William Sprague1
M, b. circa 1599, d. 26 October 1675
| Father | Edward Sprague d. b 13 Oct 1614 |
| Mother | Christiana (?) |
William was born circa 1599 in Upwey Parish, Dorchester, Dorchestershire, England. On 25 April 1629, William left from Gravesend aboard the ship, "Lion's Whelp", under the command of John Gibbs, bound for Massachusetts Bay Colony. Listed among the passengers were: William Sprague & his brothers: Ralph & Richard. They arrived at the Salem on the 30 of June.
.2 William married Mellicent Eames, daughter of Lieutenant Anthony Eames and Margery (?), in 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. William made his will on 19 October 1675 at Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
In the name of God, Amen. The nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord God, One thousand, six hundred, seventy five. I, William Sprague, senior, of Hingham, in New England, being sick in body, but yet of perfect memory: praised be 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 Savior 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, one Cow and one Horse.
Item – I give unto the said Millesaint, my wife, ten pounds per 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 several lands 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 until 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 is 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, and my daughter Persus Doggett, the wife of John Doggett, Joanna Church, the wife of Caleb Church, and Mary King, the wife of Thomas King, everyone of them to have part alike. 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 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 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 heirs, the said threescore 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 presence of us witnesses.
Daniel Cushing, sen. & Matthew Cushing.3
William departed this life on Saturday, 26 October 1675 in Hingham.
.2 William married Mellicent Eames, daughter of Lieutenant Anthony Eames and Margery (?), in 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. William made his will on 19 October 1675 at Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
In the name of God, Amen. The nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord God, One thousand, six hundred, seventy five. I, William Sprague, senior, of Hingham, in New England, being sick in body, but yet of perfect memory: praised be 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 Savior 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, one Cow and one Horse.
Item – I give unto the said Millesaint, my wife, ten pounds per 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 several lands 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 until 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 is 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, and my daughter Persus Doggett, the wife of John Doggett, Joanna Church, the wife of Caleb Church, and Mary King, the wife of Thomas King, everyone of them to have part alike. 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 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 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 heirs, the said threescore 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 presence of us witnesses.
Daniel Cushing, sen. & Matthew Cushing.3
William departed this life on Saturday, 26 October 1675 in Hingham.
Family | Mellicent Eames b. c 1615, d. 8 Feb 1696 |
| Children |
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Citations
- [S1798] Warren Sprague, Sprague Families In America, Part II: pages 124.
- [S1797] "Lion's Whelp", The three brothers Sprague were hired by Govenor Endecott to explore the country westward. - en.m.wikipedia.org.
- [S1798] Warren Sprague, Sprague Families In America, Part II: pages 125-127 Will of William Sprague dated: 19 October 1675.