Jonas Prescott Sr (1648 - 1723)

Born 30 Jun 1648 in Lancaster, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Loker) Prescott — married 14 Dec 1672 in Lancaster, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 31 Dec 1723 at age 75 in Groton, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts, Bay

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Biography

Lived in Groton, selectman 1690 91, 96, 98, 99, 1705, 1706 Town clerk 1691 moderator 1714 + 15 Farmer Blacksmith owned a sawmill. Captain of the Military Co. of Groton King William's War 1689

From “Who Begot Thee? Some Genealogical and Historical Notes Made in an effort to trace the American progenitors of one individual living in America in 1903” By Gilbert O. Bent, 1903. Jonas Prescott. 1648-1723. Youngest child of John. Born at Lancaster in June, 1648. Married Dec. 14, 1672, Mary, daughter of John Loker. He settled in Groton, where he was the first miller — succeeding to the mill and lands of his father there. Both Jonas Prescott and his father followed the calling of blacksmith, as well as miller and millwright. He was town clerk of Groton for several years, selectman, Representative, and Captain of militia. He died, generally lamented, Dec. 31, 1723.

From “The Prescott Memorial, or a genealogical memoir of the Prescott families in America, in two parts” by William Prescott, MD, 1870.

J0NAS,(55) b. at Lancaster, June, 1648; m., Dec. 14, 1672, Mary, the daughter of John Loker and Mary Draper of Sudbury,t b. Sept. 28, 1653, and d. Oct. 28, 1735, a. 82 yrs. and 1 m., by whom he had four sons and eight daughters. He settled in Groton. He, or his father for him, built the mill in the south part of Groton, now within the limits of Harvard, and is still called the " old mill."

- At a town meeting held in Groton, Nov. 19, 167?, it was voted that " By agreement of the town Jonas Prescott is to grind the town's corn for the town every second and every sixth day in every week."

- "At a town meeting at Groton, June 13,1681, liberty was granted to Jonas Prescott to set up his corn mill at Stony Brook."

- " An agreement between Jonas Prescott and the town of Groton that he, the said Prescott, have liberty to set up a saw mill at Stony Brook on conditions that he furnish the town with merchantable hoards at six pence a hundred (feet) cheaper than they are sold at any other saw mill, and for toion pni/, and that the town be supplied before any other person." (This privilege was to continue or cease at the pleasure of the town.) — Hist, of Groton.

"A story bordering on romance has been handed down by family tradition to the present time, and preserved with much accuracy, of the courtship of this pair of fruitful progenitors." — Butler, p. 287. John Loker, of whom we have no other account than as connected with this affair, is said to have been wealthy, and both he and his wife to have been somewhat aristocratic in their feelings and notions. Having only one daughter, and she exceedingly fair and of good promise, they disdained to betroth her to a blacksmith, the son of a blacksmith, however rich or otherwise unexceptionable he might be. They had set their hearts on Mary's marrying a lawyer. So when they found that there was a strong attachment between their idol, Mary, and the young blacksmith (Jonas Prescott), they remonstrated, but, like many other imprudent parents, they unwittingly pursued a course well calculated to foster and strengthen it. They forbade his entering their house, or having any communication whatever with their daughter; and the more effectually to prevent any intercourse, they grated the windows of her apartment, in the house; and when they thought there was any danger of an interview between them, they locked her in. Jonas and Mary however were not to be baffled by grates and locks. Jonas took opportunities, when the cold night wind blew and the pelting storm raged, when no listener could overhear their soft whisperings, to place himself beneath her grated window and there enjoy sweet communion with his beloved Mary. Their intercourse was soon discovered, however, by the vigilant and chagrined parents. The next expedient resorted to was to place her in some secluded spot under the care of some watchful and faithful guardian. Chocksett, now called Sterling, then a frontier settlement, although adjoining to Groton, was chosen as the place of her seclusion. .Jonas searched the country around, and made diligent inquiry to find the place of her banishment, for some time in vain. At length, being one day in the wilds of Chocksett, he made his usual inquiry of some young men he saw if they had any pretty girls in their neighborhood. They told him there was to be a quilting that very day, where all their girls would be; that they were going in the evening to dance with them and invited him to accompany them, where he might see for himself. He very cheerfully accepted the invitation, and on arriving at the cottage where the seamstresses of the settlement were assembled, whom should he there find but his beloved Mary Loker. This was indeed to them a happy adventure. Concealing, as well as they could, their former acquaintance, they took opportunities to be partners in the dance and made assignments for future meetings. Having thus fortunately discovered the place of banishment, he renewed his visits, till her parents, finding it out, took her home. She was then sternly told, that she must reject the blacksmith and receive the addresses of the lawyer. She resolutely replied, " She would never marry to any one but Jonas Prescott." The rejoinder was, " Then you shall never have a farthing of our property." To this there was a general demurrer; a decree for marriage without dowry followed. The consummation took place before even the most common utensils for housekeeping could be procured (perhaps there was some delay to see if the old folks would not relent and procure or provide some). The tradition asserts that her only implements for boiling was a two quart kettle, and her wash tub the shell of a large pumpkin. From this affectionate and happy pair sprung the doctors, warriors, civilians, statesmen, jurists, historians, &c., noticed in this genealogical record and memoir, with numerous other descendants of whom Mary lived to see one hundred and seventy five. She d. Oct. 28, 173.5, aged precisely eighty-two years and one month. — See Butler's History of Groton, pp. 287-8.

He [Jonas] bought lands in Groton until he became one of the largest landholders in the town. He was also a blacksmith. Upon the resettlement of the town, after its destruction by the Indians in 1676, he built mills and a forge for the manufacture of the iron from the ore at Forge Valley (so called), which was then in Groton, but now in Westford. He was a man of extensive influence. He was town clerk in 1691 ; a selectman for several years ; represented the town in the General Assembly in 1699 and 1705; was also captain in the militia and justice of the peace. He maintained an elevated rank in the community, and died lamented, Dec. 31, 1723, aged seventy-five years and six months.

He resided on the farm, near Lawrence Academy, which was more recently, if not at this time (1866), owned by Hon. Stuart J. Paik. Esq., as may be seen by a notice in the Boston Transcript of 1858, of which the following is a copy : " An Ancient Wall. — 'The following inscription may be seen by the roadside near Lawrence Academy at Groton. It is to be found on a large stone in a wall which encloses the farm of Hon. Stuart J. Park :

I P,

16 8 0.

Rebuilt by

O. P.,

17 8 4.

Rebuilt by

S. J. Park,

18 4 1.

The initials I. P. are those of Jonas Prescott, who lived upon this farm, and who was the grandfather of Col. William Prescott, a native of Groton and the hero of Bunker Hill ; O. P. are those of Oliver, a brother of Col. Prescott."

Hon. Benjamin Prescott, youngest son of Jonas, senior, became the second proprietor of this farm, and at his death, his youngest son, Dr. Oliver Prescott, became the owner, although Butler says " Hon. James Prescott, the oldest son of Hon. Benjamin, became the next owner to his father."

Dr. Oliver Prescott, Jr., of Groton, who, in 1820 wrote an account of his lineal ancestors, states that the town of Groton, being in great want of a blacksmith, invited Jonas Prescott to remove to near the centre of the town to a lot of land which the town voted to give him as an inducement. He accepted the invitation and built a house and shop on said lot (lying on the east side of James' brook, so called), and re- moved there in 1675, which is alleged to be the form on which the above-named piece of wall is situated.

From “An Historical Address” (Samuel A. Green, 1876): After King Philip’s War, the Colonists were at peace with the Indians, but it was a suspicious kind of peace. It required watching and a show of strength to keep it: there was no good-will between the native race and the white intruders… The military company of the town was still kept up, and was known as the Foot Company, and, during a part of the year 1689, was supported by some cavalry, under the command of Captain Jacob Moore. James Parker, Sen., was appointed captain of it; Jonas Prescott, the Lieutenant; and John Lakin, the Ensign: and these appointments were all confirmed by the Governor and Council, at a convention held in Boston July 13 1689.

From “Epitaphs from the Old Burying Ground in Groton, Massachusetts” (Samuel A. Green, 1878): The old burying ground in Groton… has probably been used continuously for burial purposes since 1678, the date of the resettlement of the town after it had been burned by the Indians… The oldest monument within the enclosure is in memory of James Prescott, who died May 9, 1704. He was the son of Jonas Prescott, a blacksmith, who procured a rough stone and chiseled the inscription himself with one of his own tools.

Occupation

Grist Mill owner (millwright) & blacksmith^[1]

Burial

AFT 31 DEC 1723 Old Burial Ground, Groton, MA(p)^[2]

^[3]

Notes

• Lieutenant Jonas Prescott lived on the old Ayer Road and was in charge of a garrison house which was probably the one that was at the corner of the old Ayer Road and Peabody Street and had formerly been Richard Satwell's.( pg 32, Petapawag Plantation...Hx of Groton)
• Site of grist mill now within town lines of Harvard, MA.( pg 43, Petapawag Plantation...Hx of Groton)
• On Oct 10, 1680; Oct 10, 1683; Oct 10, 1684; Oct 10,1685; May 21,1688; & June 24,1689 Jonas Prescott is a selectman in Groton. On Dec 10, 1689; Dec 9,1690; Dec 10, 1691; & March 5, 1694 Left. Prescott is a selectman in Groton. On March 3, 1696; March 1,1698; March 30, 1699; March 23,1702; & March 9,1705 Capt. Prescott is a selectman in Groton. ( pg 2 & 3, Petapawag Plantation...Hx of Groton)
• Jonas Prescott, a blacksmith and millwright from Lancaster, who was operating a grist mill in Groton at the southern end of the Mill Highway, was encouraged by a gift of land from the town to come near the center to live and have a blacksmith shop. This was soon after the resettlement of the town in 1678. (It had been abandoned for a period after Indian attacks.) He located his forge at the northern end of the Mill Highway on the present homeland of Mrs. James Bennett close to James Brook. Prescott's home was built on the knoll and he owned land on both sides of the road up as far as the Bay Highway now Main Street. ( pg 181, Petapawag Plantation...Hx of Groton)
• Prescot Monument area, Groton, Mass:: A stone that is in the wall just north of the gate at the Lawrence Homestead reads as follows:

IP

1680

Rebuilt by

OP

1794

Rebuilt by

S. J. Park

1841

The initials IP are those of Jonas Prescott who first marked this stone. OP stands for Oliver Prescott, Jonas's grandson. This stone originally sat in a wall near the Old Ayer Road.

• There is a Prescott Monument on the Common at the south end of Main Street in Groton: Colonel William Prescott, Commander of the American forcrs at Bunker Hill, was born on the 20th of February 1726 in a house which stood on this spot. from Groton Houses, Some Notes on the History of Old Homesteads in Groton, Massachusetts, pgs 68-69, by Virginia May, Edited and Published by the Groton Historical Society, 1978.
• Jonas had a blacksmith's shop near the brook. He set up a mill at Stoney Brook, or Forge Village. from Groton Houses, Some Notes on the History of Old Homesteads in Groton, Massachusetts, pg 161, by Virginia May, Edited and Published by the Groton Historical Society, 1978.

Sources

1. ↑ #S00027: 8, 181
2. ↑ #S131: pg. 4 Tombstone (Death's Head) Here Lyes Buried the Body of Jonas Prescott Esq who deceased December ye 31st, 1723 aged 76 years. Author's note: The son of John and Mary (Platts) Prescott born at Lancaster, (MA), June 1648
3. ↑ Find-a-Grave memorial: #23798608

• S131: Dr. Samuel A Green,Epitaphs from the Old Burying Ground, Groton, MA (1878 by Little Brown & Co Boston, MA)
• S00027: Virginia A. May, A Plantation Called Petapawag, Some Notes on the History of Groton, Massachusetts (Edited and Published by the Groton Historical Society, 1976)
• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Generations Network, Inc., Provo, UT, USA, 2004)

  American Genealogical-Biographical Index, Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT, USA

  Ancestors and Descendants of John Sullivan Hobart, Pages: 35 Abbreviation: Ancestors John S. Hobart Author: Donald M. Hobart Publication: Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, 1951

• The Longley Family Genealogy compiled by Louise Baneck Longley and Janneyne Longley Gnacinski, 1967, FHL Film # 928132 Item 6, page 3, 6.
• Nourse, Henry: "Early Records of Lancaster"; pages 279 (birth & marriage); 313 (birth) and 321 (marriage)
• Savage, James; "Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England"; volume 3, page 392 (marriage)
• Massachusetts Town & Vital Records, 1620-1988; Groton Deaths; page 257.