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 VincentSprague, page 135. 1690, 1699, 1708. Selectman of Hingham. 1709, Nov. 19. He bought land in Providence where hehad 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 theeasterly end of farm at Rocky Hill, and at the same date toson John the other half. 1721, April 7. Will, proved Nov. 11, 1723, mentionsson William, grandson David (son of David), third sonJonathan, fourth son John, fifth son Benjamin, eldestdaughter Deborah Beale, grandchildren Deborah, William,John and Abiah West (children of William and Abiah SpragueWest), loving wife Mary, and children born of wife Mary,vix: Rowland, Mary, Peter and Judith. 1723, Nov. 11. Mrs. Mary Sprague, widow, hadadministration on estate of her mother Elizabeth Tower, whodied August 9, 1723. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by NahumMitchell. William married Deborah Lane in 1674, and went toProvidence. "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 anddied there. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr.,page 107. William Sprague was one of the Selectmen of Hingham in1690, 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 fourchildren by his second wife but adds Silence, William, andJedediah not listed in other sources. The name of hissecond wife is given as "widow Silence Tower". Childrenare: Silence, b. Sept 7th, 1708. William, b. in 1710. Removed to Abington, and is theancestor of the Spragues in that town. Jedediah, b. March 18th, 1713. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by HoseaSprague, page 32. William Sprague had land given him by his father whichhe sold to Jacob Cushing, "beyond Pages Bridge" about theSaw mill. He lived in the house his father left, in UnionStreet. He was one of the select men chosen in 1690, in1699 and again in 1708. He removed to Bridgewater. Theroad over the river was not laid out till 1735. "History of Greene" (Maine) William Sprague, Jr., went to Bridgwater and becameprogenitor of a large and prominent race, and Sprague Hill,of that town, honors the name. "History of Hingham", Volume II, by George Lincoln, page165. William Sprague removed between 1709 and 1711 toProvidence, RI. 1690, 1699, 1708. Selectman of Hingham. "The Tower Genealogy", by Charlemagne Tower, page 83. Mary (Tower) Sprague was the second wife of WilliamSprague, who removed from Hingham to Providence, RI, wherehe died in 1723. He names several children by his formermarriage, his wife Mary and her children, Rowland, Peter,Mary, and Judah. To his sons Rowland and Peter, he giveshis homestead when they come to the age of twenty-oneyears; and to his daughters Mary and Judah he gives onehundred acres of land without the seven-mile limet whenthey come to the age of eighteen years. The homestead given to Rowland and Peter was situatedmostly in Cranston. Rowland sold his portion to Peter, whoby his will, after making provision for his wife, hisdaughter Amey, and grandson Abner, gives all the rest andresidue of his property to his son William. The inventoryof his personal property, made in 1790, shows the extent ofhis business as a farmer, while the prices of the productsof the farm may be interesting and instructive by way ofcomparison with the prices of the same products at thepresent 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 perlb. 80 lbs. of new milk cheese, L1 10s.; about 6 1/4 centsper lb. 61 lbs. of hog's lard, L1 5s. 5d.; about 7 cents perlb. 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, thenthe great staple for bread, is about the same as at thepresent time; while all the other products of the farm,which then, as now, were necessary for the support of afamily, were held at a greatly reduced rate. William Sprague the son of Peter and the residuarydevisee under his father's will, died April 1, 1795, and byhis will, after making provision for his wife and children,Sarah and Peter, gives all the rest and residue of hisproperty to his sons Abner and William. William Sprague died in Cranston in 1836. In additionto his work as a farmer on the old homestead, he was one ofthe pioneer manufacutrers who have made the State of RhodeIsland as noted and prosperous. He is remembered as a manof great capacity for labor, of indomitable energy andpersevering industry, united iwth business qualificationsin an eminent degree. The result of these valuableequipments is seen in the provisions of his will, whereinhe makes liberal provision for his children andgrandchildren, and gives all the rest and residue of hisestate, "including mills and machinery, bleaching andprinting-works, to his sons William and Amasa". With what success these sons conducted the businesscoming to them by this devise has already become a part ofthe history of Rhode Island, in the great wealthaccumulated, and the high and honorable distinctionattained by the capacity which these brothers evinced inthe management of the great interests committed to them.William was elected to several offices of public trust, andbecame 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 inCranston; and being much annoyed by the rumsellers in theneighborhood in the effects of their business upon theoperatives in the mills, he determined to break them up,and followed up this determination so closely asexceedingly to anger the men engaged therein. On his wayhome one night he was waylaid and brutally murdered. Themurderers were arrested and tried. One was executed, andone was sentenced to State prison for life, where he died.The sons of Amasa, Amasa and William, succeeded to thebusiness and wealth of their father, and William followedclosely the career of his uncle in the offices to which hehas been elected. At the commencement of the War of theRebellion he was Governor of Rhode Island. He rendered thegovernment efficient aid by the promptness with which heorganized troops and early sent them forward, going himselfas their commander. It would be pleasant could this brief sketch ofenterprise, industry, and thrift stop here. But the sequelto the story is the old one so often found in the historyof wealth gained in our country. The great fortune of thisfamily, gained by the industry and enterprise of a fewgenerations, and amounting in its accumulations tomillions, has within the last twenty-five years passed fromthe possession of these brothers. Some portions of it probably remain among otherdescendants. One thing worthy of notice is that the realestate 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	18 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	William Sprague,   b. Abt Oct 1609, Upwey, Dorset, 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	27 Aug 2020
  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 Towerwere 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. Judith Sprague,   b. Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 3. Mary Sprague,   b. 10 Aug 1712, 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" (obviously1650), 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 StudyProject, 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. [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 HoseaSprague, page 32, also gives the date of marriage asDecember 30, 1674.. [S532] Periodical: NEHGS Register, New England Historic and Genealogical Society, (published by the New England Historical and GenealogicalSociety), April 1909, page 149, gives the date as 30 December 1674 asdoes the "Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers ofNew England" by Savage, page 156, as does "New EnglandMarriages Prior to 1700", by Torrey, page 698.