William and Amasa".      With what success these sons conducted the business coming to them by this devise has already become a part of the history of Rhode Island, in the great wealth accumulated, and the high and honorable distinction attained by the capacity which these brothers evinced in the management of the great interests committed to them.  William was elected to several offices of public trust, and became the Governor of the State and a Member of Congress.      They were men of large stature and well proportioned.  Amasa is remembered as a man of inflexible determination.  He had the direct management of the printing-mills in Cranston; and being much annoyed by the rumsellers in the neighborhood in the effects of their business upon the operatives in the mills, he determined to break them up, and followed up this determination so closely as exceedingly to anger the men engaged therein.  On his way home one night he was waylaid and brutally murdered.  The murderers were arrested and tried.  One was executed, and one was sentenced to State prison for life, where he died.  The sons of Amasa, Amasa and William, succeeded to the business and wealth of their father, and William followed closely the career of his uncle in the offices to which he has been elected.  At the commencement of the War of the Rebellion he was Governor of Rhode Island.  He rendered the government efficient aid by the promptness with which he organized troops and early sent them forward, going himself as their commander.      It would be pleasant could this brief sketch of enterprise, industry, and thrift stop here.  But the sequel to the story is the old one so often found in the history of wealth gained in our country.  The great fortune of this family, gained by the industry and enterprise of a few generations, and amounting in its accumulations to millions, has within the last twenty-five years passed from the possession of these brothers.      Some portions of it probably remain among other descendants.  One thing worthy of notice is that the real estate coming from Peter Sprague must, from its situation, lie, in part at least, in the very land which his ancestor, John Tower, bought of the Indians.
  Person ID	I36079	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	16 Jun 2020

  
  

  Father	William Sprague,   b. Abt Oct 1609, Upwey, Dorsetshire, England ,   d. 26 Oct 1675, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA  (Age ~ 66 years)
  Mother	Millicent Eames,   b. 1615, Fordington, Dorchester, , Dorset, England ,   d. 8 Feb 1695/96, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA  (Age 81 years)
  Married	26 May 1635	Charlestown, Suffolk Co., MA, USA   [13]
  Family ID	F13547	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse 1	Deborah Lane,   b. 20 Jun 1652, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 4 Feb 1706/07, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA  (Age 54 years)
  Married	13 Dec 1674	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA   [14, 15, 16, 17]
  Children	+ 1. William Sprague,   b. 24 Dec 1675, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 27 Nov 1753, Abington, Plymouth Co., MA, USA  (Age 77 years)   2. Deborah Sprague,   b. 24 Mar 1677/78, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Joanna Sprague,   b. 15 Feb 1679/80, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 4. David Sprague,   b. 23 Dec 1683, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 6 Dec 1773, Scituate, Providence Co., RI, USA  (Age 89 years) + 5. Jonathan Sprague,   b. 24 Jul 1686, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 10 Apr 1756, Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA, USA  (Age 69 years) + 6. Abiah Sprague,   b. 27 Jan 1688/89, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 1723  (Age 33 years)   7. John Sprague,   b. 13 Sep 1692, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 8. Benjamin Sprague,   b. 3 Jan 1694/95, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 24 Apr 1788  (Age 93 years)
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F13645	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse 2	Mary Tower,   b. 3 Nov 1672, Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA ,   d. 1731  (Age 58 years)
  Married	Aft 5 Nov 1709	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA
  	(From the Sprague Genealogy, page 135.) The marriage intentions of William Sprague and Mary Tower were published Nov. 5, 1709. Marriage Bann, 5 NOV 1709
  Children	+ 1. Rowland Sprague,   b. 21 Oct 1710, Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 2. Mary Sprague,   b. 10 Aug 1712, Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Judith Sprague,   b. Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 4. Peter Sprague,   b. 1 Oct 1714, Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. 4 May 1790, Cranston, Providence Co., RI, USA  (Age 75 years)
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F13646	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 7 May 1650 - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Christened - 2 Jul 1650 - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Residence - - Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Married - 13 Dec 1674 - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Married - Aft 5 Nov 1709 - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Residence - Abt 1710 - Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA Died - 26 Sep 1723 - Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S34] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), page 165, Volume III. [S34] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), page 164, Volume III. [S76] Book: Sprague, Ralph, Genealogy, Sprague, E. G., (Montpelier, VT:The Capital City Press, 1913), page 29. [S791] Book: Sprague, Edward Descendants, Sprague, Augustus B. R., (Worcester, MA: Privately Published on Press of L. P. Goddard, 1905), page 16. [S34] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), "William Sprague was born July 2, 1650", page 164. [S254] Book: Tower Genealogy, Tower, Charlemagne, (Cambridge: John Wilson and Son (University Press), 1891), "William Sprague was born July 2, 1650", page 83. [S259] Book: Sprague Memorial, Soule, Richard, Jr., (Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1847), "William Sprague was baptized July 2d, 1550" (obviously 1650), page 106. [S936] Book: Spragues of Hingham, Sprague, Hosea, (Privately Published, Hingham, Hosea Sprague, 1828.), page 32. [S34] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), "William Sprague was baptized in Hingham, July 2, 1650", page 165. [S791] Book: Sprague, Edward Descendants, Sprague, Augustus B. R., (Worcester, MA: Privately Published on Press of L. P. Goddard, 1905), "b, May 7, 1650", page 16. [S3307] Book: The Great Migration Begins, Anderson, Robert Charles, (Boston, Massachusetts, 1995-2012, Great Migration Study Project, New England Historic Genealogical Society), Volume III P-W. [S770] Vital Records of RI, (Narragansett Publishing Co.: 1892). [S792] New York Biographical Dictionary, Heidgerd, William. [S802] "The Genealogical Register", April 1909, page 149,. [S34] Book: History of Hingham, MA, Lincoln, George, (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1893, repr. 1982), "m. Dec. 30, 1674.", page 165. [S791] Book: Sprague, Edward Descendants, Sprague, Augustus B. R., (Worcester, MA: Privately Published on Press of L. P. Goddard, 1905), page 15. [S36] Book: Memorial of the Sprague Family, Soule, Richard , Jr., (Boston, James Munroe and Company, 1947), page 106, gives the date of marriage as December 30th, 1674; "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by Hosea Sprague, page 32, also gives the date of marriage as December 30, 1674..