The Sprague Trail

The Sprague Trail: Inez I.F. Sprague9 B.1900 to William Sprague1 B. 1609.

This odyssey took many turns and a lot of searching between 2002 and 2005.

Inez Irene Frances Sprague9 born 1900 and Chester WP Jones born 1897. The trail begins with a copy of Inez’s death certificate obtained from Warwick, RI City Hall in July, 2002. There was no record of a birth certificate.

William Henry Sprague8 born 1850 and Julia Alice Dorr born 1872: There are three William Henry Spragues listed in the Providence City Hall archives born 1844, 1866 and 1890’s. None of them is our guy, born in 1850 and not recorded. The same at the RI State archives. I discovered our WHS from burial records located at the Pawtuxet Cemetery. However, the records which identify all who are buried there do not ID his parents. From his age at time of death, which is listed on the burial card, the State Archivist, Ken Carlson, was able to locate WHS’ 1873 marriage certificate for his first marriage to Elinor (sic) H. Leach. (They had one child named Clarabel Sprague Jenison) Listed on the license are both of their parent’s names.

Stephen7, born ABT 1808 and Eliza Potter, born 1814: They show two children listed in the 1860 Cranston, RI Census: Amasa, age 15 and our guy, William H, age 10.
Stephen’s RI Death Index information lists James and Roby as his parents. Eliza’s parents are listed as Darius and Phebe (Gorton) Potter.

James Sprague6 was born 1773, died 1854 and was married to Roby Brayton, born 1785, died 1861. The next generation’s connection was a real challenge.

Stephen Sprague5 born 1747 and Freelove Burges born 1757. Working backwards in time from James6 and forward from William1 from a book that I have a copy of titled “Sprague Families in America” by Warren Vincent Sprague published in 1913, I was able to come to the following conclusions: 1st. There are only two Stephens listed from Cranston. 2nd. Stephen’s wife was named Freelove and there were only two Freeloves; both from Cranston. 3rd. In the 1850 Cranston Census, the first census listing the names of all household residents, James6 is listed as age 77, Roby as 66 and the 2nd Freelove, their daughter, as 44. 4th. The double coincidence of both names, Stephen and Freelove, the time-line factor and the place where all of this occurs, Cranston, RI, has me convinced that this is the correct connection. (Otherwise, Stephen’s only brother, Jonathan, who relocated to Smithfield early on, is the link and there is no evidence that supports this) At this point I was tied into the rest of our line as listed in the “Sprague Families” book.

Jonathan4, born 1719 and Barbara Carpenter, born 1723.

Benjamin3, born 1694/95 and Alice Bucklin, born 1699.

William II2, born 1650 and Deborah Lane, born 1652.

William1, born 1609 and Millicent Eames born 1615, Progenitors of our line.

Tom Jones, 2005 e-mail: thoswjones@gmail.com