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.  Selectmanof Hingham.     1709, Nov. 19.  He boughtland in Providence where he had removed.     1711-2, Feb. 19.  Recordedhis cattle mark.     1712, May 6.  Freeman ofProvidence.     1715-6, March 12.  He deededto son Benjamin half the easterly end of farm at RockyHill, and at the same date to son John the other half.     1721, April 7.  Will, provedNov. 11, 1723, mentions son William, grandson David (son ofDavid), third son Jonathan, fourth son John, fifth sonBenjamin, eldest daughter Deborah Beale, grandchildrenDeborah, William, John and Abiah West (children of Williamand Abiah Sprague West), loving wife Mary, and childrenborn of wife Mary, vix: Rowland, Mary, Peter and Judith.     1723, Nov. 11.  Mrs. MarySprague, widow, had administration on estate of her motherElizabeth Tower, who died August 9, 1723. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by NahumMitchell.     William married Deborah Lane in1674, 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 inHingham, in 1690, 1699, and 1708.  He removed toProvidence, RI in 1710 and died there. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr.,page 107.     William Sprague was one of theSelectmen of Hingham in 1690, andagain in 1699 and 1708.  He removed to Providence in1713. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr.,page 108.     Children listed do not includeDavid and the four children by his second wife but addsSilence, William, and Jedediah not listed in othersources.  The name of his second wife is given as"widow Silence Tower".  Children are:      Silence, b. Sept 7th, 1708.     William, b. in 1710.  Removedto Abington, and is the ancestor of the Spragues in thattown.      Jedediah, b. March 18th, 1713. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by HoseaSprague, page 32.     William Sprague had land given himby his father which he sold to Jacob Cushing, "beyond PagesBridge" about the Saw mill.  He lived in the house hisfather left, in Union Street. He was one of the select menchosen in 1690, in 1699 and again in 1708.  He removedto Bridgewater.  The road over the river was not laidout till 1735. "History of Greene" (Maine)     William Sprague, Jr., went toBridgwater and became progenitor of a large and prominentrace, and Sprague Hill, of that town, honors the name. "History of Hingham", Volume II, by George Lincoln, page165.     William Sprague removed between1709 and 1711 to Providence, RI.     1690, 1699, 1708.  Selectmanof Hingham. "The Tower Genealogy", by Charlemagne Tower, page 83.     Mary (Tower) Sprague was thesecond wife of William Sprague, who removed from Hingham toProvidence, RI, where he died in 1723.  He namesseveral children by his former marriage, his wife Mary andher children, Rowland, Peter, Mary, and Judah.  To hissons Rowland and Peter, he gives his homestead when theycome to the age of twenty-one years; and to his daughtersMary and Judah he gives one hundred acres of land withoutthe seven-mile limet when they come to the age of eighteenyears.     The homestead given to Rowland andPeter was situated mostly in Cranston.  Rowland soldhis portion to Peter, who by his will, after makingprovision for his wife, his daughter Amey, and grandsonAbner, gives all the rest and residue of his property tohis 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 beinteresting and instructive by way of comparison with theprices of the same products at the present time.  Thefollowing are selected for this purpose:     12 bu. of potatoes, 12s.: that is16 2/3 cents per bu.    630 lbs. of pork, L10 10 s.; about 5 1/2cents per lb.     55 lbs. of salt beef, 11 s. 6d;about 3 1/2 cents per lb.     80 lbs. of new milk cheese, L110s.; 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 centsper bu.      7 bu. of barley, 18s 8d.;about 44 cents per bu.     3.5 bu. of rye, 15 s. 9d.; 75cents per bu.      .5 ton of English hay, 24s.;eight dollars per ton.     It will be seen that the price ofIndian corn, then the great staple for bread, is about thesame as at the present time; while all the other productsof the farm, which then, as now, were necessary for thesupport of a family, were held at a greatly reduced rate.     William Sprague the son of Peterand the residuary devisee under his father's will, diedApril 1, 1795, and by his will, after making provision forhis wife and children, Sarah and Peter, gives all the restand residue of his property to his sons Abner and William.     William Sprague died in Cranstonin 1836.  In addition to his work as a farmer on theold homestead, he was one of the pioneer manufacutrers whohave made the State of Rhode Island as noted andprosperous.  He is remembered as a man of greatcapacity for labor, of indomitable energy and perseveringindustry, united iwth business qualifications in an eminentdegree.  The result of these valuable equipments isseen in the provisions of his will, wherein he makesliberal provision for his children and grandchildren, andgives all the rest and residue of his estate, "includingmills and machinery, bleaching and printing-works, to hissons William and Amasa".     With what success these sonsconducted the business coming to them by this devise hasalready become a part of the history of Rhode Island, inthe great wealth accumulated, and the high and honorabledistinction attained by the capacity which these brothersevinced in the management of the great interests committedto them.  William was elected to several offices ofpublic trust, and became the Governor of the State and aMember of Congress.     They were men of large stature andwell proportioned.  Amasa is remembered as a man ofinflexible determination.  He had the directmanagement of the printing-mills in Cranston; and beingmuch annoyed by the rumsellers in the neighborhood in theeffects of their business upon the operatives in the mills,he determined to break them up, and followed up thisdetermination so closely as exceedingly to anger the menengaged therein.  On his way home one night he waswaylaid and brutally murdered.  The murderers werearrested and tried.  One was executed, and one wassentenced 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 ofthe Rebellion he was Governor of Rhode Island.  Herendered the government efficient aid by the promptnesswith which he organized troops and early sent them forward,going himself as their commander.     It would be pleasant could thisbrief sketch of enterprise, industry, and thrift stophere.  But the sequel to the story is the old one sooften found in the history of wealth gained in ourcountry.  The great fortune of this family, gained bythe industry and enterprise of a few generations, andamounting in its accumulations to millions, has within thelast twenty-five years passed from the possession of thesebrothers.     Some portions of it probablyremain among other descendants.  One thing worthy ofnotice is that the real estate coming from Peter Spraguemust, from its situation, lie, in part at least, in thevery land which his ancestor, John Tower, bought of theIndians.
  Person ID	I36079	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	1 Sep 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	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.