Matthew Pratt, II

• Matthew Pratt
• Birth: Jun. 7, 1629 Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
• Death: Jan. 12, 1713 Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
• Matthew Pratt of Weymouth was born 1629 and died January 13, 1713 in Weymouth.
• His will was made July 30, 1711 but was probated June 4, 1713.
• In the will, he gave to his wife, Sarah, his house and barn as well as the land adjoining the buildings for her to keep for the rest of her life. To his son Matthew he gave the housing and lands bought from "my cousin William Pratt". He gave his daughter Susannah (Pratt) Porter 10; to William his son he gave 20 acres "in the Perry field;" to daughter Mary (Pratt) Allen 15; to his daughter Dorothy (Pratt) Whitman 10; to his son Samuel "his dwelling barn and land adjoining lying on the southerly side of the way that goeth to Brother John Pratt's house" after his wife Sarah dies. To duaghter Sarah (Pratt) Ford 10; to daughter Dorothy (Pratt) Whitman 5; to daughter Anne (Pratt) White 13; to daughter Hannah (Pratt) Whitmarsh the land "lying near the late dwelling house of Samuel Whitmarsh in Weymouth in the Second Division." Sons Matthew, William and Samuel were the executors while his friends Stephen French Sr. and Capt. John Hunt were to be the overseers. (Suffolk Probate 18:109)
• Cotton Mather, in Magnalia, Vol 1, Page 495, writes:
• "One Matthew Pratt, whose religious parents had well instructed him in his minority, when he was twelve years of age became totally deaf through sickness, and so hath ever since continued. He was taught after this to write, as he had been before to read; and both his reading and his writing he remaineth perfectly, but he has almost forgotten to speak; speaking out imperfectly, and scare intelligible, and very seldom.
• He is yet a very judicious Christian, and being admitted into the communion of the church, he was therein for many years behaved himself unto the extreme satisfaction of good people in the neighborhood. Sarah Prat, the wife of this man, is one also who was altogether deprived of her hearing by sickness when she was about the third year of her age; but having utterly lost her hearing, she has utterly lost her speech also, and no doubt all remembrance of everything that refers to language.
• Mr. Thatcher made an essay to teach her the use of letters, but it succeeded not; however, she discourses by signs, whereat some of her friends are so expert as to maintain a conversation with her upon any point whatever, with as much freedom and fullness as if she wanted neither tongue nor ear for conference. Her children do learn her signs from the breast, and speak sooner by her eyes and hands than by their lips. From her infancy she was very sober and modest; but she had no knowledge of a Deity, nor of anything that concerns another life and world. Nevertheless, God, of his infinite mercy, has revealed the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great mysteries of salvation by him, unto her, by a more extraordinary and immediate operation of his own spirit unto her, an account of her experience was written from her, by her husband; and the elders of the church employing her husband, with two of her sisters who are notably skilled in her way of communication, examined her strictly hereabout, and they found that she understood the unity of the divine essence, and trinity of persons in the Godhead; the personal union in our Lord, the mystical union between our Lord and his church; and that she was acquainted with the impressions of grace upon a regenerate soul. She was under great exercise of mind, about her internal and eternal state; she expressed unto her friends her desire for help; and she made use of the Bible, and other good books, and with tears remarked such passages as were suitable to her own condition. Yea, she once, in her exercise wrote with a pin upon a trencher, three times over, "Ah poor soul!" and therewith, before divers person, burst into tears. She was admitted into the church with the general approbation of the faithful,.....and her carriage is that of a grave, gracious, holy woman."
• Family links:
• Parents:
• Mathew Pratt (1595 - 1672)
• Elizabeth Bate Kingham Pratt (1593 - 1667)
• Spouse:
• Sarah Hunt Pratt (1640 - 1729)*
• Children:
  • Matthew Pratt (1665 - 1746)*
  • Samuel Pratt (1676 - 1715)*
• Siblings:
• Thomas Pratt (1623 - 1676)*
• Matthew Pratt (1629 - 1713)
• John Pratt (1634 - 1716)*
• Samuel Pratt (1636 - 1679)*
• Joseph Pratt (1639 - 1720)*
• Mary Pratt White (1665 - 1706)*
• Burial: North Weymouth Cemetery, Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
• Find A Grave Memorial# 130092174
• From: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=pratt&GSfn=ma... _____________________________
• The Pratt family : a genealogical record of Mathew Pratt, of Weymouth, Mass., and his American descendants, 1623-1889 by Pratt, Francis Greenleaf, 1850-1894
• https://archive.org/details/prattfamilygenea00prat
• https://archive.org/stream/prattfamilygenea00prat#page/n44/mode/1up
• Pg.25
• I. MATHEW PRATT, b. — ; d. Aug. 29, 1672.
• (m. Elizabeth Bate?)
• Children:
  • 9 1 1 THOMAS, b. before 1628; d. April 19, 1676.
  • 51 2 2 MATTHEW, b. 1628 d. Jan. 12, 1713.
  • 50 2/1 3 JOHN, b. — ; d. Oct. 3, 1716.
  • 3 4 SAMUEL, b. — . ; d. — , 1678.
  • 4 5 JOSEPH, b. June 10, 1037 ; d. Dec. 24, 1720.
  • 7 5 6 ELIZABETH, b. — ; d. Feb. 26, 1726.
  • 8 6 7 MARY, b. — ; d. — .
• 5 7 (II.) ELIZABETH PRATT, of Weymouth (dau. of I. Mathew) ; b. — ; d. Feb. 26, 1726; m. Nov. 22, 1656, William Chard, Town Clerk of Weymouth. Elizabeth was his second wife. Grace, his first, d. Jan. 23, 1655. He was a schoolmaster.
• Children : .... etc.
• 6 8 (II.) MARY PRATT (dau. of I. Mathew), b. — ; m. Thomas White, of Braintree, son of Thomas, of Weymouth. He was a freeman, 1681; d. Apr. 11, 1706.
• Children: .... etc.
• Pg.26
• 1 9 (II.) THOMAS PRATT, of Weymouth (son of Mathew), b. before 1628; m. Mary — .
• .... etc.
• Pg.37
• 2/1 50 (II.) JOHN PRATT, of Weymouth (son of I. Mathew), b. — ; d. Oct. 3, 1716; m. Oct. 9, 1656, Mary Whitman; she d. July 10, 1716, aged 82, dau. of John Whitman.
• .... etc.
• 2 51 (II.) MATTHEW PRATT, of Weymouth (son of I. Mathew), b. 1628; d. June 12, 1713; m. June 1, 1661, Sarah Hunt (b. July 4, 1640; d. Aug. 3, 1729), dau. of Enoch and Sarah.
• In his will, dated June 4, 1713, he mentions his "brother John Pratt" and "cousin William Pratt."
• Cotton Mather, in his "Magnalia," Vol. 1, page 495, thus refers to him in connection with the ministry of Thomas Thatcher ;
• "One Matthew Prat, whose religious parents had well instructed him in his minority, when he was twelve years of age became totally deaf through sickness, and so hath ever since continued. He was taught after this to write, as he had been before to read; and both his reading and his writing he retaineth perfectly, but he has almost forgotten to speak ; speaking but imperfectly, and scarce intel-
• Pg.38
• ligibly, and very seldom. He is yet a very judicious Christian, and being admitted into the communion of the church, he has therein for many years behaved himself unto the extreme satisfaction of good people in the neighborhood. Sarah Prat, the wife of this man, is one also who was altogether deprived of her hearing by sickness when she was about the third year of her age ; but having utterly lost her hearing, she has utterly lost her speech also, and no doubt all remembrance of everything that refers to language. Mr. Thatcher made an essay to teach her the use of letters, but it succeeded not ; however, she discourses by signs, whereat some of her friends are so expert as to maintain a conversation with her upon any point whatever, with as much freedom and fullness as if she wanted neither tongue nor ear for conference. Her children do learn her signs from the breast, and speak sooner by her eyes and hand than by their lips. From her infancy she was very sober and modest ; but she had no knowledge of a Deity, nor of anything that concerns another life and world. Nevertheless, God, of his infinite mercy, has revealed the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great mysteries of salvation by him, unto her, by a more extraordinary and immediate operation of his own spirit unto her. An account of her experiences was written from her, by her husband ; and the elders of the church employing her husband, with two of her sisters who are notably skilled in her way of communication, examined her strictly hereabout ; and they found that she understood the unity of the divine essence, and trinity of persons in the Godhead ; the personal union in our Lord, the mystical union between our Lord and his church ; and that she was acquainted with the impressions of grace upon a regenerate soul. She was under great exercise of mind, about her internal and eternal state; she expressed unto her friends her desire for help ; and she made use of the Bible, and other good books, and with tears remarked such passages as were suitable to her own condition. Yea, she once, in her exercise, wrote with a pin upon a trencher, three times over, 'Ah, poor soul ! ' and therewith, before divers persons, burst into tears. * * * She was admitted into the church with the general approbation of the faithful * * * and her carriage is that of a grave, gracious, holy woman."
• Children :
  • 55 52 1 MATTHEW, b. Sep. 18, 1665.
  • 2 SUSANNA, b. Sep., 1684; m. Thomas Porter.
  • Pg.39
  • 132 53 3 WILLIAM, b. May 5. 1673.
  • 4 MARY, b. Nov. 27, 1669 ; m. — Allen.
  • 5 DOROTHY, b. — ; m. Aug. 13, 1700, John Whitman.
  • 207 54 6 SAMUEL, b. April 3, 1676.
  • 7 SARAH, b. — ; 1672 ; d. Sep. 16, 1788; m. Isaac Ford.
  • 8 ANN, b. Sep. 14, 1682; m. Samuel White.
  • 9 HANNAH, b. Nov. 3, 1670 ; m. Samuel Whitmarsh.
• .... etc. ________________________________
• Word and Self Estranged in English Texts, 1550–1660 edited by Dr L E Semler, Dr Philippa Kelly
• https://books.google.com/books?id=hxY8-9Kf2IsC&pg=PA206&lpg=PA206&d...
• Pg.206
• Sarah Pratt of Weymouth, Massachusetts, lived a life typical of colonial New England. She was born 4 July 1640 to Dorothy and Enoch Hunt, and although she was the only child of that marriage she had many step- and half-siblings. In August 1661, when she was 21, she married Matthew Pratt, who was himself deaf from the age of 12. Nine children were born to Sarah and Matthew between 1664 and 1684. Having given a good account of her conversion experience to the elders of the church, Sarah was accepted into church fellowship which entitled her to participate in the Lord's Supper. The elders were convinced that she understood the doctrines of New England Puritanism and her spiritual experience was attested by the concern she had for her own soul. Mather noted that she "understands as much concerning the state of the Countrey, and of particular persons therein, as any one of her Sex" (290). She and her husband survived King Philip's war, in which Weymouth was attacked, by taking refuge in Boston. As Increase Mather reported in 1684, Sarah was "to the best observation, a grave and gracious Woman." Matthew Pratt died in 1713, bequeathing to "my beloved wife Sarah"
• Pg.207 to 209 are not shown in this preview. _________________________
• Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York: A Record of ..., Volume 3 edited by William Richard Cutter
• https://books.google.com/books?id=Ye4pAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1161&lpg=PA1161...
• Pg.1160
• Enoch Hunt, the immigrant ancestor, married (first) in England; married (second) Sarah, daughter of Widow Dorothy Barker, who in 1652 was wife of John Kinh, of Weymouth, and gave by will, April 14, 1652, household goods to her daughter, Sarah Hunt. Enoch Hunt was admitted freeman at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638. On September 18, 1652, at a county court in Boston, power of administration on estate of Enoch Hunt, not yet administered, was granted to his son Ephraim. His daughter Sarah married Matthew Pratt, who was deaf and almost without power of speech, while she was deaf and dumb also. In a deposition of Jonas Humphrey and Robert Randall they say that Enoch Hunt came from Tetenden, in the parish of Lee,
• Pg.1161
• about two miles distant from Wendover; blacksmith. They said that Enoch and his son Ephraim both moved to New England and dwelt for some time in Weymouth, and Enoch returned to England, while Ephraim remained at Weymouth and had several sons. Enoch Hunt owned twenty-two acres of upland and salt marsh. Children by first wife: 1. Ephraim, born 1610, mentioned below. 2 Peter, mentioned below. By second wife: 3. Sarah, born July 4, 1640; married Matthew Pratt.
• (II) Ephraim, son of Enoch Hunt, settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was a refugee from the disastrous field of Marston Moor, and his right name was Colonel Sir William Hunt, but to conceal his identity, after his arrival in this country, he changed his name to Ephraim. He was regarded by the party in power as a "malignant," a name given to all Royalist of sufficient note to be considered dangerous by Cromwell. At the siege of York, Colonel Hunt had been the hero of the day, and the dignity of knighthood was conferred upon him by Prince Rupert. At the battle of Marston Moor, the tide turned and Colonel Hunt fled to America, where he died February 22, 1686, forty years after he left England. He married an heiress, Anna Richards, and their three sons were the progenitors of the Hunts in this country.
• (II) Peter, son of Enoch Hunt, died October 2, 1692. He married Elizabeth Smith. Although there is not very sure evidence that Peter was son of Enoch, there is very great probability that he was. His will was dated June 19, 1689, and proved December 26, 1692. He gave to his son Enoch upland .... etc. _________________________
• Genealogy of the name and family of Hunt, etc By Thomas Bellows WYMAN
• https://books.google.com/books?id=1RxYAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&d...
• Pg.271
• Enoch Hunt .... etc.
• 1640, July 4. Sarah. Pratt.
• Mrs. Hunt, 2d, was daughter of Widow Dorothy Barker; who in 1652, was wife of John King of Weymouth, and gave, by will, 14 (4), 1652, to dau. Sarah Hunt, households goods.
• .... etc.
• Dau. m. MATTHEW PRATT of Weymouth. Issue, Matthew, Sept. 18, 1665; Mary, 1667; Hannah, Nov. 4, 1670; William, May 5, 1673; Samuel, baptized at Third Church in Boston, April 2, 1676; Ann, Sept. 14, 1682; Susanna, Sept. , 1684. (See Mather's "Magnalia," book iii. ch. 26.) Mr. Pratt was deaf, and almost lost speech. Mrs. Pratt was deaf and dumb. One of the remarkable providences occurred in their case.
• Pg.305
• Peter Hunt ____________________________
• HUNT, Sarah
• b. 4 JUL 1640 Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass.
• d. 3 AUG 1729 Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass.
• Family:
• Marriage: 1 AUG 1661 Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass.
• Spouse: PRATT, Matthew
• b. ABT 1632 England
• d. 12 JAN 1712/3 Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass.
• Parents:
• Father: PRATT, Matthew
• Mother: BATES, Elizabeth
• Children:
  • PRATT, Matthew
  • PRATT, Mary b. 1667 Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass.
  • PRATT, Hannah
  • PRATT, Dorothy
  • PRATT, William
  • PRATT, Samuel
  • PRATT, Sarah
  • PRATT, Ann
  • PRATT, Susanna
• From: http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_3ff.htm#34 ______________________

died aged 85yrs.Through sickness he and his wife were deaf and dumb. (Ms.ther's Magnalial:4 - 95.) Matthew Pratt, Sr., Of Weymouth roacle his will30 July, 1711, probated 4 June, 1713 . T o his wife Sarah he gave his house and barn, and land adjoining for life, to son Matthew Pratt housing and lands bought of "my cousin William Pratt;" to daughter Susannah Porter 1 0; to son William Pratt 20 acres "in the Perry field;"to daughter Mary Allin 15; to daughter Dorothy Whitman 10; son Samuel Pratt "his dwelling, barn, & land adjoining lying on the southerly side of the way that goeth to Brother John Pratt's house" after his wife's decease. To daughter Sarah Ford 10; to daughter Whitman 5; to daughter Anne White, 13; to daughter Hannah Whitmarsh land "lying near the late dwelling house of Samuel Whitmarsh in Weymouth in the Second Division."Son Matthew, William and Samuel Pratt, executors; friends Stephen French, Sr., and Capt. John Hunt, overseers. (Suffolk Probate, 18: 109.)Inventory, 1,326 16s.

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