William Sprague ^4,11,123

  General Notes:

The author's 8th Great-Grandfather

"The Sprague Family: from Dorset to Massachusetts and Gibraltar", by Joan Watkins:

"William, the youngest of the brothers married Millicent Eames in 1634/5. Together with his wife and new father-in-law they removed to Hingham where he was granted land."

"They had ten children, only eight surviving. These were Anthony, John, Samuel, Jonathan, (died) Persis, Joanna, William, Mary and Hannah who died aged 3."



From Richard Fricke.

"William Sprague immigrated to America in 1628 with his two brothers, Ralph and Richard on the ship Abigail, with Governor Endicott and landed at Salem on September 6, 1628. Ralph became a Lieutenant and Richard a Captain. The brothers were the first settlers of Charleston and are buried there."

"Ancestral File - Ver 4.11" William Sprague (AFN:73NL-VG)

"Sprague Families in America", by W. V. Sprague, page 124. 1629: "The names of Ralph, Richard and William Sprague were first and at the head of the list of settlers in the record of the first meeting of the inhabitants of Charlestown":

1629. He visited Hingham in a boat.

1635. Millesant his wife was admitted to the Church in Charlestown.

1635-6, Jan 2. His name appearsfor the last time in the list of inhabitants of Charlestown.

1636. He and his father-in-law obtained grants of land in Hingham and removed there, where he continued to live (except at one time he appears as a resident of Milford, MA). His house lot, on Union St. "over the river" was said to be the pleasantest lot in Hingham.

1645. He was chosen one of the seven Selectmen, "to order the prudential affairs of the town."

1651, March 28. He purchased of Thomas Hammond, "Planter " a dwelling house with 5 acres of land adjoining his own homestead, together with other lands in that locality; also 20 acres on the opposite side of the river against the end of the aforesaid house lot.

1662. Constable and Collector of town rates.

1675, October 19. Made his will. All of the children were born in Hingham except Anthony, who was born in Charlestown.

From Nancy Johnsen Curran. William Sprague came on the "Lyo n's Whelp" in 1629. "Planters of the Commonwealth", Banks , page61.

"The Genealogical Register", July 1930, page 324:

"William Sprague, fuller, of Upwey, County Dorset, England w as a settler at Salem, MA in 1628 and at Hingham, MA in 1636."

"History of Hingham", Volume II, Genealogies, by George Lincoln, 1893, repr. 1982, page 163:

"1645 Selectman

1661 Constable"

"The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: Biographical", American Historical Society, Inc. , 1920, pages 400-402:

"William Sprague settled first in Charlestown, Mass., where he lived until 1636. He then removed to Hingham, landing on the side of the cove, on a tract of land afterward granted him by the town, and he was one of the first planters there. His house lot is said to have been the best situated in the town. Many grants were made him from time to time . He was active in public affairs, and was constable, fence -viewer, etc. William Sprague died October 6, 1675; his will bequeaths to his wife, Millicent, and children, Anthony , Samuel, William, Joan, Jonathan, Persis, Joanna, and Mary . He married in Charlestown in 1635, Millicent Eames, daughter of Anthony Eames, who died February 8, 1695/96.:

"Genealogy (in part) of the Sprague Families in America", b y Augustus B. R. Sprague, page 10: "William Sprague, of Ch arlestown and Hingham, planter, was born in England, and wa s the youngest son of Edward Sprague. He married Millesaint Eames, daughter of Anthony Eames. She died February 8, 16 96."

"He came to Hingham in 1636, in a boat, and landed on the east side of the cove, on a lot of ground that was afterwards legally granted to him by the town, and was one of the first planters of the town, the name Bare Cove having been changed to Hingham, Sept. 2, 1635."

"He died October 26, 1675."

"WILLIAM SPRAGUE'S WILL In the Name of God, Amen. The ninet eenth day of October, in the year of our Lord God, One thou sand, six hundred, seventy & five. I, WILLIAM SPRAGUE, senior, of Hingham, in New England, being sick in body, but yet of perfect memory; praised by almighty God! do make and declare this my last will and testament, in manner and form following: Revoking, and by these presents, making void , and of no force, all and every will and wills heretofore by me made, and declared, either by word or writing, and this to be taken only, for my last will, and none other.

FIRST and principally, I commit and commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, and my body to the earth, to be decently buried, at the discretion of my executor hereafter mentioned, hoping of salvation, both of soul and body, by the mercies of God in the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ. And as for such temporal estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I do order, give and dispose the same in manner and form as followeth -- that is to say:

FIRST -- I will that all those just debts and duties that I owe in right and conscience to any person whatsoever, shall be well and truly contented and paid by my Executor hereafter named out of my Estate, with my funeral charges, which I will shall be first paid.

Item -- I give and bequeath unto Millesaint Sprague, my loving wife, the sum of Ten pounds in money, and one Cow and one Horse.

Item -- I give unto the said Millesaint, my wife, ten pounds er annum during the term of her natural life, (to be paid to her by my son, William Sprague, which I have reserved for her, as may fully appear by a deed of gift under my hand and seal to my said son, William, of my house and severa llands and commons, as is therein expressed, ) and the summering and wintering of one cow and one horse, and the use of one half of my dwelling house, and half the orchard, according as I have reserved upon the said deed of gift.

Item -- I give unto Millesaint, my said wife, thirty and five pounds which is due from me by my son, Anthony Sprague, to be paid five pounds a year till the whole be paid: that is to say, in case my said wife live till all the said payments be made to her: but if my wife decease, before all the said payments of thirty and five pounds be made, then my mind and will is, that what is remaining unpaid of the said thirty and five pounds at my wife's decease, shall be divided equally amongst all my children hereafter named, that is to say: my son Anthony Sprague, my son Samuel Sprague, my son William Sprague, my daughter, Perses Doggett, the wife of John Doggett, Joanna Church, the wife of Caleb Church and Mary King, the wife of Thomas King, every one of them to have part and part alike. Item -- I give unto Millesaint, my said wife, all my household stuff and furniture, linen, woolen, and utensils of household whatsoever, for and during the term of her natural life; and after my wife's decease my mind and will is, that it shall be divided amongst all my aforesaid children, every one of them to have par t and part alike. And all my cattle not before given to thi s my will, to be immediately after my decease, disposed of by my Executor, as followeth; that is to say: to my son Will iam Sprague two steers three years old and the [?] and one cow; and all the rest of my cattle to be equally divided among the rest of my children aforenamed, every one of them to have part and part alike.

Item -- I give and bequeath unto Anthony Sprague, my SWORD , which was my brother Richard Sprague's and one of my biggest pewter platters, and twenty shillings in money; which, with what I have given him before, in Land, and other things, and his part of my household stuff and cattle, after the decease of myself and my wife, as it is afore expressed, I judge a sufficient portion for him.

Item -- I give unto my son John Sprague, a piece of salt marsh, lying at Lyford's liking river, in Hingham, containing two acres and a half, be it more or less, which was given me by the town of Hingham, to enjoy to him, and his heirs , and assigns forever. And I do give unto my son John Sprague my searge suit of apparel, which with a Neck of Upland, called Sprague's Island, lying by the aforesaid meadow which I formerly gave to him, I judge a sufficient portion for him.

Item -- I give unto my son Samuel Sprague my cloth coat, which was my brother's and one of my biggest pewter platters.

Item -- I give and bequeath unto my son Jonathan Sprague, threescore acres of Land, lying in the bounds of the township of Providence, in New England, which I lately purchased of John Dexter, of the said Providence which said threescore acres of land, I do give to my son Jonathan during the term of his natural life; and after his decease unto his heirs male, lawfully begotten of his body, lawfully begotten or to be begotten; and for want of such hairs, the said thre escore acres of Land to return to the next heirs of the Spragues descended from me. Also, I give unto my said son Jonathan Sprague my best cloth suit of apparel.

Item -- I give unto William Sprague one feather bed, which he used to lodge upon when he lived with me, and one of my biggest pewter platters.

Item -- I do make and ordain Millesaint Sprague, my loving wife, my full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament.

In witness whereof, I the said William Sprague have hereunto set my hand and seal, the day above written. WILLIAM SPRAGUE and a seal.

Signed, sealed, published and delivered by the above said William Sprague, senior, to be his last will and testament , in the presence of us witnesses.

DANIEL CUSHING, sen.

MATTHEW CUSHING. Daniel Cushing, sen., and Daniel Cushing , jr., appeared before John Leverett, Esq., Governor, etc"

William married Millicent Eames, daughter of Captain Anthony Eames and Margery Pierce, on 26 May 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. (Millicent Eames was born in 1615 in St George, Fordingham, Dorest, Eng, died on 8 Feb 1696 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA and was buried on 8 Feb 1696 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.)