John Sprague

1652 - 1703  (51 years)

• Name	John Sprague  [1, 2]
  Born	9 Mar 1651/52	Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA   [2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Military	King Philip's War
  	served with Major Simon Willard's company
  Died	16 Dec 1703	Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA   [1, 4]
  	"The Spragues of Malden, Massachusetts", by George WalterChamberlain, page 110, John Sprague was killed by a limb of a tree of his ownfelling at Malden, 16 Dec., 1703, 51 y. 9m. 6d. Cemetery marker reads "16 Dec 1703, age 51 yrs, 9 mo., 6days."
  Buried	Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA   [1]
  Notes	Ancestral File: John Sprague (AFN:J529-X5); Father: JohnSprague (AFN:2JVC-Q5); Mother: Lydia Goffe (AFN:92CP-0G);Spouse: Elisabeth Stower (AFN:J52B-2S); Born: 9 Mar1651/1652 at Malden, Essex, Mass. "The Spragues of Malden, Massachusetts", by George WalterChamberlain, page 110. John Sprague served in Major Simon Willard's Companyin King Philip's War and was credited to Malden Towne, 24Aug., 1676, with seven shillings for his services. He waschosen a surveyor at the town meeting in Malden, 30 Dec.,1678, and was a constable of Malden, 25 Sept., 1686. His wife's father early erected "a house ofentertainment" which stood in that part of old Malden (nowEverett) at the southerly junction of Broadway and Bowstreet. Richard Stower died 10 July, 1693, and the housecame into possession of John Sprague and remained inpossession of Mr. Sprague and his descendants after thebeginning of the nineteenth century. It was standing until1894, and was later known as the Flagg house. It stood inearly times next to Penny Ferry on Mystic Side. Here SamuleSewall visited 21 Feb., 1697/8. As his home was a longdistance form the meeting house, the town allowed him toset two stables near the meeting house in Jan., 1698/9. Hetook a lease of "White Island and sedge bank by it" -- theland now in the Mystic which is crossed by the Easterndivision of the Boston & Maine R. R. -- for a period ofseven years from 6 July, 1697. In the course of time itbecame necessary to make an addition to the Malden meetinghouse and 19 June, 1702, John Sprague and three others inbehalf of "all ye Inhabitants of Mistickside" yt are ourCharlestown naightbours promise L30, provided this metingwill pas a vote to Remove ye pulpitt to ye west side andthat the Charlestown neighbors shall have a right to seatsunder the same rules as the inhabitants of Malden have". 14 June, 1703, John Sprague, Sr., and others gave uptheir seats in the meeting house to the town in order toenlarge the house, and 5 Nov., 1703, it was voted that JohnSprague et. al. have "Liberty to finish up yt vacant placebetween Col. Pages pew and ye stayres: flush out with Col.Page's pew: and it shall be for them and there wifescoveneance". Mr. Sprague's premature death undoubtedly preventedthis work, for in 1704, Samuel Stower of Mystic Side andhis sister Widow Elizabeth Sprague had "liberty to fuld apew on ye east side of ye south dore provided yt wheneither of these parsons dye or remove from this meting; ytthere pew shal return to ye town". Mr. Sprague was made a freeman, 22 Mar., 1689/1690.His widow made her will, 20 July, 1732, and it was probated29 Nov., 1736. In it she mentions her son Stower Spragueand his son John, her daughters Elizabeth Sweetser, AbiahBoardman and Hannah Sprague, her sister Sarah Emerson ofCharlestown to be executrix and her grandchildren, viz;John, Elizabeth and Mary Sprague, Joseph Sweetser,Elizabeth Tufts and John Boardman, Mary Boardman and SarahBoardman and her great grandchild Elizabeth Sweetser. He was called John Sprague, Jr., on the town recordsof Malden, 1678 to 1692; chosen surveyor 30 Dec., 1678;constable, 8 Mar., 1686; and a committee to run the linebetween Charlestown and Malden, 13 Mar., 1687. "The Ralph Sprague Genealogy", by E. G. Sprague, page 37 John was admitted freeman and given his estate March22, 1690, which was the old place on Maple Street and apart of "Pond Feilde" which his father had bought of hisuncles Richard and Samuel in 1752. In 1693, 1699, and 1701he was school master, and "is chose chool-marstar for yeyear insueing to learn Children and youth to Reed andwright and fefmetick according to his best Skill" in 1702.The house of entertainment kept by Richard Stower, next tothe penny ferry on the Mystic side, finally came into hispossession and continued in the name well into thenineteenth century. This ancient house at the southerlyjunction of Broadway adn Bow Streets in Everett, and knownas the Flagg house was demolished in 1894. "He was killedby a limb of a tree of his own falling" December 16, 1703.Settlement of his own estate dated March 8, 1703-4 inMiddlesex Probate document No. 15069. Widow Elizabeth'swill, July 28, 1732, probated November 27, 1736, divised toall children except John and Mary, to grandchildren John,Elizabeth and Mary Sprague, Joseph Sweetser, ElizabethTufts, John, Mary and Samuel Bodman, to grandchildElizabeth Sweetser, to sister Emerson Exx. [5]
  Person ID	I38508	Sprague Project
  Last Modified	18 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	Capt. John Sprague,   b. 23 May 1624, Saint George, Fordington, Dorchester, , Dorset, England ,   d. 24 Jun 1692, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Lydia Goffe,   b. Abt 1628, England ,   d. 11 Nov 1715, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA  (Age ~ 87 years)
  Married	2 May 1651	Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA   [6, 7, 8]
  Family ID	F14584	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family / Spouse	Elizabeth Stower,   b. Abt 1652,   d. 28 Sep 1736, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA  (Age ~ 84 years)
  Married	Abt 1676
  Children	+ 1. Elizabeth Sprague,   b. 1676, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. 12 Mar 1751/52, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA  (Age 76 years)   2. John Sprague,   b. 28 Jul 1685, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. Bef 16 Dec 1703  (Age 18 years) + 3. Stower Sprague,   b. 1686, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. 1768, Newburyport, Essex Co., MA, USA  (Age 82 years) + 4. Abiah Sprague,   b. 21 Aug 1687, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. 1766  (Age 78 years)   5. Mary Sprague,   b. 27 Nov 1689, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. 15 Dec 1715, Charlestown, Suffolk Co., MA, USA  (Age 26 years)   6. Hannah Sprague,   b. Abt 1692, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	2 Feb 2013
  Family ID	F14586	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 9 Mar 1651/52 - Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA Died - 16 Dec 1703 - Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA Buried - - Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden, Middlesex Co., MA, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S1223] Correspondent: Buitenhuys, William James (Bill), Bellrock Cemetery records provided in note of December 1st,2003. [S76] Book: Sprague, Ralph, Genealogy, Sprague, E. G., (Montpelier, VT:The Capital City Press, 1913), page 31. [S643] Publication:American Families-Genealogies/Bio's., (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1921), pages 30-40. [S393] Book: Spragues of Malden, Chamberlain, George Walter, (Boston, Mass, Privately Printed, 1923.), page 110. [S76] Book: Sprague, Ralph, Genealogy, Sprague, E. G., (Montpelier, VT:The Capital City Press, 1913), page 37. [S304] Book: Sprague, Brothers Ralph & William, Sprague, Frank William, (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic and GenealogicalSociety, 1909), page 3. [S76] Book: Sprague, Ralph, Genealogy, Sprague, E. G., (Montpelier, VT:The Capital City Press, 1913), "m. March 2, 1651.", page 31. [S433] Book: New England Marriages, Torrey, Clarence A., (Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004), page 697.