Individual Details
Jonathan PRATHER Iº
(Abt 1630 - Bef 21 Aug 1680)
An undocumented report by a professional geneoligst says he was born at Latton on the Eton River in Wiltshire England. Donna Warner of Atlanta Ga. copied research done by Eva Hampton Prather on file in the Ga. Department of Archives and History and portions are qouted, "-- Jonathan Prather who came from his ancestral home of Latton near Eton Water, Wiltshire, England and arrived in the Colony of Va in 1650--- ( he was one of) three Prather brothers William , Samuel, and Jonathan. All of this is unsubstantiated, and must be discounted.
William had been an ensign in the British navy. He did not enjoy the dangers and rough life of the colonists so he returned to England. Samuel and Jonathon made themselves a log cabin ( and began to farm on the rich soil, trading tobacco for their needs with English shippers). (After 8 years) Samuel suddenly died in 1658, and Jonathan, who had grown to manhood was left alone. (note! Others have shown that he was married in 1654 in Va.) Under the circumstances he was resolved to remove from Va. to Md. --- where some friends of his father's family now lived, for Thomas Sprigg, brother of Sir George Sprigg, had an assignment of 100 acres of land in the Tidewater country near the border of Chesapeake Bay, when he employed the owner George Reed, of a transport vessel plying in the Chesapeake to transport him and his householdand farming equipment to Md. Reference. Land Commssioner's office Annapolis, liber 22, page 32; liber q folio202.
The Maryland Prathers descend from Jonathan Prather who first appears in 1658. As far as I know, no one has produced any evidence that he was a son of Thomas Prater who was at Jamestown in 1625 but of whom, I believe, there is no subsequent record in Va. -- Brice Claggett
In fact, this is speculation: that Thomas Prather, of Virginia, was son of the above couple of Eaton Water, Wilts. Maryland descendants of this alleged gateway ancestor should also be aware that it is just speculation that Jonathan Prather of Maryland may be the son of the Virginian Thomas Prather. The Prater book, previously mentioned in this thread, is useful on this question, but does not sufficiently emphasize that the link across the water is supposition. -- Nat Taylor
William had been an ensign in the British navy. He did not enjoy the dangers and rough life of the colonists so he returned to England. Samuel and Jonathon made themselves a log cabin ( and began to farm on the rich soil, trading tobacco for their needs with English shippers). (After 8 years) Samuel suddenly died in 1658, and Jonathan, who had grown to manhood was left alone. (note! Others have shown that he was married in 1654 in Va.) Under the circumstances he was resolved to remove from Va. to Md. --- where some friends of his father's family now lived, for Thomas Sprigg, brother of Sir George Sprigg, had an assignment of 100 acres of land in the Tidewater country near the border of Chesapeake Bay, when he employed the owner George Reed, of a transport vessel plying in the Chesapeake to transport him and his householdand farming equipment to Md. Reference. Land Commssioner's office Annapolis, liber 22, page 32; liber q folio202.
The Maryland Prathers descend from Jonathan Prather who first appears in 1658. As far as I know, no one has produced any evidence that he was a son of Thomas Prater who was at Jamestown in 1625 but of whom, I believe, there is no subsequent record in Va. -- Brice Claggett
In fact, this is speculation: that Thomas Prather, of Virginia, was son of the above couple of Eaton Water, Wilts. Maryland descendants of this alleged gateway ancestor should also be aware that it is just speculation that Jonathan Prather of Maryland may be the son of the Virginian Thomas Prather. The Prater book, previously mentioned in this thread, is useful on this question, but does not sufficiently emphasize that the link across the water is supposition. -- Nat Taylor
Events
| Birth | Abt 1630 | Norfolk Co. (now City of Chesapeake), VA | |||
| Emigration | Bef 1658 | MD to VA | |||
| Death | Bef 21 Aug 1680 | His Lordship's Manor, Calvert Co., MD | |||
| Obituary | 21 Aug 1680 | Calvert Co., MD | |||
| Marriage | Prather Hall, MD - Lyle Jane McKAY | ||||
| Occupation | farmer | ||||
| Residence | nr. present Ft. Washington on Potomac, at Swan Creek - Calvert Co., MD |
Families
| Spouse | Lyle Jane McKAY (1635 - 1713) |
| Child | Jane PRATHER (1664 - 1713) |
| Child | Jonathan PRATHER II (1666 - 1736) |
| Child | George PRATHER sp (1668 - 1698) |
| Child | William Nathan PRATHER Sr. (1670 - 1747) |
| Child | Col. Thomas M. PRATHER (1673 - 1712) |
| Child | John PRATHER (1676 - 1718) |
| Child | Elizabeth PRATHER (1680 - ) |
| Father | Anthony Thomas PRATER III, immigrant (1604 - 1666) |
| Mother | Mary MacKay POWELL(?) immigrant (1608 - ) |
| Sibling | John PRATHER (1629 - 1664) |
| Sibling | William PRATER (1632 - ) |
| Sibling | Samuel PRATER sp (1633 - 1679) |
| Sibling | Richard PRATHER of Rapahanock Co., VA (1635 - 1664) |