The children and grandchildren of Jonathan Prather (d. 1736) and Elizabeth Bigger
Jonathan Prather II (or Prater) was born before 1666 in Calvert Co., Maryland, to Jonathan Prather and Jane (McKay) Prather. He is thought to have married Elizabeth Bigger (b. ~1668) by 1690 in Maryland. He had at least 9 children and several more grandchildren.
In 1684, Jonathan received land from “Too Good” in Prince George’s Co., Maryland, which was originally granted to John Bigger in 1672. Jonathan and his wife then sold the land in 1707. He was also given 100 acres of land by his stepfather John Smith as part of his inheritance of “Orphan’s Gift”. Jonathan died in March 1736, and his widow Elizabeth died April 1737, in Prince George Co., Maryland.
He had the following children as mentioned in his will:
1. Jonathan (III) - his father’s will mentions “son John”, but also specifically mentions “grandson William, son of Jonathan, deceased”. They may have been two different sons. Jonathan married Jane Mulliken(1693~1725) about 1712 in Maryland. He is said to have married (2nd) Susannah Aldridge after 1726. He died by 1735, when his father’s will mentions he was deceased. He and Jane had:
i. William born about 1712 in Maryland. He married Sarah Prather (b. ~1715, daughter of William Prather and Anne Yates) presumably on January 15, 1739. He was named in his grandfather’s will in 1735. In 1742/3, they sold their land in Prince George Co., Maryland. In 1752, he appeared on the Halifax Co., Virginia, records. He may have died about 1778 when his name disappeared from the tax lists.
ii. Jonathan (IV) born about 1715 in Maryland. He married Catherine Reese about 1737. He moved to Lunenburg (later Bedford) Co., Virginia, by 1748 and was a member of the Bedford militia. He owned a 160-acre plantation on Stony Fork (Goose Creek, land granted in 1760 adjacent to his brother Thomas), which he left his wife upon his death. He died in 1771/2 in Bedford Co., Virginia, and listed his children in his will:
iii. Mary born April 14, 1716, in Prince George Co., Maryland.
iv. Elizabeth born July 27, 1718, in Prince George Co., Maryland.
v. Thomas born about 1725 in Maryland. He was a member of the Bedford militia with his brother. He is considered by many as the father of Jonathan below based on a mistranscription of a will of his cousin James Prater, whose mother remarried Robert Allen after his father Thomas Prater’s death in 1742. However, his death would have preceded the births of the children. He was named as the adjacent landowner when his brother was granted land on Stony Fork in 1760.
2. Thomas born about 1700. He married Joyce/Josie and had children who moved to Virginia after his death. She then remarried Robert Allen, as mentioned in his son James’ will. Thomas died about 1742 in Prince George Co., Maryland.
i. James
ii. Sarah who married Stone
3. Elizabeth born presumably before 1700. She is named as the eldest daughter of Jonathan in her grandmother Jane Prather Smith’s will. She is said to have married Philip Gittings about 1719 in Maryland.
4. Ann who is said to have married Henry Odell (d. 1738) about 1724.
5. Martha born about 1707. She married William Prather, Jr. (b. 1700, son of William Prather and Anne Yates) about 1724. She is said to have died about 1785. They had:
i. John who married Abarilla Hyatt. He died before 1764.
ii. Benjamin who married Lucy Rogers by 1765.
iii. Samuel who married Susana Aldrich before November 30, 1750.
iv. James who married Ann Turner in 1761. He died by March 7, 1794.
v. Joseph born about 1730. He married Ruth. He died without surviving issue in Prince George Co., Maryland, by 1780.
vi. Martha born in 1738. She married Archibald Edmonston.
vii. Zephaniah born about 1740. His wife’s name was Rachel. He died before January 18, 1809, in Prince George Co., Maryland.
viii. Nathan born about 1742. He married Ann Wilcoxen. He died before February 16, 1814.
6. Jean/Jane who married Aaron Prather (1710-1777, son of Thomas Prather and Martha Sprigg) before 1739. They are the predecessors to the Montgomery Co. Prathers, a line that has not dropped the “h” and spread out from that area post-Revolution. They are also presumably the origin of the surname for the latter 19th century Freedmen whose Prather descendants lived in the area, as some of the family were slaveowners pre-Civil War. They had:
i. Aaron Jr. born 1739. He married Mary Swearingen.
ii. Samuel born about 1740. His wife’s name was Elizabeth. He died 1785.
iii. Basil born 1742 in Prince George Co., Maryland. He married Chlorenda Robertson around 1765. He appears on the North Carolina militia roster but they relocated to Indiana about 1800. He died October 7, 1822, in Clarke Co., Indiana.
iv. Baruch born 1742 (possibly a twin). He married Sarah Higgins November 16, 1775, in Prince George Co., Maryland. He died December 2, 1810, in Fayette Co., Kentucky.
v. Barbara who married Williams.
vi. Ruth
vii. Mary “Molly”
viii. Zachariah born about 1750. He married Ruth Allison August 25, 1778, in Mont. Co., Maryland. He died in Newbury Co., South Carolina, before January 10, 1815.
ix. Walter who married Ann Higgins April 9, 1778, in Wash. Co., Maryland. They relocated to Bourbon Co., Kentucky, in 1806.
x. Elisha
xi. Verlinda who married Joshua Saffel July 24, 1777, in Mont. Co., Maryland.
xii. Elizabeth who married Aaron Swasson.
7. Susannah born October 1, 1708, in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George Co., Maryland.
8. Rachel born presumably about 1710. She apparently married Francis Dorsett. She is also mentioned in her mother’s will. In 1733, the Dorsetts were granted Johnathan’s portion of “Orphan’s Gift”. Listed in her father’s will were:
i. Rachel Dorsett
ii. John Dorsett
9. Sarah born presumably by 1720. She is said to have married William Pretty January 15, 1738, in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland, though given her parents’ age, she was likely born earlier than commonly stated.