William Sprague, my nine times great grandfather, was born in England, the son of Edward Sprague and Christiana Holland .  He married Millesaint Eames, the daughter of Anthony Eames and Margery Pierce.  He had migrated to America in 1628 and was the first of my Sprague ancestors in North America, settling first in Charlestown until 1636, and then on to Hingham [Massachusetts].   William and Millisaint were the parents of 11 children:  Anthony William (1635), John (1638), Samuel (1640), Elizabeth (1641), Jonathan (1642-1647), Persis (1643), Johana (1644), Jonathan (1648) [my 8 times great grandfather], Mary (1652), William (1653), and Hannah (1654).

According to The Sprague Family, by Agustus B. R. Sprague, 1905, pages 10-11, his “houselot was said to have been the pleasantest lot in Hingham; it was about two miles north of the Patent Line which formerly divided the old Massachusetts Colony from the Plymouth Colony.  Many parcels of land and meadow, recorded in the ‘Old Grant Book’ were given to him by the town, covering a period from 1636 to 1647. These gifts indicate the esteem in which he was held by his fellow townsmen.

“February 21, 1673, he deeded to his son Anthony, certain land for six and thirty pounds of lawful money of New England, and nine pounds in merchantable corn.

“He died October 26, 1675”

His will has been transcribed on pages 11-14.