| Notes |
- "Spragg Family: Canadian Line Descendants of Capt. ThomasSpragg", by Dale Wilken.
Capt. Thomas Spragg in 1783 at the end of the RevolutionaryWar moved from Duchess County, NY to New Brunswick,Canada. He moved with all of his family. He hada farm in Dutchess County before the war to which he hadmoved from Hempstead, Long Island, New York after hismarriage to Mary.
From Hal R. Spragg, correspondent.
The following is from private e-mail communication by HalR. Spragg and Pastor Jim Swanson of Hatfield Point BaptistChurch, Hatfield Point, New Brunswick in October 1998.
Dear Sirs:
I am seeking information on Thomas Spragg, the churchfounder. The information I have is:
SPRAGG, THOMAS. A captain. Went to St. John, New Brunswickat the peace, and was a grantee of that city. He diedat Springfield, King's County, in 1812, aged eighty-two.
Hal R. Spragg
From Pastor Swanson:
Sorry I am late in getting back. We had specialmeetings this week and I was unable to get to thegraveyard. His grave is just a block from here. It was the original stone, and two other stones over thegrave spots, to mark 100 and 200 years from settlinghere. The stones of his relatives all spell the nameSpragg, but on the bicentennial stone they mention theSprague family and Sprague's point, the original name ofthis community before it was changed in the 1880's.
His stone says that he arrives in May of 1784 and died 22Feb 1812 in his 83rd year. It says he was of HempsledLong Island. The word Hempsled is not clear (mosscovered) so it could be Hempsied or Hempsted. It ishyphenated on the stone.
The next stone says Mary Spragg his wife, died Oct 18, 1828at age 92. (So she was 7 years younger) Thethird stone says Elizabeth Spragg was the wife of Elijahand she died Oct 4th, 1821 at age 50. The fourth stone saysElijah was the youngest son of Thomas and he died Nov 9th,1837.
I think he was Anglican, not Baptist. The baptistchurch was started here in 1809 and the Anglican then moved5 km down the road to Springfield where it still istoday. I don't know anything more about this familybut since there are still Spraggs around here, I imaginemore is known. In fact, I just visited Ned Spraguetwo weeks ago in the hospital."
Pastor Jim Swanson.
Church founded by Thomas Spragg, loyalist.
"During and after the Revolutionary War, loyalists migratedinto eastern Canada, including the St. John Rivervalley. By the end of the 18th century, CaptainThomas Spragg had brought his family to the Belleisle Bayto settle. The early 1800's saw Baptists move intothe area so these Church of England folk moved up the roadto Springfield. Meanwhile, the Baptists began to meetoutdoors (all year around) and in 1820 build their firstmeeting house. It was called the "First SpringfieldCalvinist Baptist Church," and later changed to "HatfieldPoint Baptist Church."
"In the 1960's, the church withdrew from the BaptistConvention and became independent. The presentpastor, James Swanson, is a graduate of Lawrence University(B.A.) and Temple Baptist Theological Seminary (M.R.E.,M.Div.)."
Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol2, p.324
Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol2, p.580
Spragg, Thomas Event: Living
Year: Abt 1783
Province of record source: New Brunswick
Comments: Loyalist
Source: The Loyalists of New Brunswick
Author: Esther Clark Wright
Publisher: Lancelot Press
Publication place: Hantsport, NS
Volume/Page(s): 330
Spragg, Thomas
Event: Living
Year: Abt 1785
Province of record source: New Brunswick
Source: Early New Brunswick Probate Records 1785-1835
Author: R. Wallace Hale
Publisher: Heritage Books Inc.
Publication Place: Bowie, Maryland
Volume/Pages: 333
"Early Spraggs of Hempstead, Long Island", by John R.Sprague III, J.D., published in "The Genealogist", Spring,1998, pages 3-42 (note, the reader is left to review theoriginal manuscript for references cited in AttorneySprague's work.).
Thomas Spragg, a loyalist, moved before the Revolution toFish kill, Dutchess Co., N.Y., then afterward to NewBrunswick, Canada.
From Robert I. Spragg, Sr., correspondent in Web Sitehttp://home.att.net/~rspragg.thomasspragg..htm.
Thomas Spragg was born in 1729 in Hempstead,L.I.,NY. He wasthe son of Edward (4) And Margaret (Gritman) Spragg. He wasmarried to Mary Carman on Oct 31 1752, in Hempstead, NY, atthe ST. George church.
He moved from Hempstead, up the Hudson River (about 75miles) to Fishkill, Dutchess Co. NY. His son Caleb Spraggwas born in Fishkill in 1766. Thomas Spragg had a largefarm near Fishkill, near the "Wappinger cheek".
Thomas and his wife Mary had eight children: Richard,Thomas Jr. Caleb, Mary, Elizabeth (Peggy), Elijah, Hannah,and Jane. Fromthe book
"ROYAL RAIDERS OF THE TORIES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION"
When the American Revolution started, Thomas Spragg refusedto sign the association papers to support the revolution.He was taken into custody,and later escaped. He was forcedto leave his family to the hardships of the war. His farmwas taken over by the revolutionaries, by a Lt. Codwis. Thefarm (186 1/2 acres) was later sold in a forfeitures sale (Mar 27 1782) and the mother and children put off the farm.The same Lt. Codwis was the purchaser of the farm.
Thomas Spragg with twenty-eight other men left for New YorkCity. With these men, (that he had engaged in Dutchess Coto serve under him), he became a part of the "Rogers Corp"of the British army. Because he was a farmer, he was notgiven a commission by the British and he fought as aprivate in the war. He and these men fought as part of thesuccessful assault on Fort Montgomery on the Hudson River.
Thomas Spragg received a "ball" in his arm, which remainedfor as long as he lived. One of his sons was sent nearlyfifty times by the British officers, into the country- sidefor intelligence (this would have been son Richard).
At the close of the war, in 1783, all Tories had to leavethe new United States. Thomas Spragg was made a captain ofa company of Torie Loyalist. With his and the families ofthe other Tories, they moved to St. John river area, ofKings Co, New Brunswick, Canada. As a result of theiradherence to the Royal cause in the American Revolution,they asked the British for aid and relief for their losesin the revolution. Thomas Spragg received a grant of landof about 2000 acres on the "Belleisle Bay" on the St. JohnRiver, in Kings Co. New Brunswick, Canada. This area wascalled Spragg's Grant or Spragg's Pt. It was later changedto Hatfield's Pt
Note: Weeden Hatfield had married Elizabeth Spragg, granddaughter of Thomas and Mary Spragg)
apt. Thomas Spragg and his wife Mary lived out their livesin New Brunswick. Thomas died Feb 22 1812, and Mary diesOct 24 1821. Both are buried in the Bayview cemetery in thesmall town of Hatfield Pt. Thomas Spragg had given the landfor the new cemetery and church. The cemetery is on a hillthat over looks the "Belleisle Bay".
This isthe epitaph on his stone
"HERE LIES THE BODY OF CAPT THOMAS SPRAGG OF THIS PARISH, ANATIVE OF HEMPSTEAD, LONG ISLAND.
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 22 Feb 1812 IN THE 83RD YEAR OF HISAGE.
Stop traveler, if you have a tear to lend, beneath thesesods is interred a faithful friend, a loving husband andfather kind. A tender heart that felt for all mankind.
We trust with all Angels host above. He is singer anthemsof redeeming love."
I visited this grave site in 1996.
It would appear that all or mostof the children of Capt. Thomas and Mary Spragg lived nearthem or around them in Kings Co. It was only the nextgeneration that many of the descendents moved on to newparts of Canada and back to the U.S.
Today the descendents are found all over the U.S. andCanada: Many are still in New Brunswick and many in Iowa,Montana and Mass.
From Virginia Watterson, correspondent.
* According to Esther Clark Wright in "The Loyalists of NewBrunswick", page 208 " ... Jesse Gillies, who had been asergeant in the New York Volunteers, was to be found on theBelleisle instead of the Keswick because he had married adaughter of Captain Thomas Spragg, who had sailed from NewYork as head of Company 46."
In his will of January 25, 1800, Thomas Spragg names agrandson, Samuel Gillies, as a beneficiary. (Kings CountyProbate Records) Samuel was the son of JessieGillies. (See Gillies Genealogy completed by myself, 1976.)
In a petition to Governor Thomas Carleton dated June 9th,1785 Jessie Gillies states, "These circumstances yourPetitioner thinks proper to mention to shew, that if he hadnot been a soldier, he would have been entitled to a Draft(of land) with the Loyal Refugees on this side of St. Anns(present day Fredericton) and if that had been his goodfortune, he would have had the happiness of the aid of abrother in law at the head of Belleisle Bay - WilliamHarding, by name - who is willing and able to afford himgreat assistance in settling." (See Land Petitions: KingsCounty Series I, #21.)
According to Elizabeth Estabrooks Palmer, a grand-daughterof Jessie Gillies, Jessie Gillies married ElizabethSherwood Fowler (daughter of Weeden Fowler). According to a genealogy recently donated to the ProvincialArchives; the Gillies-Fowler marriage took place Jan 1,1794.
The founder of the Spragg surname in Springfield Parish(Belleisle Bay) Kings County, N.B. was Captain ThomasSpragg formerly of Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York.(Jessie Gillies was formerly of Ulster County, New York).
In 1783 Captain Spragg led Co. 46 (32 men, 20 women, 10children & 4 servants) from New York and sailing into SaintJohn Harbor in the late Fall of 1783. He wasaccompanied by his wife, Mary and at least three of theirchildren: Caleb, Richard, and Elijah. Also among thegroup were John Underhill who first settled along theKennebeckasis River before returning to the United Statesand Weeden Fowler who eventually settled among the HammondRiver, Kings County.
Upon disembarking, Thomas was granted a 40' by 100' lot(960) in Parrtown on the East bank of the St. JohnHarbor. His son, Richard, received a similar sizedlot nearby (965). The lots were located on Charlotte Streetnear Queens Square, St. John City. At 54 years ofage, Thomas was now to begin a new life in a new worldstill a virtual wilderness devoid of institutions andconveniences of civilization left behind.
Like other late fall arrivals, Thomas and his family facedserious hardships. Little, if any, preparation hadbeen made for their arrival. Most Loyalists werecompelled to spend the winter of 1783 in rude huts or tentsmade from ships' sails and bedded with spruce boughsbrought from Partridge Island. Illness inevitablybroke out and many died.
Shortly after their arrival, Thomas and his sons weregranted lands a short distance up the St. John River on theNorthwest side of Belleisle Bay. It was here that theSpragg family established its "roots" and where manysucceeding generations were raised.
According to Esther C. Wright in "The St. John & ItsTributaries", pp. 92-93:
"... It was a grant to Thomas Spragg, formerly of Fishkill,Dutchess County, New York, who had raised 28 men for theBritish Forces, but had not received a commission becausehe was a farmer. He served as a volunteer in theLoyal American Regiment, and his son and two sons-in-law,Caleb Davis and Jessie Gillies enlisted as soldiers... With his wife and seven children he settled "on anew farm where he and his children laboured hard and expectthey must continue to do so, where he hopes to livecontented and die happy". He was made happier by thegrant of 2000 acres on the northwest side of the Belleisle,but there was one catch, his name was spelled Sprague onthe grant, and he and their children had to change theirname."
In 1786 Thomas purchased a mill situated on the Belleislefrom a Mr. Foster. The early years of settlement weredifficult. In 1796 a neighbor, Peter Drake,petitioned th New Brunswick colonial administrators,stating that he was "alarmed to find Mr. Thomas Spragg hadextended part of his survey across part of his (Drake's)rear land which if he is allowed to holdwise will renderyour petitioner's land unfit for anything but commons as itis entirely destitute of timber for fuel or fence anddepends entirely on the Back Land for both articles.(Preliminary research does not indicate how the dispute wasresolved.)
Thomas Sprague died Feb 22, 1812 at age 83 years ofage. His wife Mary died October 18, 1828. Bothwere buried at the Bay view Cemetery at Hatfield Point,Springfield Parish, Kings County, N.B.
The above material was drawn from:
Esther C. Wright, "The Loyalists of New Brunswick",appendix pp. 330, 283, 337.
William O. Raymond, "The River St. John"
Kings County Land Petitions, Series I #574, September 28,1789.
Kings County Land Petitions, Series I #350, 1786
Kings County Land Petitions, Series I #721, June 3, 1796.
Gravestone Inscriptions, Bayview Cemetery, Hatfield Point.
Daniel F. Johnson : Volume 90 Number 703
Rank 176
Date July 29, 1893
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper The Daily Sun
The old burial ground at Hatfield's Point (Kings Co.) whichoccupies and eminence at the back of the village andoverlooks the bay, is one of the most ancient in theprovince, but the inscription on some of its oldestmonuments are undecipherable. With the aid of a couple ofladies who filled the office of 'Old Mortality', I havecopied a few of these inscriptions: Here lies thebody of / Captain Thomas SPRAGG / of this parish / anative of Hampstead, Long Island / who departed this life /22nd February, 1812 / In the 83rd year of his age. / Stop,Traveller, if you have a tear to lend / Beneath these sodsinterred's a faithful friend; A loving husband and a fatherkind; / A tender heart that felt for all mankind. / Wetrust with all the angelic hosts above / He is singinganthems of redeeming love. -- In memory of /Caleb DAVIS / Died April 20th, 1833 / Aged 73 years/He was one of the Loyalists who came to this province. /Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end ofman means peace. / Also / Mary DAVIS / His wife, anddaughter of the late Captain Thomas Spragg, died 20thDeceamber, 1815 in the 54th year of her age. -- -----InMemory of / Mary SPRAGG / wife of / Captain Thomas Spragg /who departed this life / Oct. 18, 1828, aged 92years -- Sacred / To the memory of / Mary UNDERHILL/ wife of William UNDERHILL / a native of Queens County /who departed this life / April 13th, 1813 / Aged 67 years.-- In memory of / Captain Egbert SPRAGG / Youngestson of Captain Thomas Spragg / who departed this life /November 9th, 1837 / In the 69th year of his age / He wasone of the earliest settlers in this province. --In an addition to the ancient cemetery, I observed severalred and gray granite and white marble monuments to thememory of men and women who were once well known in St.John. From these I copy the following: In memory of / Rev.W.A. COREY / died 27th March, 1882 / Aged 46 years /Erected by the friends and relatives of our late pastor --John H. WILSON, M.D. / Born December 2, 1828 / DiedNovember 10, 1889 / His wife / Mary Isabella WILSON / BornOctober 2, 1835 / Died December 20, 1891 -- Frank D. GANONG/ Died September 26, 1887 / Aged 69 years -- Inaffectionate remembrance of / Debbie E. HUGGARD / wife of /J.W. HUGGARD / Born February 8th, 1863 / Died November 9th,1884 / Her end was peace -- In memory of / Nettie KIERSTEAD/ wife of / J.A.S. KIERSTEAD / Died 24th January, 1880,aged 29 years / As a wife devoted, as a motheraffectionate, as a friend ever kind and true / Also theirdaughter / Elista WEST. -- signed H.L.S., Hatfield's Point,July 26.
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1729 - 1812 (83 years)
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