Elkanah Sprague

Sprague Families in America", by Dr. Warren Vincent Sprague, page 27.

Elkanah Sprague "was a Tything man" in Lebanon, NH in 1779; served two years in Revolutionary War and was granted a pension.

From Kent L. Meyers, correspondent, note of Febuary 15, 2016

Elkanah Sprague was not the son of Samuel, but the illegitimate son of Elkanah Sr. and Katharine Shield, born 6 Nov 1749 in Lebanon, CT. I have done a fair amount of research on him. There is no record that ties him to Samuel and he is the only Elkanah born around 1749 and fits with Elkanah of New Hampshire, both in age and in the fact that his natural father migrated to Vermont about the same time he is found in neighboring New Hampshire.

From Kent L. Meyers, correspondent, note of May 9, 2016

Here are sources on Elkanah Sprague, born 1749. The pension record gives his birth year of 1749, which links him to the following birth record:

Birth and parents:

New England Historic Genealogical Society, "Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)," database and images, American Ancestors; Lebanon Vital Records; Lebanon, p. 151.

"Sprague, Elkanah, reputed s. Elkanah Sprague & Katherine Shield, b. Nov. 6, 1749"
http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/connecticut-vital-record...
-the-barbour-collection/image/?pageName=151&volumeId=13153&rId=234500771

Rev. War Pension records:

His records begin at https://www.fold3.com/image/1/19521798

Some pages of interest:

Page 3:

http://www.fold3.com/image/19521811

"Concord, NH

Lydia Sprague, widow of Elkanah Sprage, N.H., who died on the 17 August 1835 of Grafton in the State of N.H> who was a Private in the campany commanded by Captain Woodward of the Regt. commanded by Col. Warner in the N.H. line for 2 years.

Inserted on the roll of Concord at the rate of 80 Dollars 00 Cents per annum to commence ca the 17 day of August 1835.

Certificate of Pension issued the 13th day of May 1837."

Page 6:

https://www.fold3.com/image/19521871

"Declaration: On this 21st day of December 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the Court of Probate for sd County, now sitting, Elkanah Sprague, a resident of Lebanon in the County of Grafton and State of N.H. aged 83 years...

...He was born at Lebanon, Connecticut in the year 1749, knows of no record of his age."

Page 34

https://www.fold3.com/image/19522073

"Residence of Soldier at enlistment: Lebanon, N.H.

Date of application for pension: Dec. 21, 1832

Residence at date of application: Lebanon, Grafton Co., N.H.

Age at date of application: born at Lebanon, Conn. in 1749, died at Lebanon, N.H. Aug. 17, 1835. Soldier married at Lebanon, N.H. June 18, 1778, Lydia Wheatley. She was allowed pension on an application executed Dec. 16, 1836 while a resident of Lebanon, N.H., aged 80 years. She died May 9, 1837."

Final payment voucher index:

https://www.fold3.com/s.php#query=elkanah+sprague&preview=1&offset=1

"Name: Sprague, Elkanah

Agency of Payment: Portsmouth, N.H.

Date of Act: 1832

Date of Payment: 1 qr 1836

Date of Death: Aug. 17, 1835"

Final payment voucher for his wife, Lydia:

https://www.fold3.com/s.php#query=elkanah+sprague&offset=11&preview=1

"Name: Sprague, Lydia (Elkanah)

Agency of Payment: Concord, N.H.

Date of Act: 1836

Date of Payment (act. 6 Apr.)

Date of Death: May 9, 1837"

This Elkanah shows up in the Lebanon, NH U.S. Census in 1790, 1800, 1810, 1830 (I couldn't locate him in 1820)

His father, Elkanah, shows up in the Hartford, Windsor, VT U.S. census in 1790 and was a Capt. in the Vermont Militia in the Revolutionary war (service records available on Fold3).

The other Elkanah Sprague, born 1760, son of the same father and Mehitable Moulton, also served in the Rev. War and later moved to Mayfield, Montgomery, NY, where he was living when he applied for a pension. Linking him is also the fact that his brother, Roger, also moved to Mayfield, where he shows as insolvent in 1807. This Elkanah's pension record begins at:

https://www.fold3.com/image/1/19536816

Just to clarify, Elkanah Sprague, b. 1749, was the son of Elkanah, Sr., b. 1732, probably the result of teenage promiscuity. Who he was raised by is unknown. Elkanah, Sr. then had another son, Elkanah by his wife Mehitable Moulton, b. 1760. Elkanah Sprague, Sr. was the son of Benjamin Sprague by his third wife, Abigail Hodges. [1]

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