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 toProvidence, Rhode Island. "Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren VincentSprague,  page 132.     1671-2, Jan. 1.  Was livingnear his brother John, and father-in-law, William Holbrook,in Mendon, MA and chosen Recorder of Mendon.     1675.  Austin in Gen. Dict.RI says his father died in this year and left him a legacyof 60 acres of land in Providence.     1680, July 16.  He was taxed7 pence.     1681, May 3.  Made a Freemanof Providence.     1687.  His ratable estate was2 oxen, 6 cows, 2 mares, a horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres ofplanting ground and 6 acres of meadow. 1687, Dec. 13. He refused to take oath as grand juror and was fined 6shilling, 8 pence.     1695, July 2.  One of acommittee of seven, appointed by Gen. Assembly, to proposea method for making a rate, and also on a commission to runthe eastern boundary line of the Colony.     1695, Oct 31.  Was one of acommittee appointed to draw up a letter in answer to theGovernor 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 ofthe Peace.     1703.  Speaker of the Houseof Deputies.     1703, Oct. 27.  The Gen.Assembly ordered, in re Jonathan Sprague v. James Bick,that "the said James Bick shall, by the next sitting of theAssembly, bring under the hands of the said three brothers,Anthony, Samuel and William (Sprague), or any two of them,their result on the paragraph of their brother John's will,what shall be allowed their brother Jonathan for what hedid on his brother John's land at Mendon".  This JamesBick had married John's widow, who was a sister ofJonathan's wife.     1703, June 22.  He was one ofa committee of three appointed by Gen. Assembly to "draw upa method and proceedings" of a new Court of Common Pleas.     1703-4, Jan 4.  The Gen.Assembly having heard the report previously ordered in reJonathan Sprague v. James Bick, ordered "execution shouldgo forth agains said Bick".     1705 to 1712.  He was amember of the Town Council of Providence.     1706-7, Feb. 25.  He andCapt. Joseph Jeuckes were members of a commission of six torun the northern boundary line of RI.     1707.  He was Clerk of theGeneral Assembly.     1709, Oct.  He and Maj.Jenckes were appointed to be assistants to the northernboundary line Commissioners.     1713, Jan 16.  He was taxed18 shilling, 6 pence.     1719, May 23.  He made anagreement with his sons-in-law William Jenckes, John Teft,and Daniel Brown, deeding them his house and all his lands,they maintaining him for life and he to have choice ofwhich son-in-law he would dwell with.  They were tomaintain his horse also  and pay him 6 pounds a yearand 25 pounds to such persons as he directed at his decease.     1719, Nov. 9.  He deeded toson-in-law Ebenezer Cook certain lands.     1722-3, Feb. 23.  He wrote along letter to three prominent Presbyterian Ministers inMassachusetts in answere to one they had addressed to himand other citizens  concerning the establishment of aChurch in Providence.  Mr. Sprague and his fellowBaptists failed to see the necessity of a Presbyterianestablishment however.  This correspondence gives hisviews in very vigorous and unmistakable terms.     1711, May 20.  Proprietors ofMendon laid out to James Bick 25 acres which were a littleabove where is now (1891) Ballou's Bridge, and about thesame time land to Jonathan Sprague, whereon he lived, whichwas near where is now (1891) the mill of the Harris WoolenCo. at Mill River.  Bick afterwards sold his land, andSprague part of his to William Arnold. "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater", by NahumMitchell.     Jonathan Sprague died at Hingham,and left no posterity. "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 father died and left to him sixtyacres of land in Providence, RI, where he located before1680.  He was appointed, with others, by the Assemblyto run the eastern line of the Colony. Jonathan Sprague wasevidently a man of strong character, was one of the mostprominent and influential citizens of his town, and servedfrequently in public office.  He was a member of theHouse of Deputies for sixteen years between 1695 and 1714;Speaker of the House in 1703, and member of the TownCouncil, eight years, from 1705 to 1712; Clerk of theAssembly in 1707.  In 1703, he, with two others, wasappointed to draw up the methods and proceedings of theCourt of Common Pleas. Of a decidedly religious bent, heprofessed the Baptist faith, and preached as an exhorter. "Staples' Annals of Providence".     Marriage to Mehitable Holbrook ismentioned but no other marriage is indicated. "Memorial of the Sprague Family", by Richard Soule, Jr.,page 106.     Jonathan Sprague removed to RhodeIsland and left no posterity. "The Genealogy of the Sprague's in Hingham", by HoseaSprague, page 32.     Jonathan Sprague went to RhodeIsland where he had 60 acres of land given him by hisfather. From Frank Polkinghorn, correspondent.     Jonathan Sprague went from Hinghamto Mendon and in 1672 was living near his brother, JohnSprague, and his father-in-law, William Holbrook.  In1675 his father died and left him 60 acres inProvidence.  In 1680 he was taxed 1s, 7d atProvidence.  In 1687 his ratable estate was 2 oxen, 6cows, 2 mares, horse, 18 sheep, 8 acres planting ground andsix acres meadow.  On December 13, 1687 he was fined6s 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.  In1702 he was Justice of the Peace; 1703 Speaker of the Houseof Deputies; June 22, 1703 he and two others were appointedto draw 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 taxed18s, 6d.     On May 23, 1719 he made anagreement with his sons-in-law William Jenckes, John Tefft,and Daniel Brown, deeding them his house and all lands,they maintaining him for life and he to have choice ofson-in-law to live with.  They were to maintain hishorse also and pay him L6 and L25 to such persons as heshould direct at his decease.  On November 9, 1719 hedeeded to his son-in-law Ebenezer Cook certain land. On February 23, 1722 he wrote a long letter to threeprominent Presbyterian ministers in MA, John Danforth,Peter Thatcher, and Joseph Belcher in answer to one theyhad addressed to him and other citizens concerning theestablishment 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 asan exhorter but was not ordained (as Morgan Edwardsdeclares in his account of the Baptists). "The Brothers Ralph & William Sprague and some of TheirDescendants", by Frank William Sprague, 1909, page 4.     Jonathan Sprague removed toSmithfield, R.I. and was a member of the Assembly from 1695to 1714.     In an agreement, dated Smithfield29 June 1737, with "his three sons in law, namely WilliamJenckes, John Teft, and Daniel Brown, by one deed of gifteven date given and granted to them his now dwelling housetogether with his land, for food and care,"
  Person ID	I36081	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	9 Apr 2014

  
  

  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   [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.