Jonathan Sprague

1648 - 1741  (~ 93 years)

• Name	Jonathan Sprague  [1, 2]
  Born	Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA   [3, 4, 5]
  Christened	28 May 1648  [2, 6, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   [1]
  Residence	Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA   [1]
  Residence	1672	Mendon, Worcester Co., MA, USA   [3]
  Residence	1714	Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA   [8]
  Died	Sep 1741	Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA   [3]
  Notes	From Richard Fricke. Jonathan Sprague moved to Providence, Rhode Island. "Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren VincentSprague, page 132. 1671-2, Jan. 1. Was living near his brother John, andfather-in-law, William Holbrook, in Mendon, MA and chosenRecorder of Mendon. 1675. Austin in Gen. Dict. RI says his father died inthis year and left him a legacy of 60 acres of land inProvidence. 1680, July 16. He was taxed 7 pence. 1681, May 3. Made a Freeman of Providence. 1687. His ratable estate was 2 oxen, 6 cows, 2 mares,a horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres of planting ground and 6 acresof meadow. 1687, Dec. 13. He refused to take oath as grandjuror and was fined 6 shilling, 8 pence. 1695, July 2. One of a committee of seven, appointedby Gen. Assembly, to propose a method for making a rate,and also on a commission to run the eastern boundary lineof the Colony. 1695, Oct 31. Was one of a committee appointed todraw up a letter in answer to the Governor of New York. 1695, 1696, 1698, 1700, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1705, 1706,1707, 1708, 1709, 1710, 1712, 1714. Deputy to Gen.Assembly from Providence. 1701, 1702, 1703. Justice of the Peace. 1703. Speaker of the House of Deputies. 1703, Oct. 27. The Gen. Assembly ordered, in reJonathan Sprague v. James Bick, that "the said James Bickshall, by the next sitting of the Assembly, bring under thehands of the said three brothers, Anthony, Samuel andWilliam (Sprague), or any two of them, their result on theparagraph of their brother John's will, what shall beallowed their brother Jonathan for what he did on hisbrother John's land at Mendon". This James Bick hadmarried John's widow, who was a sister of Jonathan's wife. 1703, June 22. He was one of a committee of threeappointed by Gen. Assembly to "draw up a method andproceedings" of a new Court of Common Pleas. 1703-4, Jan 4. The Gen. Assembly having heard thereport previously ordered in re Jonathan Sprague v. JamesBick, ordered "execution should go forth agains said Bick". 1705 to 1712. He was a member of the Town Council ofProvidence. 1706-7, Feb. 25. He and Capt. Joseph Jeuckes weremembers of a commission of six to run the northern boundaryline of RI. 1707. He was Clerk of the General Assembly. 1709, Oct. He and Maj. Jenckes were appointed to beassistants to the northern boundary line Commissioners. 1713, Jan 16. He was taxed 18 shilling, 6 pence. 1719, May 23. He made an agreement with hissons-in-law William Jenckes, John Teft, and Daniel Brown,deeding them his house and all his lands, they maintaininghim for life and he to have choice of which son-in-law hewould dwell with. They were to maintain his horse alsoand pay him 6 pounds a year and 25 pounds to such personsas he directed at his decease. 1719, Nov. 9. He deeded to son-in-law Ebenezer Cookcertain lands. 1722-3, Feb. 23. He wrote a long letter to threeprominent Presbyterian Ministers in Massachusetts inanswere to one they had addressed to him and other citizens concerning the establishment of a Church in Providence.Mr. Sprague and his fellow Baptists failed to see thenecessity of a Presbyterian establishment however. Thiscorrespondence gives his views in very vigorous andunmistakable terms. 1711, May 20. Proprietors of Mendon laid out to JamesBick 25 acres which were a little above where is now (1891)Ballou's Bridge, and about the same time land to JonathanSprague, whereon he lived, which was near where is now(1891) the mill of the Harris Woolen Co. at Mill River.Bick afterwards sold his land, and Sprague part of his toWilliam Arnold. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by NahumMitchell. Jonathan Sprague died at Hingham, and left noposterity. "Genealogy (in part) of the Sprague Families in America",by Augustus B. R. Sprague, page 15. In 1672, he removed to Mendon, MA. In 1675 his fatherdied and left to him sixty acres of land in Providence, RI,where he located before 1680. He was appointed, withothers, by the Assembly to run the eastern line of theColony. Jonathan Sprague was evidently a man of strongcharacter, was one of the most prominent and influentialcitizens of his town, and served frequently in publicoffice. He was a member of the House of Deputies forsixteen years between 1695 and 1714; Speaker of the Housein 1703, and member of the Town Council, eight years, from1705 to 1712; Clerk of the Assembly in 1707. In 1703, he,with two others, was appointed to draw up the methods andproceedings of the Court of Common Pleas. Of a decidedlyreligious bent, he professed the Baptist faith, andpreached as an exhorter. "Staples' Annals of Providence". Marriage to Mehitable Holbrook is mentioned but noother marriage is indicated. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr.,page 106. Jonathan Sprague removed to Rhode Island and left noposterity. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by HoseaSprague, page 32. Jonathan Sprague went to Rhode Island where he had 60acres of land given him by his father. From Frank Polkinghorn, correspondent. Jonathan Sprague went from Hingham to Mendon and in1672 was living near his brother, John Sprague, and hisfather-in-law, William Holbrook. In 1675 his father diedand left him 60 acres in Providence. In 1680 he was taxed1s, 7d at Providence. In 1687 his ratable estate was 2oxen, 6 cows, 2 mares, horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres plantingground and six acres meadow. On December 13, 1687 he wasfined 6s 8d for refusing to take the oath as a juryman. OnJuly 2, 1695 he was appointed on a committee by theAssembly to propose a method of making rate; also withothers to run the eastern line of the Colony. He wasDeputy in 1695-6, 1698, 1700, 1702-11 and 1714. In 1702 hewas Justice of the Peace; 1703 Speaker of the House ofDeputies; June 22, 1703 he and two others were appointed todraw up a method and proceedings of the Court of CommonPleas. In 1705-12 he was on the Town Council; in 1707Clerk of the Assembly. On June 16, 1713 he was taxed 18s,6d. On May 23, 1719 he made an agreement with hissons-in-law William Jenckes, John Tefft, and Daniel Brown,deeding them his house and all lands, they maintaining himfor life and he to have choice of son-in-law to live with.They were to maintain his horse also and pay him L6 and L25to such persons as he should direct at his decease. OnNovember 9, 1719 he deeded to his son-in-law Ebenezer Cookcertain land. On February 23, 1722 he wrote a long letterto three prominent Presbyterian ministers in MA, JohnDanforth, Peter Thatcher, and Joseph Belcher in answer toone they had addressed to him and other citizens concerningthe establishment of a church in Providence. Mr. Spragueand other Baptists failed to see the necessity of aPresbyterian church and in his letter gave his views invery vigorous and unmistakable terms. He preached as anexhorter but was not ordained (as Morgan Edwards declaresin his account of the Baptists). "The Brothers Ralph & William Sprague and some of TheirDescendants", by Frank William Sprague, 1909, page 4. Jonathan Sprague removed to Smithfield, R.I. and was amember of the Assembly from 1695 to 1714. In an agreement, dated Smithfield 29 June 1737, with"his three sons in law, namely William Jenckes, John Teft,and Daniel Brown, by one deed of gift even date given andgranted to them his now dwelling house together with hisland, for food and care,"
  Person ID	I36081	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	9 Apr 2014

  
  

  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   [9]
  Family ID	F13547	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse 1	Mehitable Holbrook,   b. 29 Jun 1649, Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA ,   d. 7 Jan 1709/10, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA  (Age 60 years)
  Married	20 Jul 1670	Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA   [3, 9]
  Children	+ 1. Jonathan Sprague,   b. Abt 1672, Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. 22 Apr 1764, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA  (Age ~ 92 years) + 2. Patience Sprague,   b. 1674, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 3. Joanna Sprague,   b. 1676, Richmond, Washington Co., RI, USA ,   d. 1757, South Kingston, Washington Co., RI, USA  (Age 81 years)   4. Persis Sprague,   b. 1681, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 5. Capt. William Sprague,   b. 2 Feb 1690/91, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. 20 Oct 1778, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA  (Age 87 years) + 6. Mary Sprague,   b. 1697, Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA ,   d. 29 Aug 1770  (Age 73 years)
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F13648	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse 2	Elizabeth Harding?,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F13649	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse 3	Hannah Harris,   b. 11 Feb 1668/69, Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	5 Jun 1714  [10]
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F13650	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - - Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA, USA Residence - - Smithfield, Providence Co., RI, USA Residence - - Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA Married - 20 Jul 1670 - Weymouth, Norfolk Co., MA, USA Residence - 1672 - Mendon, Worcester Co., MA, USA Residence - 1714 - Providence, Providence Co., RI, USA Died - Sep 1741 - Smithfield, 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 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 15. [S259] Book: Sprague Memorial, Soule, Richard, Jr., (Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1847), page 106. [S936] Book: Spragues of Hingham, Sprague, Hosea, (Privately Published, Hingham, Hosea Sprague, 1828.), page 32. [S304] Book: Sprague, Brothers Ralph & William, Sprague, Frank William, (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic and GenealogicalSociety, 1909), page 3. [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. [S4449] Book: MA & ME Families, Davis, Walter Goodwin, (1996, Baltimore, Maryland, Genealogicial PublishingCompany, Published in three volumes), Volume II, page 168. [S792] New York Biographical Dictionary, Heidgerd, William. [S3] Correspondent: Sprague, Scott Leroy.