This is the first reliable information concerning them, though it is believed, on circumstantial and probable evidence that these two brothers-John and William Pratt, were the two sons of the Rev. William Pratt, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, as the names of John and William appear in a Latin inscription on his monument, against the north wall of the church dedicated to St. Nicholas, in Stevenage, from which the following translation is taken: "Here lies William Pratt, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, and most illustrious rector of this church during thirty years. He had three sons, John, William and Richard, and the same number of daughters, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth, by his renowned wife, Elizabeth. At length the course of his life being run, and his age becoming burdensome, he emigrated to the celestial country in the year of salvation, 1629, aged 67." John and William are not recognized in their father's will, and for the probable reason that they had left for America, or signified their intention of leaving, and had received their portion, as they were at the right age to be the settlers of that name in this country. Rev. William Pratt of Stevenage, the supposed father of John and William Pratt of Hartford, Connecticut, was the son of Andrew Pratt, who was the son of Thomas and Joan Pratt, who resided at Baldock, Hertfordshire, England, (also Simon Pratt of London, brother of Thomas) about the time of the discovery of America by Columbus. * *The name of Pratt is variously spelled in more ancient writings, thus, Pratt, Prat, Pratte, Pradt, Præd, Prate, also Prær, Prayers. It is a surname, derived, like many of the Norman and Saxon names, from a locality; from the Latin Pratum, a meadow; Spanish and Portuguese, Prado; French, pre, preux, prairie. The name of Pratt occurs among the earliest of English surnames,and the family, in many of its branches, held stations of influence and power in the British Empire. The earliest notice of Pratts in England, is prior to the year 1200 of the Christian Era, and shows that they, probably, came to England from Normandy. With regard to the home of the English Pratts, as they were anciently, so are they, at Having thus traced the line of ancestry of Orson Pratt, Sen., some four generations, from the time the two brothers, John and William, emigrated to America, and appeared among the first band of adventurers who settled Hartford, Connecticut, one of the oldest if not the very oldest town in the State, it may not be deemed entirely irrelevant to speak of the causes which led to the settlement, and the character of those who laid the foundations of society, and planted in the wilderness, the germ of those civil and religious institutions, whose benign influence has made New England what it is, the cradle of liberty and the pride and glory of all Protestant lands. It was the desire to enjoy a more simple and unostentatious mode of worship, than that which was required by the majority of the English Church, which caused the settlement of New England. Forbidden to serve God in a manner which they regarded in the highest degree subservient to their spiritual welfare, the Puritans left their native land and sought for themselves a home where they might worship God, "under their own vine and fig tree," with none to molest them or make them afraid. It was not until every expedient for the reformation of the church in their own country had failed, that they resolved on a removal. They loved their native land, and it was with the deepest regret that they bade a final farewell to the homes of their childhood, to encounter the perils of the ocean, and expose themselves to unseen dangers, in the midst of a waste, howling wilderness. Actuated, like the ancient patriarch, by what they deemed, no less than he, the will of God, they left their own land and went out, not knowing whither. All this day, chiefly seated in the eastern and southern parts of England, in the contiguous counties of Leicester, Huntington, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Devon, Lincoln and Hertford. As William Pratt came from Hertfordshire, England, to America, and we trace his lineage back into the 14th century, it is highly probable he is descended from William de Pratellis, who came over to England from Normandy in the Eleventh century. LIFE AND LABORS OF ORSON PRATT. of the circumstances attending their emigration to this western world, unequivocally demonstrate that the undertaking, from first to last, was inspired by strong religious principle. It was that unwavering steady faith in God, which was "the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen," that sustained the little persecuted remnant, that fled over the stormy wave to a land of religious tolerance; while their less favored brethren, unable to make their escape, were surrounded by the emisaries of ecclesiastical domination. It was the same divine principle that bound the exiled flock together in holy love, in a land of strangers, and kept them in the midst of foreign customs and habits, a distinct and separate people; and it was the same precious faith that led them to look beyond themselves and their own generation, that their children after them might remain the same peculiar people. It was faith that led them to bid adieu to the comforts and refinements of civilized life in the old world, and to seek their future abode beyond the waste of waters, in a land uncleared, untilled, and unpeopled by civilized man. We have every reason to believe that in this momentous enterprise they took no step without their eye fixed on God for light, guidance and direction In their congregations, besides their private duties of devotion, they observed special seasons of fasting and prayer, in which they unitedly laid their cause before Him, from whom all good counsels and holy desires proceed. On these occasions their beloved pastor, previous to their embarkation, addressed them from the word of God and strengthened their faith. Soon after the congregation, of which Robinson was the pastor, led the way, other bands from different parts of England embarked for this land of promise, bringing their pastors with them. It was in 1630 that the Rev. Thomas Hooker, whom Cotton Mather styled, "The Light of the Western Churches," a distinguished divine and influential preacher at Chelmsford, in the county of Essex, was silenced for non-conform ity, after four years' exercise of the minis 3 try in that place. In order to escape When, Mr. Hooker, near the close of a little more than a two years' residence in Holland, "understanding that many of his friends in Essex were on the wing for a wilderness in America, where they hoped for an opportunity to enjoy and practice the pure worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, in churches gathered according to his direction, readily answered their invitation to accompany them in their undertaking." He, therefore, left Holland, embarked for the New World in the Griffin, a ship of three hundred tons, and arrived at Boston, September 4th, 1633. Soon after his arrival in Boston he proceeded to Newtown, where, finding himself in the midst of a joyful and affectionate people, he was overwhelmed with gratitude, and embracing them with open arms, exclaimed: in the language of the Apostle: "Now I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." These were the company who afterward settled Hartford, to which William Pratt and his brother John are supposed to have belonged. Mr. Hooker was chosen pastor of the church soon after his arrival at Newtown, and Mr. Stone their teacher. On the 11th of October, 1633, the church was gathered, and after solemn fasting and prayer, the pastor and teacher were ordained to their respective offices. But Mr. Hooker and his congregation were not satisfied with Newtown as a place of residence. So many emigrants had arrived that they began to be straightened for lands, and from representations which had been made in regard to the lands on Connecticut River, they resolved on a removal. Accordingly, about the beginning of June, 1636, not quite three years after the organization of their church, "Mr. Hooker, Mr. Stone and about an hundred men, women and children, took their departure from Cambridge, and traveled more than a hundred miles, through a hideous, trackless wilderness, to Hartford. They had no guide but their compass, and made their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets and rivers which were not passable but with great difficulty. They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but those which simple nature afforded them. They drove with them a hundred and sixty head of cattle, and by the way subsisted on the milk of their cows. Mrs. Hooker, (being in feeble state) was borne through the wilderness upon a litter. The people generally carried their packs, arms, and cooking utensils, being nearly a fortnight upon their journey." These were the men who founded Hartford, and such were the circumstances under which they began the settlement. They were men of sound hearts, firm and fixed resolution, and persevering effort. Their faith in God never wavered. They kept constantly in view the grand design of their coming to this wilderness. Their notions of religious liberty were far from being mere speculations. Their views were intelligent and rational. Their purposes were strong; their aims high; their principles were not to be shaken by any temporal consideration; their con sciences were not to be swayed by flatteries or frowns. They were determined to obey God rather than man. They never lost sight of their main object, to worship God according to his word, without the dictation of man, and to train up their families in the way they should go. To carry out their designs, they brought with them their pastor, and among the first of their acts were those which made provision for the support of Christian institutions, and of universal education. They had faith in the instructions of the Great Teacher, and were resolved to obey them; to deny themselves and seek first the Kingdom of God. The fire never went out on their family altars. From their dwellings the morning and evening incense never ceased to ascend an acceptable offering to Jehovah. They followed the example of faithful Abraham, not only in leaving their native country, but in commanding their households to keep the way of the Lord; and their precepts were enforced, as were his, by their own pious example. The Sabbath was a day of rest from worldly cares and labors, and from amusements and sports which they left their native country to avoid. It was their great concern to imbue the minds of their children with sound religious instruction, and to hand down to succeeding generations those Christian principles and virtues, which sustained them in all their trials and persecutions, and rendered them cheerful and happy amidst all their hardships and sufferings. Such were the men who were the early settlers of Connecticut. Similar to them were those who settled other portions of New England. From such men none need be ashamed to have derived their origin. The pride of ancestry, so far as it relates to birth and wealth and honor, is not, perhaps, justifiable. It is of little consequence whether we are descended from a prince or a peasant; whether royal blood flows in our veins, or our origin is humble and obscure. But it is surely of no trifling importance to be descended from pious ances tors; for in addition to the divine promise, that the blessing of the father LIFE AND LABORS OF ORSON PRATT. shall descend upon the children, we may rationally expect much from the prayers, instructions and examples of godly progenitors. The compiler of this work is happy to bear his testimony to the fact, that, with few exceptions, the descendants of that one of the first settlers of Connecticut, so far as his history and that of his numerous progeny is written, have been men of industrious habits. A goodly number of them have honored the learned professions, and left behind them monuments of their perseverance, their industry, and their devotion to the present and future happiness of their race. Among them all stands prominent and honored the late Apostle Orson Pratt. 1776. 5 born November 25th, 1769, in Canaan, 2. His ancestor, William Pratt of Hartford, and of the fourth generation so far as his ancestry is now known, was a member of the Connecticut Legislature some twenty-five or thirty sessions: and the General Court gave him one hundred acres of land in Saybrook, Connecticut, for service performed as Lieutenant in the Pequot war. He was one of the judges of the First Court in New London County. He married Elizabeth Clark, daughter of John Clark, of Milford, Connecticut, (who was formerly of High or Great Munden, Hertfordshire, England) by whom he had eight children. The third child, Joseph, of the fifth generation, was born August 1st 1648, at Saybrook, Connecticut, married a wife, name unknown, by whom he had five children. Among them was William Pratt the second son, whom we shall call of the sixth generation. He married Hannah Hough, October 8th, 1700, by whom he had six children, of the seventh generation. 1857, aged fifty years. Among these was Christopher, the fourth child, born November 4th, 1712, who married Sarah Pratt, June 14th, 1739, by whom he had six children, of the eighth generation. Obadiah Pratt, being the second son among their number, was born September or October 14th, 1742, at Saybrook, Connecticut. He married Jemima Tolls, daughter of Ebenezer Tolls, by whom he had eleven children, of the ninth generation. Jared Pratt, of the ninth generation, died November 5th, 1839, and was buried some three or four miles north or north east from Detroit, in Michigan. Charity, his wife, died of cholera, in the town of St. Joseph, Missouri, May 20th, 1849, and was buried in the graveyard of that town, and a tombstone erected to her memory. Her oldest son Anson Pratt, died of cholera, May 26th, 1849, and was buried by her side, and a tombstone also erected to his memory. William D. Pratt died September 15th, 1870, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, aged sixty-eight years. Parley Parker Pratt was assassinated by a mob near Van Buren, Arkansas, May 13th, Nelson Pratt died at the home of his son Edwin D. Pratt, of Norwich, Huron County, Ohio, May 8th, 1889, aged seventy-three years eleven months and twelve days. He was the last of a family of six children, four brothers and one sister having preceded him. To rejoice in the happiness of others is to make it our own; to produce Among their it is to make it more than our own. James. number was Jared Pratt, their first child, BALDWIN OF JERUSALEM. THE story of the Second Crusade is one of sad disaster and distress. By the time Conrad of Germany reached Jerusalem he had but six thousand worn and weary knights left, of his splendid army of ninety thousand, with which he started. Greek traitors and Arabs had slain the rest. It was no better with King Louis of France, who had but one-tenth of his seventy thousand Frankish knights with him when he camped before the walls of Antioch. Shipwreck added to the causes named above, had decimated Louis' noble army. In the Holy Land itself the ardor of Duke Godfrey's followers had been dulled by forty years' of Syrian listlessness. The internal dissensions not less than the treacherous foes about it threatened the Christian Kingdom with destruction and gave St. Bernard the theme on which his glowing eloquence was spent with such effect as to awaken in France and Germany an enthusiasm equal to that produced in the former crusade by Peter the Hermit himself. The thousands of valiant crusaders who poured forth from these countries were scarcely more discouraged by the disasters of their long journey, which reduced their ranks to a tithe of their original number, than by the condition of the land and people they had come to succor. Jealousies and internal bickerings, the product of idle lives, confronted them everywhere. But they were met by one who had pluck and vigor enough to counterbalance a host of laggards. In Baldwin, the fifteen year old King of Jerusalem, Conrad and Louis found a companion ready to welcome and support them in their crusade against the Infidels. Entering the council-hall where he met them, he gave this exhibition of his wonderful influence: "Knights and barons of Jerusalem, it is for us to act. Lay we aside all paltry jealousy and bickering. Our brothers from the west are here to aid us. 'Tis for us to wield the sword of Godfrey and raise the banner of the Cross, and marching in the van deal death to the pagan Saracen. Up, guar dians of the Holy Sepulchre, strike for the Kingdom and the Cross!" The Syrian climate breeds laziness, but it also calls out quick passion and the fire of excitement. Catching the inspiration of the boy's earnest spirit, the whole assemblage of knights and barons, prelates and people shouted their approval, and the audience - chamber of the king's palace rang again and again with the warcry of the Crusaders: "Dieu le volt! Dieu le volt! "'* Thus was commenced the active work of the Second Crusade. The combined armies resolved on the bold and hazardous undertaking, which should win honor for them all and strike a terrible blow at Saracen supremacy-the storming of the City of Damascus. Oldest and fairest of Syrian cities, Damascus, called by the ancient Romans "the eye of all the east," is situated in the midst of orchards and gardens, flowering vines, green meadows and waving palms; the mountains of lebanon look down upon it from the west, and far to the east stretches the dry and sandy plain of the great desert of Syria. Full of wealth and plenty, deemed a paradise by Christian and Saracen alike, the beautiful city offered to the eager crusading host a rich and wonderful booty. In the march toward this glorious object of their siege, the soldiers of Jerusalem, with their intrepid boy-king at their head, led the van. Camped before the beleaguered city, Baldwin's headquarters occupied the post of honor -that nearest the outposts of the enemy, and less than four miles from the city gates. Within the looped-up entrance to a showy pavilion, in the centre of King Baldwin's camp, sat his fair young cousin, Isabel of Tyre, who, though but ten years old, had come with other highborn ladies, as was the custom, to attend the siege. The little maiden looked out upon the verdant fields and attractive gardens that stretched before her close up to the walls of Damascus, and being "dared and double-dared" by the reck"It is the will of God!" |