Notes for James PRATHER

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Notes for James PRATHER

Lived in Virginia (now West Virginia) according to William M. Prather of
Rossville, Illinois. The family tradition is that he lived in Randolph County
which split from Harrison County in 1784. The family was from Maryland. We
believe his father was Jeramiah, son of John Smith Prather, Jr. but
documentation is still lacking. James was born in Maryland in 1760. He named
his first son Jeramiah. Jeramiah "Jr.", son of John Smith Prather and
Elizabeth Nuthall, was born in Queen Ann's Parish, Maryland on July 21 but
the year in the Parish Register is not readable. However, on May 15, 1779 he
deposed to be 48 years old so he must have been born in 1830. Jeramiah
registered a stray May 15, 1762 in Prince George County, Maryland (Dees, book
RR, f.217) according to Sharon Doliante's book. Jeramiah's father gave him
1/2 of "Deer Park" and "Bear Garden Inlarged" in Frederick County (now
Montgomery) and prior to that Jeramiah lived on "Spriggs Request" Jeramiah
died in Fayette County, Kentucky in 1809.
William Prather has information on James from marriage licences, Estate
Settlement suit and census records. He also has been in contact with
descendents who did not know dates but did know who their ancestors were and
the subsequent lines seem secure. James came to Bourbon County, Kentucky in
1790 and I find him on the tax rolls in Harrison and Randolph County prior to
that in 1784.
There was a Jeramiah in Bourbon County before 1770.
My father's cousin, Elsa Edwards, has a note from Mary Elizabeth Ross
Williams, daughter of William Ross the brother of my great grandfather,
stating that "Jonathon was the son of James and Elinor Prather, that James
lived in Randolph County, W. Virginia and moved to Bourbon County, Kentucky
in the 1790's"
In the obituary of David White, a grandson and the son of James's
daughter, Nancy, it states that his grandfather Prather served in the war
of 1812. I do not find him in the National Archives index at Laguna Niguel,
California.
It is my opinion that since James's first son was named Jeramiah it is very
likely that his father was Jeramiah also. Also, there was a Jeramiah Prather
in Bourbon County before 1790---? his father, uncle or older brother.
Bill Prather states that James lived in the corner of where Bourbon,
Montgomery, Bath and Nicholas Counties come together and that "he could step
out his door into any of these counties" Bill has searched Randolph
(Harrison) county for a will without success for Jeramah.
There is a will for a Jeramiah Prather leaving everything to his wife, Ann.
However, no estate record has been found for Ann, hence no certainty of their
children's names.
pwiginton@earthlink.net in his web pages "Prather Register Report" states
that Jeremiah, born on 21 Jul 1732 in Prince George's County, MD married
first All Odell in unknown. They had Reginald, born in 1751 in Prince
George's County, MD; Jeremiah; James born pre 1756 in FrederickCounty, MD and
Andrew Jackson. He states that Jeremiah married a second time t o Catherine
Cooper in unknown (no source is given) and married a third time to Ann
Edmonstone in unknown. I have found a will that appears to be of this
Jeremiah in Fayette County, KY "leaving everything to my wife, Ann" No
mention of children.
The 1785 census of Harrison County, Virginia lists a James Prather with "two
white souls".
While I am satisfied that our James was the son of this Jeremiah, I have not
yet entered them in my database as being connected.
Ancestry lists a pedigree for Uriah Prather entered by
naida@henry-net.com that shows a middle name of James as Jeremiah.

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