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Wife: Elizabeth Bate Kingham (daughter of William Kingham and Catherine Bate) Married her on November 9, 1619 in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England
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**PP - "Chapter IV - The Immigrant Macuth Pratt"
"Mathew married Elizabeth Bate Kingham in Aston Clinton on November 9, 1619. She was baptized at Aston Clinton on August 17,1600, daughter of William and Catherine (Bate) Kingham. All records in the New World refer to Elizabeth's maiden name as "Bate" rather than "Kingham".
Elizabeth's parents, William and Catherine "Bate" Kingham were married on December 2, 1592. Her father was baptized in Aston Clinton on November 25,...
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Wife: Elizabeth Bate Kingham (daughter of William Kingham and Catherine Bate) Married her on November 9, 1619 in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England
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**PP - "Chapter IV - The Immigrant Macuth Pratt"
"Mathew married Elizabeth Bate Kingham in Aston Clinton on November 9, 1619. She was baptized at Aston Clinton on August 17,1600, daughter of William and Catherine (Bate) Kingham. All records in the New World refer to Elizabeth's maiden name as "Bate" rather than "Kingham".
Elizabeth's parents, William and Catherine "Bate" Kingham were married on December 2, 1592. Her father was baptized in Aston Clinton on November 25, 1571. Her grandfather John Kingham was married to Elizabeth Bachiler on Jan 30, 1567, second marriage. Her grandfather's first marriage produced Thomas, baptized August 22, 1566.
Mathew and Elizabeth Pratt started their adventure in the New World just three years after they were married, when they joined Lord Gorge's group and set sail from Plymouth. They were accompanied by her uncle, Edward Bate and his wife, Susanna.
In the summer or early autumn of 1623, one Captain Robert Gorges, representing his father, leading a company of about 120 persons, including several families and Mathew Pratt, arrived and decided to settle in practically the same location the Weston Company had occupied, and for the same purpose of establishing a trading post. They also hoped to found a properous colony different from that at Plymouth.
The second company had a grant from the Council (British) of New England which allowed a coast line of ten miles, and estendd thirty miles inland. Capt. Gorges held a commission as governor-general, and associated with him were Rev. William Morrill and his assistant Rev. William Blaxton, both of the Church of England, Capt. Francis West, in the capacity of admiral, Christopher Levet, Esq. as a judicial officer, a council of which the Plymouth Governor was to be a member ex-officio, and such other officers as Robert chose to appoint from time to time.
What prompted 28 year old Mathew to join Lord Gorges Company and come to New England in 1623 is not clear. As it was just seventeen years before the Civil War, religion may have contributed to his decision. Being the youngest son with little chance of inheritance could have influenced him. Devon is the home of the seadogs like Drake and Hawkins with stories of the recent defeat of the Spanish Armada and the great promise that the new world held may have fired the imagination of adventuresome young lads like Mathew.
Law and order was fairly maintained, but the unwelcome attitude of the Plymouth people, due to Church of England control of the expedition, the hardships of pioneering life (especially during the winter), the uncertainty of sustaining friendly relations with the indians, and the prospect of a long and tedious struggle to attain the dazzling prosperity pictured by the promoters of the enterprise, were considerations sufficient to dull the ardor of the leader; so after a few months he decided that he did not care to remain longer, and with some of his company, including nearly all the officials, the gov-general of the day returned to England early in the spring of 1624.
Others went to Virginia and some joined the Plymouth Colony.
Quite a number, however, remained and bravely resolved to continue the settlement.
It is known that Phinehas was in Plymouth at this time, however, if he and Mathew ever met it is unknown.
Those who decided to remain, like the 29 year old Mathew, at Wessagusset immediately found themselves in a most serious emergency. They had little sympathy with the Pilgrims because of religious differences, and there were no other communities that attracted them favorably. They greatly preferred their present location and were confident of ultimate prosperity.
Therefore, there was but one course to pursue - they must organize to secure common interests and welfare. The only form of government with which they were well acquainted was that of a sovereign imposing his will upon a dependent and loyal people who had had no opportunity or preparation for political undertakings. A government in which they had no voice did not please them. They desired to exercise their own will and to govern themselves, even though under extraordinary conditions.
The exact date of relinquishment of the Gorges government is not given, but it is known to have occurred in the spring of 1624. That made it necessary to take speedy action for the protection and peace of the people of Wessagusset.
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The first mention of Mathew Pratt is found in the records of "possessions" which dates about 1643. This was a list of land owners which had listed not only records of land ownership but a section in which old residents were listed. It is here that we find the reference to Macute Pratt as "an old resident". The names of Macute, Macuth, Macaeth, Micareth and Mathew have all been linked to the line that we are tracing.
(Pratt Genealogy 1889. pg 19)
Mathew had twenty acres granted to him "in the mill field" (now East Weymouth) and eighteen acres on the west side of "mill River." Mathew was made a freeman of the Massachusettes Bay Colony on May 13, 1640 and in February of 1648 he was chosen a "townsman." (Selectman)
He made his will on March 25, 1672 and was proved April 30, 1673. (Pratt Genealogy 1889, p. 19)
Bearing in mind that the will of Mathew Pratt is over 300 years old, it gives us an insight into the times of our first American forefather, Mathew. Try and read the will with what you might perceive the thoughts and dreams of Mathew to be on that 25th day of March 300 years ago. (Sulfolk Probate 12149-50)
The Will of Mathew Pratt:
"Mathew Pratt of Weymouth, being in health of body and having a competent use of his understanding and memory does make this to be his last will and Testament as folloe & saith -
First, I doe and bequeath my Soul to God that gave it, & after my decease my body to be decently buried and all my Debts honestly paide, and then all my worldly goods I dispose of thus -
I doe give to my loving wife Elizabeth Pratt all my whole Estate recall and personall, which is hereafter exprest, that is for her natural life.
I doe give to my Son Thomas Pratt after my wives decease, these parcells of land as folloe, four acres of land that did belong to Shaw's house and my share of land that I bought of James Nash & that fifteen acres I bought of Deacon John Rogers & I doe give her that little Island in the fresh pond. I doe give him ten acres in the Cedar Swamp plaine which was a part of my great lott; Ad I doe give him my share in the two acres & half of Salt Marsh at Hollie, upon the condition hee shall pay to my Daughter Chard at my wives decease four pounds.
I doe give to my Son Matthew Pratt at my wives decease these parcells of house & land as follow my now dwelling house with all my houseing and all my Orachard & my land adjoining twenty acres bee it more or less. Ad I doe give him ten acres in the Cedar Swamp plaine which is also a part of my great lott provided hee pay to my Daughter Chard or her assignees three pounds at my wives decease.
I doe give to my Son John Pratt an ewe and lamb.
I doe give to my Son Samuel Pratt twelve acres of land neere his house. Four acres of it was William Brandems & eight acres of it was John Gurney's & when hee hath fenct it out as far as it is pasture hee shall have it and not before. & I doe give him one acre of Salt Marsh by John Pratt's house at my decease. And I doe give him that part of my common lott laide out to mee at Smell Brooke: Ad I doe give him my two acres of Swamp lot where it is in the woods. Ad hee shall have one Cow instead of that spot I thought hee should have in my Orchard.
I doe give to my Son Joseph Pratt that lott that was first Edward Bennetts at the pond twenty acres bee it more of less.
I doe give to my Daughter Chard seven pound sterling in good pay at my wives decease, which is to bee paide by Thomas Pratt & Matthew Pratt as above is expressed: Ad I doe give to her Daughter Johannah Chard my best bed & Coverlid at my wives decease.
I doe give to my Daughter White after my wives decease all that parcell of land that I have in land which is of Marsh & upland about three or four acres which is all except that which is above given to my Son Thomas Pratt & I doe give her two Ewes at my decease -
I doe give to my Son Thomas Pratt's Daughter Sara five pounds at my wives decease.
I doe give to Thomas Pratt's son William Pratt that halfe mare and her increase that is between Thomas Pratt & myself to be decided at my decease.
I doe appoint my loving wife to bee my Sole Executrix to fulfill all this my last will & to have full power improve my whole Estate for her life & at her decease to give what she leaves to my Children & their Children as she shall then please.
I doe desire the Reverend Pastor Mr. Samuell Torrey & my Kinsman Elder Edward Bate & my Son Thomas Pratt to bee the Overseers to see that this my will bee in all points fullfilled; I doe also comit full power into the hands of these Overseers to sell or dispose of any thing that I have left to my wife; if shee shall have need of it for her comfortable livelihood; but not otherwise to dispose of any land but as above expressed and hereunto I have set my hand & Seal the twenty-fifth of March 1672."
Seal
Signed Sealed in the presence of us
EDWARD BATE
THOMAS DYER
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An Inventory of the Estate of Mathew Pratt who deceased August 29, 1672, & apprasied by us who were called thereunto the 12th of the 10th month 1672, &c. &c.
Here follows a Inventory amounting in all to
Some of the items are:
Twelve acres near Sam Pratt's house
In the possession of Sam Pratt before the decease of
his father Mathew Pratt ten year or upward. Given in
marriage - more ten acres of woodland at Smell Brook & two
acres of Swamp purchased by Samuell Pratt of his father Mathew
Pratt about 5 year before the sd (said) Mathew's death -
20 acres above mentioned was halfe of it paide for before
the decease of the sd (said) Mathew Pratt by Joseph Pratt his
Sonne in & the whoe 20 acres was possest by the saide Joseph
Pratt about seven yeare before the saide Mathew's decease -
the reason why the saide Mathew Pratt mentioned these
lands in his will was because hee gave them noe deeds of
gift of the aforesaid lands -
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Although records were not kept in detail in the early 1600's, we do find certain accounts worth mentioning:
1636 - At "A General Court holden at Boston the 7th day of 10th month, December, A.D. 1636," land was granted to Mathew as follows: "Twenty acres in the Mill field, twelve of them first given to Edward Bate, and eight acres to hemself, all of it bounded on the east with the land of John Gill, on the west with the land of Richard Waling, on the north with the Rocky Hill, on the south with the land of Richard Addames and Thomas Baly. Also eighteen acers of upland, first given to Edward Bennett, now in the possession of Mathew Pratt, bounded on the east with the Mill River, on the west with John Whitmarsh's lot, on the north with the Mill ground, on the south with the Pond."
1637 - Joseph Pratt, borne June 10, 1637, son of Mathew.
1648 - In February, 1648, he was a "townsman," (selectman).
1651 - Mathew Pratt was granted a lot on the east side of Fresh Pond, February 3, 1651.
1657 - "January 11, 1657 - At a meeting of the Townsmen it did appear that upon account that Mathew Pratt, and his son Thomas Pratt, had entered 22,000 of boards, the Father 15,000 and son 7000, due to the Towne, 1. 9s. 6d."
1658, 1660, 1663, etc. - Land is granted to Mathew Pratt.
1660 - In May of 1660, "The Towne is indebted to several persons for service in and upon account as follows: To Mathew Pratt for a Wolfe and Woodpecker, paid in boards, 1. s6. d8.
1662 - Joseph Pratt, the youngest son, lived with his father until his marriage, 1662.
1709 - "Mathew Pratt and son-in-law, William Chard."
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INDIAN PROBLEMS
The Pratts had problems with the Indians almost from the start with Phinehas being pursued by Indians as he escaped to Plymouth from Wessagusset in 1622.
Certainly, the biggest impace on the Pratt family was King Philip's War, Metacomet of the Massasort Tribes, which was started by the execution of three Indians by the English for the murder of one Sausaman, an Indian Missionary who was friendly to the English. On June 24, 1675, the Indians made an attack upon Swansea in Plymouth Colony, killing a number of the inhabitants.
On the night of February 25, 1676, the Indians burned seven houses and barns in Weymouth. Two months later, on April 19th, Mathew's son, Sargt. Thomas Pratt was killed by Indians "as they lay skulking up and down the swamps and holes to assault any that occasionally looked ever so little into the woods." On April 20th, five houses in Hingham were burned.
The death of King Philip on August 12, 1676, practically ended the war so far as the Weymouth area was concerned, although the fighting continued elsewhere until the spring of 1678.
There is no doubt that Mathew's other sons served in this war, which was bloody and devasting in the extreme. The colony suffered more in proportion to their numbers and strength than in the Revolutionary struggle in 1776. Six hundred men fell in battle and three hundred perished. Six hundred buildings were burned. One man in eleven of the areas-bearing people were killed and one house in every eleven was burned.
Weymouth was attacked three times in fourteen months.
On December 4, 1676, the town's stock of guns and ammunition consisted of one hundred and twenty-eight flints, one hundred and forty-three pounds of powder, five hundred and eighty-four bullets and fourteen pounds of shot.
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PRATT/2003-05/1053922802
From: "missgerry"
Subject: Re: [PRATT] Macuth Pratt
Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 21:20:36 -0700
References:
I have the following publication: "The Pratt Family. A Genealogical Record
of Mathew Pratt of Weymouth, Mass. and his American Descendants. 1623-1889.
" By Francis G. Pratt, Jr., Member of The New England Historic Genealogical
Society. published Boston, Mass. 1890. I will quote parts of this relative
to Mathew Pratt.
Introduction, page 8: "An attempt has been made in these pages to follow
out with a good degree of accuracy the genealogy of the Pratt family,
especially as connected with Mathew of Weymouth. He was probably related to
Joshua Pratt, who settled at Plymouth in 1621, coming over in the second
vessel, and to Phineas Pratt, who came over in 1622 and settled at Weymouth,
but afterwards at Plymouth and Charlestown. These three, who were Pilgrims,
are spoken of by the historians as probably brothers, though the
relationship cannot be positively established. Besides these there was John
of Dorchester, who came over later, but was contemporaneous with them."
Introduction, Page 8: "The sources of information from which the facts in
this book have been derived are various, but they are such as cannot be
questioned. Town and city registers, historical memorials, private family
journals, handed down from generation to generation and religiously
preserved, registers of probate in many cities and counties, early recorded
wills, ancient church records, and monumental tablets in old burial places,
have all contributed to the information contained in these pages. This
large field of research has been patiently explored by Mr. Ernest B. Pratt,
to whom much credit is due forhis long and enthusiastic effort."
Page 11: "The Pratts of Weymouth by Hon. Gilbert Nash, Historian of the
Town of Weymouth.
The name of Pratt occurs upon the records of Weymouth more frequently
than that of any other name, and the family has had from the early
settlement a larger membership than any other family, and at the present day
it counts its numbers among the largest.
The original planter Mathew, whose name is sometimes spelled upon the
records Macute, Macuth, Micath, and Micareth, but evidently the same
individual, was undoubtedly among the earliest settlers of the town, and
came, possibly, or rather probably, with the Gorges Company, although there
is no positive evidence of the fact. Yet the fact that his name appears
upon no subsequent list, and he is found among the list of land-owners in
about 1643, the first recorded list, and recognized as 'an old resident,'
makes the probability almost a certainty.
He may have been a near relative of Phinehas Pratt, who was a member of
the Weston Colony of 1622, yet the connection does not appear upon any
reocrd, nor is any connection traced between him and Aaron Pratt of
Cohasset, except by marriage, or any of the many families of the name who
were among the earliest settlers of New England. Like many another family
of the old town of Weymouth, whose permanent settlement by the Gorgest
Company dates about the beginning of August, 1623, next after Plymouth in
the Massachusetts Bay territory, its origin is lost with the records of that
Company."
Page 12: [continuation of above] "The records of the first three
generations taken from the town and county books (there are no early church
records to be found) are quite full and complete, more so than those of
almost any other family in the town, the planter Mathew leaving a will now
upon record. His eldest son, Sergeant Thomas, killed by the Indians April
10, 1676, has records in Suffolk Probate Court identifying his family. His
second son Matthew also left a will which is recorded, naming his children,
who, with his wife Sarah Hunt, were deaf and dumb, as noticed by Cotton
Mather. The third son, John, a cooper, left no children, but is identified
by his will. His fourth son, Samuel, a carpenter, married a daughter of
John Rogers and had eight children, whose names are recorded in his will
(names of the sons). The will of Joseph, the fifth son, names four sons and
son-in-law, Aaron Pratt."
Page 18: "Genealogical Memoir of Matthew Pratt (Earliest Settler of the
Name in Weymouth, Massachusetts), and his American Descendants. 1888.
Page 19: Mathew Pratt
∼Though his baptism is not recorded there, Macuth PRATT was born about 1595 in or near Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England where he married Elizabeth KINGHAM 9d 11m 1619. About 1635 they emigrated to Massachusetts and settled in Weymouth. Documents in Weymouth prove that his given name was Macuth and not Matthew like his son. Macuth wrote his will 29d 10m 1673 which was probated 30d 4m 1673 at Weymouth. |
