Samuel Sprague Jr. (1662 - 1739)

This profile is part of the Sprague Name Study.

Samuel Sprague Jr. was born in Massachusetts.

Birth and Parents

Samuel Sprague Jr., the third of seven children of Lt. Samuel Sprague, Sr. (b. Bef 3 Jun 1632, Charlestown, MA; d. 3 Oct 1696, Malden, MA) and Rebecca Crawford (b. 1633, Boston, MA; d. 8 Jul 1710, Reading (now Wakefield), MA). was bornon 4 May 1662 at Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^[1]

Marriages and Children

Samuel Sprague Jr. was twice married. He married 1) Sarah Unknown (b. 1660; d. 1693) say 1684 in Malden/ Charlestown, Massachusetts.^[2]Samuel and first wife, Sarah, were the parents of five children:

1. Sarah Sprague (b. 16 Sep 1685, Malden, MA; d. 16 Sep 1685, Malden, MA),^[3][4]
2. Sarah Sprague (b. 26 Sep 1686, Malden, MA; d. 19 Oct 1772, Royalston, MA), m. 30 Mar 1709, Malden, MA, William Greene III (1683-1756). Eight children.
3. Elder/Capt. Samuel Sprague III (b. 2 Feb 1689, Malden, MA; d. 7 May 1753, Stoneham, MA), m. 20 Mar 1717, Malden, MA, Joanna Lynde (1697-1739)
4. Elizabeth Sprague (b. 2 Feb 1690, Malden, MA; d. 1754, Leicester, MA), m. 1) 21 Apr 1713, Malden MA; 1) Capt. Nathaniel Green (1689-1774); m. 2) 4 Jan 1716, Malden, MA, Samuel Mower (1680-1760). Seven children.
5. Richard Sprague (b. say 1692, Malden, MA; d. 9 Dec 1766, Medford, MA), m. 1) 25 Dec 1722, MA, Abiel/Abigail Whittemore (1702-1757); m. 2) 24 Aug 1753, Joanna (Maddock) [Oaks] (1702-1786).

Samuel married 2) Sarah Green, the daughter of Capt./Deac. John and Sarah (Wheeler) Green, say 1694 in Malden, MA.^[5]Samuel and Sarah (Green) Sprague, Jr. were the parents of seven children:

1. Mehitable Sprague (b. 30 Jun 1694, Malden, MA; d. 23 Mar 1721, Wakefield, MA),^[6]m. 22 Jan 1712, Malden, MA, James Hay (1690-1769). Four children.
2. Rebecca Sprague (b. 8 May 1696, Malden, MA; d. 20 Jul 1772, Stoneham, MA), m. Edward Bucknam (1692-1773). Five children.
3. Mercy Sprague (b. 26 Feb 1698, Malden, MA; d. 8 Aug 1709, Malden, MA),^[7]
4. Winifred Sprague (b. 30 Dec 1699, Malden, MA; d. 21 May 1739), m. 1720, MA, Michael Brigden (1698-1767). Ten children.
5. Abigail Sprague (b. 15 Nov 1702, Malden, MA; d. 2 Feb 1743, Malden, MA),^[8] m. 1) 7 Jul 1721, MA, Samuel Call Sr. (1698-1747); m. 2) say 1748 John Hamen. Five children by first husband.
6. Mary Sprague (b.1704 Malden, MA; d. 26 Oct 1708, Malden, MA),
7. Deacon John Sprague (b. 15 Sep 1708, Malden, MA; d. 11 Dec 1796, Killingly, CT),^[9] m. 11 Apr 1734, Malden, MA, Judith Green (1715-1747)

Death, Burial and Will

Samuel Sprague, Jr. died on December 27, 1739 in his 77th year at Malden.^[10] Samuel's second wife, Sarah (Green) Sprague died on 2 February 1743 in Malden, Massachusetts.^[11]Both Samuel and Sarah (Green) Sprague are buried in Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^[12]

Samuel Sprague's will was filed in Probate Court in Middlesex County Massachusetts. On 5 February 1738 he willed his estate to his widow, Sarah (Green) Sprague, his eight living children, and to a child of Mehitable (Sprague) Hay.^[13][14]

Research Footnote

Samuel Sprague, Jr. is extremely difficult to distinguish from Samuel Sprague, Sr., and Samuel Sprague, 3d, all contemporaries in Malden. By occupation he was a blacksmith. On 13 March, 1687, he was appointed to run the town line between Boston and Malden. Other town offices to which he was elected were: constable, 3 March, 1689/1690: fence-viewer, 13 March, 1698/1699, 6 March, 1712/1713; surveyor, 1 March, 1707/1708; committee to build the lean to on the parsonage, 14 August, 1699; a member of other committees, 26 September, 1704, 11 May 1708, 6 May, 1709, 24 May, 1710, 29 March, 1721, 18 May, 1725, 5 January, 1727/1728; a member of the committee from the north side of the town to nominate a committee to locate the new meeting house, 17 November, 1727; one of "ye" inhabitants on Ye north side of Ye River" warned to assemble at the Meeting House to act upon a report concerning the location of the new Meeting House, 3 April, 1728; a member of the committee to sell the old Meeting House in Malden, 27 November, 1730; selectman, 27 March, 1699, 2 March 1702/1702, 10 June, 1702, 1712, 1713, 1716, 1721, 2 March 1723/1724, 6 March 1727; moderator of town meetings, 7 August, 1724, 25 September 1731. The town granted him 5 acres 139 poles in the sheep pasture on the west side of mill brook, 30 May, 1695, and he had liberty of a piece of land near the Meeting House to set a stable on, 6 January, 1698/1699. He, in behalf of his mother Brown, gave up seats in the Meeting House in order to enlarge it, 14 June, 1703, and had liberty to set a stable against "ye bell rock on ye town's land, 9 March, 1710/1711." The townsmen elected him to make a valuation of Malden estates, 26 January, 1707/1708, and an assessor in March, 1709/1710, and 6 March, 1727; town clerk, 3 March, 1711/1712/ He was among those who entered dissent against a vote to call Rev. Joseph Metcalf to be minister of the First Parish, 24 May, 1706, and served on the jury, 1 March, 1708/1709 ^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMY-1VM : accessed 13 November 2015), Samuel Sprague, May 1662; citing Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, p 35; FHL microfilm 892,249.
2. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Vol II: H-S. Boston: NEHGS, 2011. Page 1426.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC99-YMG : accessed 14 November 2015), Samuel Sprague in entry for Sarah Sprague, 16 Sep 1685; citing Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, p 119; FHL microfilm 892,249.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-8DV9 : 29 November 2018), Samuel Sprague in entry for Sarah Sprague, 16 Sep 1685; citing Death, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007578571.
5. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Vol II: H-S. Boston: NEHGS, 2011. Page 1426.
6. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC95-8MJ : accessed 14 November 2015), Samuel Sprague in entry for Mehitable Sprague, Jun 1694; citing Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, p 80; FHL microfilm 14,774.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC92-PJN : accessed 14 November 2015), Samuel Sprague in entry for Mercy Sprague, 08 Aug 1709; citing Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, reference p 378; FHL microfilm 14,774.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC95-89X : 14 January 2020), Samuel Sprague in entry for Abigail Sprague, 1702.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC95-8XV : 14 January 2020), Samuel Sprague in entry for John Sprague, 1708.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-F8DQ : 29 November 2018), Samuel Sprague, 27 Dec 1738; citing Death, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007578571.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC95-89X : 14 January 2020), Samuel Sprague in entry for Abigail Sprague, 1702.
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 15 October 2020), memorial page for Samuel Sprague II (4 May 1662–27 Dec 1738), Find a Grave Memorial no. 162821128, citing Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Anonymous (contributor 47184060).
13. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org) Will
14. ↑ Chamberlain, George Walter. The Spragues of Malden, Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Private Printing, 1923. Pages 143-146.
15. ↑ Chamberlain, George Walter. The Spragues of Malden, Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Private Printing, 1923. Pages 140-142.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Laura Peterson for creating Sprague-2227 on 1 Dec 13.

• Thank you to Stanley Greene for creating Sprague-2057 on 26 Jul 13.

• Biography rewritten in full with inline sourcing and photos added following further research by Sprague descendant Carol Baldwin on 15 October 2020.