Thomas Prather I (abt. 1725 - abt. 1820)

Born about 1725 in Prince George's County, Maryland

Ancestors

Son of Jonathan Prather III and Jane (Milliken) Prather

Descendants

Died about 1820 at about age 95 in Frederick, Maryland, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Shelton [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Prather I served with Maryland during the American Revolution.

Thomas Prather is the son of Jonathan Prather III.^[1] and Jane (Milliken) Prather. Thomas Prather (aka Prater) was born May 9, 1725, in Prince George's County, English Province of Maryland. He passed away about 1777 in Bedford County, Virginia, USA^[2]

Name

Name: Thomas /Prather/

Given Name: Thomas

Surname: Prather

Name: /Prather/

Given Name:

Surname: Prather

Found multiple versions of NAME. Using Thomas /Prather/.

Name: Thomas /Prather/^[3][4][5]

Birth

Birth:

Date: 09 MAY 1725

Place: Prince George's, Maryland, Colonial America^[6][7]

Residence

Residence:

Date: 1760

Place: Frederick County, MD^[8]

Marriage

Husband: Jonathan Prather

PREF Y

Wife: Jane Milliken

PREF Y

Marriage:

Date: Abt 1712

Place: <Prince George, , Prince Georges, Maryland>^[9]

Child: William Prather

PREF Y

Child: Jonathan Prather

Child: Mary Prather

Child: Jane Prather

Child: Elizabeth Prather

Child: Martha Prather

Child: Ann Prather

Child: Thomas Prather

Will of James Prater

"James Prather late of P.G.Co., MD.(now Frederick Co.) Will probated June 1759 'My mother, Joice Allen'; sister Sarah Stone, and 'my mother's two daughters, Margaret and Catherine Coleman', 'my father, Thomas Prather'. She was born circa 1726 at of, Bedford, Va. She married Thomas Prather, son of Jonathan Prather III and Jane Mullikin, circa 1750 at Md. Josie Allen married Thomas Coleman after 1765 at of Bedford, Va." (GBPrater)

Sources

1. ↑ Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 35 out of 37 Y-DNA marker match between this Family Tree DNA yDNA test for Jerry Prater and this Family Tree DNA yDNA test of his (8th cousin once removed) paternal line cousin H Martin Prather Jr.
2. ↑ https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rlschultheiss&id=I8145
3. ↑ Source: #S371 Data: Text: Birth date: 9 May 1725 CONT Birth place: Saint Barnabas Church, Queen Anne Parish, Prince Georges, Maryland
4. ↑ Source: #S372 Data: Text: Residence date: 1760 CONT Residence place: Frederick County, MD
5. ↑ Source: #S373 Data: Text: Birth date: 1720 CONT Birth place: Maryland
6. ↑ Source: #S371 Data: Text: Birth date: 9 May 1725 CONT Birth place: Saint Barnabas Church, Queen Anne Parish, Prince Georges, Maryland
7. ↑ Source: #S373 Data: Text: Birth date: 1720 CONT Birth place: Maryland
8. ↑ Source: #S372 Data: Text: Residence date: 1760 CONT Residence place: Frederick County, MD
9. ↑ Source: #S11 Page: downloaded 8 Jun 2007 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Date: 8 Jun 2007

• Richard's Family Registry on RootsWeb: Thomas Prather

https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rlschultheiss&id=I8145

• Source: S371 Author: Ancestry.com Title: Maryland, Births and Christenings Index, 1662-1911 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - "Maryland Births and Christenings, 1600–1995." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compile; Repository: #R8
• Repository: R8 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number:
• Source: S372 Author: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp. Title: Maryland Census, 1772-1890 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data - Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.Orig; Repository: #R8
• Source: S373 Author: Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. Title: American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data - Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library.Original data: Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genea; Repository: #R8
• Source: S11 Media: Index Abbreviation: International Genealogical Index(R) Title: International Genealogical Index(R) Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publication: Copyright (c) 1980, 2002 Date: 2 Dec 2005 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y
• WikiTree profile Prather-359 created through the import of Kuehn Family File.ged on Oct 26, 2011 by Timothy Kuehn. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Timothy and others.

Note

"James Prather was a lieutenant and Thomas Prather a colonel of Maryland troops in the Continental Army during the Revolution. They were both from Frederick County and were active members of various Frederick County committees organized to carry on the war. These and other annals of the family in Maryland are found in Scharf's History of Western Maryland[1]

Hi there, can't believe the Thomas Prather/Josie/Joyce Allen myth is still floating around. I haven't been researching this family for years now. Here is an article I wrote up for my personal tree that may help. I'm just not up to maintaining another website myself, hope you find this of some help. Getting old stinks big time.

Why They Are Not the Children of Thomas Prather and Joyce Allen. by Teresa C.

According to the will of James Prather, son of Thomas, his mother Joyce was married to Robert Allen at the time of his death.

1756 Jul 15 - Bedford Co, Va Deed Bk 1:131-132 - Recorded: 27 Jun 1759 Last will of James Prather written: In the Name of God, Amen. I, James Prather of Bedford Co, Colony of Virginia and son of Thomas Prather late of that part of Prince George County in the Province of Maryland which is now called Frederick County, (deceased) - Being very weak in body...I wish to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my father in law Robert Allen & Joise Allen, his wife, my Mother... and as touching such worldly Estate where unto I have any Property to by the death of my father and other ways obtained this the Blessing of God in this life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form: give to my Mother Joice Allen & her Heirs one third (1/3rd) part of my property to what is due to me from my father's estate except land. I give to my sister Sarah Stone 1/3rd of my estate due to me by the death of my father Thomas Prather above mentioned. It is my will that the other 1/3rd of my estate be equally divided between my Mother's two daughters, Viz: Margaret Coleman & Mary Coleman ratifying this to be my last Will & Testament revoking all other Deeds Wills or grants to this day & date above written - /s/ James Prather. Signed Sealed and Delivered and Pronounced as my last will & Testament before in the Presence of us, Stephen Clements, Benjamin Clements, Benj. Clements Junr. At a Court held for Bedford County June 27, 1759, This Will was presented by Robert Allen and Proved by the oath of Benj. Clements and Benj. Clements Junr, two of the witnesses thereunto and ordered to be recorded.

Information taken from this will.

1. Joyce was not born an Allen. She was married to Thomas Prather, deceased, late of Prince George County, MD. James inherited land in Prince George's county from his father. In 1752 she is married to Robert Allen, James Prather's stepfather.

2. She has two Coleman daughters, suggesting that she was married to a Coleman previously, between the Prather and Allen marriages. Records below name Joyce Coleman, wife of Thomas Coleman as administrator of the estate of Thomas Prather 1742 Prince George's County, MD. She has three children Elinor, Sarah, and James Prather. No further mention is made of Elinor, but James names his Sister Sarah Stone in his will. These records suggest that Joyce married Thomas Coleman in Prince George's county before the move to Bedford.

Thomas Prather 27.28 PG £100.3.8 Jun 24 1742 Appraisers: Richard Sookstone, Flayall Sayer. Administratrix: Joyce Coleman, wife of Thomas Coleman

Thomas Prather, Sr. 20.243 A PG £100.3.8 £10.16.11 Jun 11 1744 Received from: William Myers, William Hunt, William Atthews, George Matthews, Henry Ballinger, Wilcoxen, George Murdock, Benjamin Chille, Samuel Ryley. Payments to: Henry Jackstone. Representatives: Joyce (accountant), 3 children: Elinor, Sarah, James Prather. Administratrix: Joyce Coleman, wife of Thomas Coleman.

3. In 1752 Lunenburg county, James Prather is tithed in the home of Robert Allen, his father-in-law (Stepfather).

The children often mistakenly attributed to Thomas Prather and Joyce Allen are Ninian (Newman) (b. about 1743), Nehemiah (b. about ?), William md Elizabeth Fugate (b. about 1749), Archibald md Sarah Fugate (b. about 1755), Thomas md Milly Wheeler (b. about 1756), Jonathan md Elizabeth Musick (b. about 1757), Glatha ?, Isaac md Debra Samples, maybe a cousin (b.about 1759), Sarah Elizabeth md Samuel Allen (b. about 1765).

Obviously, since Thomas Prather died around 1742, these cannot be his children. And if it should be another Thomas who married Joyce, then any children born 1752 or later also cannot be the children of Thomas Prather and Joyce Allen. James Prather's will makes it clear that his father was dead in 1752, and his mother had time before marrying Robert Allen to have two Coleman daughters.

Conclusion: Newman, Nehemiah, William, Archibald, Thomas, Jonathan, Glatha?, Isaac, and Sarah Elizabeth Prater CANNOT be the children of Thomas Prater and Joyce Allen.

Process of elimination suggests that William Prather and Sarah Prather are likely the parents of these children. Of course, it is always possible that Sarah may have died and William remarried.

Three male children of Jonathan Prather and Jane Mullikin were William, Jonathan and Thomas, who married Sarah Prater, Catherine Reese, and unknown respectively.

William and Sarah sell land in 1742/43 Prince George's Land Records 1739-1743 - Liber Y - Page 612. Feb 17, 1742/[43] from William Prather of PG, planter, to Thos Webb of PG, for 3 £ 6 shillings and 8 pence sterling, a tract of land in PG called [blank] Mendunes, bounded by the northernmost fork of the Horsepen Branch of the Eastern Branch of Potomack River, and on the south side of sd fork, containing and laid out for about 50 acres. Signed - William (MP his mark) Prather. Wit - John Child, Tho Owen*, James Edmondston*. Sarah Prather, wife of the sd William Prather, acknowledged her consent to the deed. Recorded Mar 12, 1742/[43].

By 1748 three Prater men of these same names were in Lunenburg County, Va on the tithes list.

1748 Lunenburg, va tax list: Thomas 1, William 1 1749 Lunenburg, Va tax list: Thomas, Jonathan 1750 Luneberg tax: Thomas Prater 1, Jonathan Prater 1 1752 Militia list: Thomas, Jonathan

Bedford County, Va formed and split off of Lunenburg in 1753. Jonathan and Thomas are now on the Bedford side.

1758 Bedford Militia: ensign Thomas Prater, Jonathan Prater

1759 Bedford Wills: James son of elder Thomas leaves will naming his mother and sisters. (James is also tithed on the 1752 Lunenburg tax list with Robert Allen before it became Bedford County). His father Thomas was likely the Uncle of the other Prater men in Bedford and Halifax, brother of Jonathan/Mullikin. This Thomas was never in Va, he died 1742 in Prince George's County, MD. James himself left no issue, and his estate was left to his Mother and sisters.

1760 Bedford: Jonathan land purchase

Jonathan Prather - 3 Mar 1760 - Bedford Co. 323a. On both sides of Stoney fork of Goose Creek. Patents 33, 1756-61, p. 744.

Will: Will of Jonathan Prather (V) page 152 of Bedford County VA Will Book 1 August 16, 1771 Wife Catherine Sons: Thomas, Jonathan, William, Isaac, Reace Daughters: Mary, Ann, Tabitha Exec: Wife Catherine Witnesses: Jane Prather, Mary Prather, Charles Lunch Recorded: June 22, 1772 he leaves his wife his "Plantation on Stony Fork" where we now live. And after her death to his son Thomas Prather. To his son Jonathan Prather V, 163 acres on Shoulder Camp. To his son William Prather my land on Elks Creek.

Thomas Prather, who shows up on the tax lists, brother of William and Jonathan likely had a daughter Sarah Prater that married William Fuqua and removed to Georgia. Thomas signed as surety for their marriage. Jonathan's will does not name a daughter Sarah, and the Sarah that married Samuel Allen likely belongs to William, so that leaves Thomas as possible father.

I have not found anything further yet on this Thomas, he may have died, or removed to Georgia with his daughter's family. Needs more investigation.

Just the year before Bedford formed, Halifax also formed from Lunenburg

1752

William starts showing up in records in the newly formed Halifax county and his likely children.

Halifax military

To John Harris, John Rice, Thomas Norton, Thomas Fern, John Harris, Jun. John Wade, Benjamin Croley, Richard Moore, Archibald Thompson, John Blevins, Clement Lee, Wells Ward, Nathaniel Hendley, John Sturd, James Sturd, William Blevins, Jun. Josiah Cox, Ningum Prator, Nehemiah Prater, John Blevins, Sen. William Asher, and John Garcer, 23s. each, 00 25 6

Pittsylvania formed from Halifax 1766-1767

In the County Court Orders of Pittsylvania Co. the following names were found: 1767= Nehemiah Prater, 1768= William Prater, 1778= Ninian (Ningum) Prater.

1768 tax list William At a Court held for Pittsylvania County the 24th day of June 1768

Christian vs Prater Judg Israel Christian P. ag William Prater D. On a Petition Petition is Dismissed

Henry County, Va is formed from Pittsylvania County.

Personal Property Tax List Henry Co., VA.:

1778= Nehemiah, Archibald, Jonathan, and Ninion (Ningum) probably Newman Prater transcription error.

1779= Jonathan, Archibald, Ninian, William, and Minar (Nehemiah) Prater.

1780= Nehemiah, Jonathan, William, Ninion, and Archibald.

During 1782/87 Samuel Allen and Elexious Musick were on the list. Samuel Allen married Sarah Prater. Jonathan Prater married granddaughter of Elexious Musick.

It is doubtful that they moved at all. The counties kept changing around them. From here, the children spread out, into Washington/Russell counties.

added today: The William and Sarah Prater as parents is theory as there is nothing found to date to prove it one way or the other. Circumstantial evidence shows that they may very well be. My own Dna test shows some matches to Yates and Wells, also not proof but a good indication that I descend from Sarah's Prater's parents William Prater and Ann Yates.

The Thomas Prather/Josie Allen connection is just not possible. And is doing more harm than good to newbies just getting started.

thanks, Teresa