Abraham Pratt (1647 - 1709)

Born 6 May 1647 in Guiseley, Yorkshire, England

Husband of Jane (Cave) Pratt — married 21 Jul 1672 in Rothwell, Yorkshire, England

Descendants

Died 21 Dec 1709 at age 62 in Lower Dublin, Philadelphia, Colony of Pennsylvania

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Abraham Pratt was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community. Join: William Penn and Early Pennsylvania Settlers Project Discuss: penn

Biography

Abraham Pratt was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community.

Abraham Pratt was a William Penn fleet passenger.

Christening

Abraham Pratt, son of Jeremey Pratt, was christened on May 6, 1647, in St Oswald's Church in Guiseley, Yorkshire, England.

Marriage

He married Jane Cave of Holbeck (baptized on April 30, 1654, in Rothwell parish church, in Yorkshire, England) in Leeds, Yorkshire, England on July 21, 1672.

Marriage Record of Abraham Prat and Jane Cave

Issues

Abraham Pratt and Jane Cave had five children, as follows:

1. Thomas Pratt was born in England and married Deborah Linnett in 1709 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
2. John Pratt was born in England. He married Esther. They had two children, Sarah Pratt and Abraham Pratt.
3. Jeremiah Pratt was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
4. Elizabeth Pratt was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and married Sam Wainwright in 1708 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
5. Joseph Pratt was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died on August 18, 1758, in Edgmont Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He married first, Sarah Edwards (1690 - 1727) on May 9, 1717, in Middletown, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He married second, Mary Jones (d. 1776) on November 29, 1728, at Christ Church in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Immigration

When William Penn started dividing and developing his second province in this region, later known as Pennsylvania¹ in honor of his father, Sir Admiral Penn, he allocated and sold significant portions of the new land to his acquaintances and fellow gentry members (upper class). Many of these individuals were not interested in becoming farmers or clearing their lands, and only a few actually relocated to the area. Of those who did, many stayed in the city of Philadelphia and sold, rented, or leased their properties in the "wilderness." To promote further settlement beyond the city and establish a diverse community in his new colony, Penn advertised for settlers, whom he referred to as adventurers. He provided 50 acres of land² to each indentured servant upon completing their 3-year term and an extra 50 acres to the individual who sponsored them. The promise of free land was attractive to those in England who were still subject to a feudal land ownership system.

Abraham Pratt, his wife, and two sons were one of the first families to take advantage of Penn’s generous offer. Abraham Pratt, his wife, and two sons set out from Liverpool to Philadelphia as indentured servants³ on the ship Jeffrey. The Jeffrey, one of the 23 ships associated with William Penn, arrived at the Delaware River in October of 1682.^[1]

Abraham might have worked for Sharples (also known as Sharpless).⁴ After his indenture period ended, Abraham's family settled in Lower Dublin Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.⁵ They never utilized their land bounty and instead transferred their rights to 200 acres in Sadsbury (Western Chester County) to Phillip Howell of Philadelphia.⁶

Religion

After settling in Dublin Township, Abraham and Jane Pratt added to their family two sons, Joseph and Jeremiah, and a daughter, Elizabeth. They also converted from their previous religion and became part of the Kiethian Baptist denomination. On April 9, 1700, Abram and Jane Pratt were baptized at Pinepac, now Lower Dublin, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Initially baptized into the Kiethian Baptist denomination, they later transitioned to become members of the Brandywine Baptist Church. Many individuals in the group were formerly associated with the Quaker community.^[2]

Death

Abraham died sometime between the 24th of October and the 21st of December 1709 in Dublin Township. Abraham left his plantation, subject to some legacies, to his sons Joseph, John, and Jeremiah. He also left 5 shillings to his daughter Elizabeth. Additionally, to his oldest son, Thomas, who that same year in Philadelphia married Deborah Linnett.

Footnotes

1. His first interest was in New Jersey.

2. 50 acres of land and 50 Ls worth of other property was the amount that a man had to have to vote. This was also an easy way for a couple to start out with a farm of 100 acres. However, it is unknown whether a woman was allowed to take the deed to her own 50 acres.

3. Recited in a deed from Swaffer and Ex. to Calvin Coope. (Gilbert And Joseph Cope genealogical research materials). Abraham Pratt, Jane Pratt, Thomas Pratt, and John Pratt, having come over servants into the 2nd province at the settlement thereof were entitled to 50 acres each of land in Pennsylvania, which right they conveyed to Philip Howell of Philadelphia, April 18th, 1702, and that land was laid out in Sadsbury with other servants' land (Edmund McVeigh and others). It is also of interest to note here that although they did not choose to live near him, they were well acquainted with E. McVeigh as he was a signer of Abraham's will in 1709.

4. Sharpless came about 2 months before Penn. He owned land in Middletown and several other townships.

5. Edgmont Township resident and descendant Sarah Pratt Brock said in an interview with Pat Gaines, of Colonial Pennsylvania's Research Committee, on March 4, 1986, that "He came to get a job at Sharpless, liked the area, and stayed." Her comment may sum up the true facts. Mrs. Brock said that she had gotten this information from "a booklet compiled by Hannum on the Ancestors of Harry Bishop Johnson and Alice Corey Byers."

6. See footnote #3.

Sources

1. ↑ Balderston, Marion. William Penn's 23 Ships with Notes on Some of Their Passengers. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 23:2, (1963), pp. 26-67, "Pratt, Abraham", p. 59. Also, Sheppard, Walter Lee, Jr. Passengers and Ships, p. 59.
2. ↑ Smith, Dr. Geroge. History of Delaware Co. Philadelphia, Henry Ashmead, 1862, p. 544.

• Yorkshire Parish Records. Leeds, England: West Yorkshire Archive Service.

• Futhey, J S, and Gilbert Cope. History of Chester County, Pennsylvania: With Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1881. Print. Page 689.