Joshua Pratt / Bathsheba Fay

Marriage

1. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
2. The Pratt Directory

   JOSHUA c.1600, prob. b/o Phineas c.1592 and alleg. s/o Henry of England. [Stated in sev'l pub's, one copying from ano with no actual source cited in any. He is also erron'y called s/o Thomas of Watertown in one gen.; however, that was strictly spec. on the part of that author and has no basis in fact.] He prob. was b/o Phineas who arrived in Plymouth a year earlier, evid'y traveled New Eng., and did not acquire land until Joshua's arrival on the Anne, 10 July 1623. They were granted two acres jointly at that time on the North side of the town. Tog'r they sold prop'y w/John SHAW to Edward DOTEY in 1637. B#11 mentions a Joshua PRATT who was in Medfield in 1649. B#64 names w. Bathsheba FAY of Marlboro with no evidence cited. B#748 states wife Bathsheba arrived after 22 May 1627 and was listed as "Joshua Pratt's wife." The births of Joshua and Bathsheba's chn were not recorded in Plym.; perh. b. Eng. bef. 1627. Dtr Hannah is id'd in a deed w/ husb. William SPOONER acc'g to B#859. B#158 and other ref's have variously attrib. to Joshua the chn of his son Benajah, as well as unrelated PRATTs in far removed areas of Mass. Bay Colony with no evidence offered (as there could be none) or rationale exercised. By scrutinizing Shurtleff's Plymouth Colony Records JPL has determined that Joshua and Bathsheba had at least one son, Benajah: On 2 Nov 1640 "these several persons are granted meddowing in the South Meddows toward Aggawam, Colebrook Meddowes: ... to Josuah [sic] PRATT, five acres." No deed of sale or gift from Joshua PRATT re this parcel is recorded. When Benajah (below) died in 1682, an inv'y of his estate incl. "five acres of meddow att the South Meddows" [Plym. Prob. Vol. IV(2) p.12]. When Benajah's lands were div'd in June that yr, his eldest son Joshua rec'd as part of his share "one acre of meddow att the South Meddow" and the two youngest sons rec'd tog'r "four acres of meddow at the South Meddowes" as part of their share. [Vol IV(2) p.14] This definitive description and precise division of a parcel of land owned by Joshua PRATT proves irrefutably that he was the fa of Benajah below. [Note: In Feb 1996 the NSDFPA accepted JPL's membership application based upon this evidence.] By process of elimination, Joshua was very prob. fa of Jonathan also. The only other PRATT of Joshua's generation in the area was Phineas whose chn are all documented in various est. records. Jonathan rem. to Bristol Co. where a search of deeds might produce proof of his relationship to Joshua; but Shurtleff lists no early deeds for him in Plym. Co. Widow Bathsheba was granted admin. of Joshua's est., 6 Oct 1656. She m. 29 Aug 1667, Plymouth, John DOGGETT/ DAGGETT of Martha's Vineyard. Note: JPL has not seen any proof of her maiden name and would be interested if such exists. An article in B#1247 implies that she may have been related to John DUNHAM who named a son Benajah and whose dtr Persis 15 yrs later mar. Joshua PRATT's son Benajah below. It is prob. that Hannah below was a dtr. Heirs of her husb., William SPOONER, “were recog. under the will of their fa as owners of Joshua PRATT’s share in ‘The Purchase’ at Dartmouth,” etc. [B#146] prob. Hannah c.1625? Benajah c.1630/earlier prob. Jonathan c.1632/earlier