LIEUTENANT RALPH SPRAGUE

Ralph's birthdate is estimated from mention in two English legal instances. He was not of legal age when his father died in 1614. This is borne out by a "codicil-like Memorandum" to Edward's will: "that whereas the liveinge of the abovesaid Edward Sprague doth faul unto his sonne Ralphe Sprague after his decease the said Ralphe Sprague doth upon his fathers request promise that his mother Christian shall quietly enjoy the said liveinge unti he shall be one and twentye yeares of age."^[20]

Furthermore, two Dorsetshire court records from December 1617 show that Ralph was now "of age". On 5 December 1617, Ralph was bound over for trial to "...appeare att the nexte gerall [general] sessions at the peace to be holden in and for the Burrough and Towne of Waymouth and Melcombe Regis in the County of Dorset then and there to answere unto the suspition of fellony wherewith he his charged..."^[20,21]

This trial was held on 13 December 1617. Essentially Ralph and several friends had spend several days at the home of Bryan Gates (a vintner of Weymouth who had been hauled before the court several times before for "suffering on the Sabath day to drink sundry psons dwellers..." and for allowing people to "play tables" in his house) on a rousing bender and were now called to court to answer for it.

What is important is that Ralph testifies that he was a fuller in these proceedings. This means that, in compliance with the strict provisions of the 1563 Elizabethan Statute of Artificers, he had completed the seven-year apprenticeship at his trade and was now above the age of 21. Thus, Kent does the math and determined that his birth date could have been no later than 1596. Add to that the fact that Ralph was not of age in 1614, means that he was born no earlier than 1594^[9].

If they sailed in 1629, Ralph his wife Joan and sons John & Richard most likely sailed from Graveshead in London, Middlesex, England aboard the Lyon's Whelp, John Gibbs, master. In this timeline, they supposedly landed in Naumkeag (Salem), Essex co., MA and went from there to Charlestown, Suffolk co., MA by mid-July 1629^[26].

According to the Mary & John Clearinghouse, "...They were sent by Rev. John White of Dorchester, Dorset to seek out a plantation site for the "Mary & John" group from the West Country that White was planning to send out the following spring. They became the founders of Charlestown, MA...^[27]" and Ralph is on the Mary & John Clearinghouse master index as #607 "Sprague, Ralph (1599-1650) of Charlestown MA From Upway Dorset"^[25]

Sprague's holdings in 1635 included seven cow commons, which was soon increased to eight^[36], and five acres of the Mystic River side of the settlement^[37]. In 1637, he was granted lot #40, consisting of 10 acres on the Mystic River side of town. However, Wyman includes this curious note "5 to be given up"^[35]. By this year, he had divested himself of several cow commons, since he was listed as only having 5.75 cow commons at this time^[38].

On 23 April 1638, he received several large land grants on the Mystic River side of the town of 35, 90 and 5 acres, respectively and now had 6 cow commons in the "stinted common" as of 30 December 1638^[40]. The full tally of his 1638 real estate holdings included twelve lots of land in Charlestown: 2 acres of arable land in the East Field; his house and 1 acre of land at the east end of the Town Common; 4 acres in the South Mead; 2 acres of arable land in the High Field; the aforementioned 6 cow commons (one common for each "milch cow"); 4 acres of arable land in Line Field (near the Cambridge line); 14 acres in the Mystic Marshes; 5 acres of woods in the Mystic Field; 35 acres of woods in the Mystic Field (near the North River); 14 acres of meadow in the Prospect Meadows near the Freshet & town Common and 90 acres in Pond Field^[35,41].

On 6 June 1639 "Leift Ral: Sprague" received a land grant of 100 acres, "having born difficulties in the beginning"^[42,43]. Finally, just before his death, he deeded the following Charlestown, Suffolk co., MA property to his brother, Richard Sprague: his house near the Mystic River; 3 acres in the Great Field; another lot of 3 acres of arable land, location not noted; 2 cow commons; 7 hay-lots near the Mystic River; 2.5 hay-lots, location not noted; 6 more cow commons and the Meadow between the garden & the Mystic River. The original date of record for this deed was 14d:12m(February):1668, but that is now known to be incorrect. The correct date of the deed is now acknowledged to be 23d:1m(March):1649/50; recorded on 17 April 1669^[1].

The Spragues most likely moved to Malden, Middlesex co., MA in the late 1640s, probably after Ralph resigned his commission in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery company in 1646.

Wyman says that Ralph Sprague's wife is Joan CORBIN, daughter of John CORBIN, citing a 1651 letter in NEHGR; 4:289^[1,79]. However, the Parish Register of Fordington, St. George, Dorsetshire, England states clearly that he married "Johane WARREN"^[12].

Dowty clears all this up quite nicely by identifying John Corbin as Ralph's stepfather. John's aforementioned letter to Ralph was written on 25 March 1651, unfortunately after Ralph's death in November 1650. John's reference to himself as "father-in-law" was at first incorrectly taken in the context of the term's meaning in modern America. That is, that John Corbin would have been the father of Ralph's wife. In the context of 17th century England, the term meant "stepfather". Thus, John Corbin was Christian Sprague's second husband and Ralph's wife (as shown in the Parish registers) was Johane Warren^[10].

Johane's will was written on 24 February 1674/5 and proved on 15 June 1680^[7,80].

On 25 February 1672/3 when Richard was 45, he first married Eunice CHESTER, in Charlestown, Suffolk co., MA^[97]. He second married Katherine RICHARDSON. As seen by his title, he served in the militia and distinguished himself enough to earn a senior commission.