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Generation
No. 16
16. JOHNATHAN16 PRATHER (THOMAS15 PRATHER/PRATER, THOMAS PRATER14 (GENTLEMAN), ANTHONY THOMAS PRATER13, GEORGE PRATER12 (ESQUIRE), JOHN PRATER11, WILLIAM PRATER (ESQUIRE) (DE10 PRAERS?), --- PRATER (DE PREERS /9 PRAERS), --- PRATER (DE8 PREERS/PRAERS), --- PRATER (DE7 PRAERS?), --- PRATER (DE6, --- PRATER (PRETOR) (DE5, ROBERTUS PRETOR (PRATER) (DE4, WILLIAMUS PRETOR (PRATER/DE3 PRAERS), GUILLIUMUS (WILLIAMUS) JOHONNIE2 PRATER, --- DE PRESBYTER (PRESTER/DE1 PRAERS).) was born Abt. 1630 in Elizabeth
Citties Co., Virginia, and died Bef. August 01, 1680 in Calvert
Co., Maryland. He married LYLE JANE MCKAY September 12, 1666 in Prather Hall. She
was born Abt. 1638 in Virginia, and died 1713 in Brookfield
Pantation, Prince George, Maryland.
Notes
for JOHNATHAN PRATHER:
Elizabeth Citties Co., Virginia is now Norfolk, Virginia
Jonathan was born in Va. and later moved to Maryland ca. 1652/58.
His name is recorded in several documents and we find it spelled
several different ways. As example, he assigned land he owned,
which stated it was land owned by Jonathan Prether but when he
signed the document he signed: Jonathan Prater. He is also
recorded in other such documents as Prater, Prator, Prether,
Praither and Prather. Such was the level of education in those
days, most people "sounded out" the spelling, and then
spelled that way. We find the names Prater and Prather the most
commonly used in documents concerning Jonathan.
When Jonathan died his wife remarried to John Smith, a very
wealthy Planter. He was very good to Jonathans children and when
he died he willed them a Plantation he called "Orphans Gift" which was located near the city of
St. Mary in Maryland. John Smith's will was proved 13 Oct. 1707.
Jane(Prather) Smith's Will was proved 7th Dec., 1713.
We thought for years that "Jane" was a Goldsmith,
daughter of George Goldsmith but now know she was Lyle Jane McKay.
She was raised by the Goldsmiths.
Jonathan Prathers Coat-of-Arms was registered with the College of
Heraldry and has proven to be the continueing and long
established "Prater Family" whose ancestrial estates
were located on Eaton Water, in the County of Wiltshire, England.
The Eaton Water Estates include Latton Manor, Inglesham Manor
which are located along the head waters of the Thames River North
of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Jonathan used the "Prater"
coat-of-arms on some of his documents. Several other docucments
were also found. Below are examples of some of the documents we
have found:
MSS. (preserved in the State Paper Dept. of Her Majesty's Public
Record Office, Eng.) "Muster Rolls of the Settlers of Va.".
21 Aug. 1680 Inventory of Estate of Jonathan Prather, dec'd.
appraised by Jn. Mils and Robt.Clark.
6 Oct. 1658 Jonathan and settled on his land at the Potomac River.
12 Nov. 1658 Jonathan Prator demandeth Warrant agst. Cornelius
Kennede warrant to the Sheriff of Calvert Co.
1 Apr. 1680 Jonathan Prater serving as Juror at Resurrection
Manor, in Calvert Co., Maryland.
Ref. Liber Folio 302, Maryland Provencial Records, Land Office,
Annapolis, Md.
Jonathan Prather was transported by water from Virginia up
Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to Swan Crk. then to Calvert
Co., Md. (now Pr.George Co.) with four men and one other woman;
Alexander Forcarson, Robert MacKay & wife, Wm. Woodrose, Wm.
Mill and Wm. Jones, in a small vessel owned by young George Reed
of Calvert Co., Md. We suspect that the "other woman"
was Lyle Jane Mackay, sister of Rbt. Vol. I, p.35 "Calendar
of Wills - Maryland "
Jonathan Prather and wife Jane, on Swan Crk., built their home on
their estate they called "Prather Hall Plantation".
Arrived Md. 6 Oct., 1658. They did not live there long and
disposed of it to George Gouldsmith, who in his Will of Apr. 1666,
bequeathed Prather Hall to his daughter, Mary Gouldsmith. This
"Prather Hall" was located near present site of Ft.
Washington, near what became Swan Crk. Rd. on the Potomac River.
(about 10 miles south of the present Capitol Bldg., Washington D.C.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes from Gary B. Prather:
Many earlier searchers have claimed that Jonathan was born in
England but these were assumptions made by people who were
involved in the "early" research of our family before
the research was more complete.
It was also reported that Jonathan Prather and Thomas Prater (the
father of Jonathan ) were not of the same family... But even
these earlier researchers have stated that Jonathan was from
Latton, Wiltshire and Thomas was from Eaton Water, Wiltshire.
Little did they know that these two places are in fact the same
estate. Eaton Water, Latton Manor, Inglesham Manor all adjoining
one another and owned by John Prater in 1547 and later his son
George who died in 1564. Their property was so vast that it
borderd three county lines in Nothern Wiltshire.
"Eaton Water" was located in the area known today as
Eaton Hastings Lechlade/Inglesham and also included Latton Manor
which is located about one mile up river. All of these Manors are
located along the bank of the Thames River in North Central
Wiltshire. (About 4 miles North of Swindon). I have spent many a
wonderful evening visiting and exploring this part of England and
still find myself returning again, year after year.
In the time of our forfathers, England was the worlds supplier of
wool and woolen goods. While England was the supplier of wool, it
was Flanders that converted the greatest amount of this wool into
products, using their great weaving houses and world market
connections.
The Thames River was very important to the family, because it
supported the primary family business, the woolen trade. They
used the river waters to wash and process the wool and then
transport it down river to the ports of London. This was only one
of many businesses the family was involved in. Today the village
(manor) of Lechlade has grown and is a beautiful village with its
sidewalk shops, tea rooms and a large church of a later period.
Inglesham was much larger than Lechlade when John Prater lived
there in 1547, and now "old Inglesham" only has the
church to remind us that the village even existed. ("new
Inglesham" has about 6 houses and is located about one mile
south of the Inglesham of Johns Praters day..).
At Eaton Hastings, only the old church and "Ferry House"
remain to remind us that a village once stood there. The north
side no longer exists. Lord Hastings came into possession of
southern part of Eaton village and it became known as Eaton
Hastings, while the "old Eaton Water" no longer exists.
He built a beautiful Manor home on the foundation of the old abot
house which sat next to the church. Lord Hastings later decided
that he did not approve of the location of the old church because
it obstructed his view of the Thames River, so he had the church
moved stone by stone and reconstructed about 50 yards west of its
original location.
The local residents (which most likely included members of the
Prater family) were upset with Lord Hastings "for fear for
the souls of their ancestors buried in the floor of the old
church", thus they proceded to take Lord Hastings from his
home and "stuffed him down his well, drowning him".
There were several hundred years of Prater ancestors that lay
under the floor of that old church at Eaton Hastings but today
they lay in what is now the flower garden of the Hasting Manor
House at Eaton Hastings.
I had coffee with the present residents of the old Eaton Hastings
Manor House and to my supprise they were totally unaware that the
church had ever been moved, but they did exclaim, "that
explains why our gardener finds an odd bone now and then!" (Such
is British humor)
Latton Manor is the most beautiful of what remains of our family
manors which sat on Eaton Water, on the Criklade of North
Wiltshire. I spent several nights in Latton Manor, sleeping in
one of the homes that stood during the time that George Prater
lived there (d.1564). George Prater is buried under the floor (3rd.
Isle 7 Row) of the church of Latton Manor, Wiltshire.
Latton has been in existence since before Roman occupation of
England (A.D.64) and Roman villa ruins can be found there today.
It is a small beautiful, quiet village with only about a dozen
houses and the church remaining. Some homes have the old style
grass roofs.
We now know that Jonathan was born near Newport News, Va. and was
the son of Thomas (Prater) Prather of "Eaton Water,
Wiltshire, England" who landed in Elizabeth Citties, Va. in
1622. Thomas was between 18 and 20 years old when he came to
America.
Thomas was Born at Eaton Water, on the Criklade, Northern
Wiltshire 1602/4. His son Jonathan was his heir in America.
Jonathan Prather's estate was valued at 13,750 pounds at his
death. Jonathan and his wife Jane, lived in their home near the
present site of Ft. Washington on the Potomac River, Swan Creek
Road, about 10 miles due south of the U.S. Capital Building. It
was called "Prather Hall".
G.B.Prather
Inventories & Accounts, Liber & C. ff 237/8 Hall of
Records, Maryland.
Jonathan Prather died without a Will:
Inventory of goods and Chattles of Jonathan Prather appraised by
Jno Mils and Robt Clark Aug. ye 21th 1680.
4 cows + calves att 700 pounds sterling apice. 4900
1 cow with a calv
600
1 Mare 4 yars ould 500
3 Heiffers 1 Bull 3 year old 1500
5 Yarlings att 150 apiece 750
1 old Mare with a hors colt 1200
1 Young Mare 3 yar old 800
1 Saddle hors of 5 yar old 12000
3 Sows 5 Barrows 2 Boars & 5 Piggs 1000
A parcell of putr with a prcell tinn saucpans 150
A boxed Iron with 2 heatrs 30
An old Flock bed with a Bolster 2 blankitts-
& a Rugg & a bedstad. 300
An old dedstad with a bolster 2 blankitts &
a pillow all old. 150
An old woodn couch & a woodn cubboard, 2 woodn
chairs, I tray, 2 woodn plattrs 250
1 chs fatt 10
2 smll Butter potts 10
1 Iron pestle 25
1 old gun 150
1 Grinding Ston 60
2 Iron potts & an Iron Kettle 120
1 Smll Chest 50
1 hand saw, 1 chisll, 1 Goudge, 1 Curbb Briddle,
1 rest all old. 120
200 lbs. of tobacco due upon accot.
to this Estate from Bryan Crowle 137.50
JnO Mils (seal)
Robt Clark (seal)
No records have been found giving an inventory & accounts of
his lands and/or slaves.
Jane MacKay Prathers Will leaves the remainder of her land in
England to her 14 grandchildren. Her will was written Dec,, 1713
and is on file at the Hall of Records in Annapolis, MD.
After the death of Jonathan Prather, Jane remarried to John Smith
a wealthy Scottsman and they lived on a plantation named "Brookfield"
which was located on the Patuxent River about 7 miles from Upper
Marlboro, MD. John Smith's will was written on 3 Sept., 1707 and
was proved on 23 Sept., 1707 in Prince George Co., MD. (Pr.Geo.Co.
Wills Liberl ff3O-2). property as dowery from George Goldsmith
where he later built "Prathers Hall". Jane was on the
ship when Jonathan went up the Potomac from Va. to Md. She was
listed as "one other woman". His wife was Lyle Jane
MacKay and they were married at Jonathans home, "Prather
Hall" on or before 12 Sept., 1666. Lyle Jane MacKay stayed
with George Gouldsmiths family for a time as a young girl. They
may have raised her for several years. (The will of G.Goldsmith)
More
About JOHNATHAN PRATHER:
Occupation: Resurrection Plantation
Children of JOHNATHAN PRATHER and LYLE MCKAY are:
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