Cousins of Nunney Castle: Four Hundred Years of Praters from England to Indiana

By Alicia M Prater

A 400-year lineage of the Praters starting with John Prater of England and extending through the siblings of Nunney Castle owner Richard Prater, through several generations of Thomas and Jonathan Prather and Prater to Elijah Prater of Indiana. Includes lines intersecting with Musick, Fugate, and Sprigg.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aliconia Publishing
• Release date: Jul 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223964285

Alicia M Prater

Alicia received her PhD from the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences at New York Medical College in 2007. She taught graduate-level courses while finishing her dissertation research on the genetics underlying hypertension. She has spent over two decades writin, editing, and fact-checking for both print and online publishers. In recent years, she has extended her puzzle-solving and research skills to genealogical and lineage research, offering her own lineage in both books and online publications after the collation of numerous sources.

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Guide to Abbreviations

b. : Born

d. : Died

m. : Married

Co. : County (or Company for military units)

(name) : Maiden name or alternative spelling

/  :  Or

~  :  About, around, circa (also c.)

name : Names in parentheses are nicknames or common names

* : The index and/or original records are available via subscription to the Ancestry website

Note: Ancestry offers many computer-generated indexes based on information input by users. The veracity of their claims are often in question. Though some sources in the present work are cited as being an Index available from that service (*), I did not put my faith in the self-reported lists. Some indexes are valuable when the name and location, for example, are already known and the records they pull from are government maintained vital records. Yet others are called indexes but include photocopies of the original government-issued certificates. Other records in question are those maintained by the LDS church/FamilySearch. These were always backed up with another source or by visual confirmation of the documentation.

Additional lineages from these families can be found in My Lineage from the Roots Up, vol. 2 (2023, Aliconia Publishing/Amazon)

John Prater (d. 1547)

John Prater was born about 1492, possibly in Water Eaton or Inglesham, Wiltshire/Berkshire, England. His parentage is uncertain, but his inheritance indicates a connection to the Powys, Delamare (or de la Mare), de Praers, and de Presbyter families in Wiltshire. The speculation is that John’s father William Prater/de Praer (b. ~1450) was the son or grandson of Gladys de la Mare and William Carew de Prater or de Praer.[1] John’s mother is thought to have been a Carew, which is supported by the structure of the family’s coat of arms.

John lived[2] at Inglesham Manor in Berkshire (now Wiltshire) and was a Reeve for Sir Anthony Kingston. John worked in the woolen trade, raising sheep and processing the wool for textile manufacturing, which was a large industry in Wiltshire at that time.[3] He married Elene (b. ~1493, possibly a Kingston or a St. John) about 1510-1515. John died by August 20, 1547, and is buried in the chancel of St. John the Baptist Church, Inglesham, Swindon, Wiltshire. Elene’s will was proved in 1557 and she was buried with her husband in the church.

John and Elene had three children of record:

1. George born about 1510-1516, possibly in Water Eaton or Inglesham, Berkshire. He married Jane Plott about 1539 (see below).

2. Jone born about 1518, possibly in Water Eaton or Inglesham, Berkshire. She married Thomas Stephens of Swindon presumably about 1535. Her dowry was the family’s stake in the manor (a farmhouse) at Inglesham. Her husband was later the Rector at Inglesham Church and the executor of her mother’s will.[4] They had:[5]

i. Thomas, their heir. He was Rector of Swindon Church in 1560.

ii. Nicholas

iii. Jerom

iv. Richard

v. Jane, who married William Yorke.

3. John born ~1520, possibly in Water Eaton or Inglesham, Berkshire. He had children by an unknown wife, who he is thought to have married about 1544 in Berkshire.[6]

George Prater (d. ~1564)

George Prater was born about 1510-1516 in Wiltshire or Berkshire, England (possibly Water Eaton/Latton or Inglesham), to John and Elene Prater. He was a Gentleman and lived in the manor of Latton.[7] By 1545, he owned property in Stanton (St. Bernard), Wiltshire.[8] He married Jane Plott (d. 1587) about 1539, presumably in Wiltshire, possibly at Clyffe Pypard Church (Shefford Magna).[9] George is thought to have died at Nunney Castle. His wife was granted administration of his estate on June 15, 1564, and he was buried under the floor of the church in Latton.

George and Jane had the following children of record:[10]

1. Richard born about 1540 in Latton, Wiltshire. He married Margaret Ashfield (~1541-1628) by 1565. He was Reeve to Sir William Paulett, Treasurer to the King, and lived in Nunney Castle, Somerset. He was buried May 18, 1580, in Delamare Chapel of All Saints Church, Nunney, Somerset.[11] His brother Anthony held the estate until his heir George was of age.[12] Richard had:[13]

i. George – married Mary FitzJames and their son was Col. Richard Prater who lost Nunney Castle to Fairfax and his Roundheads.

ii. Humphrey

iii. Richard

iv. Grace

v. Jane

vi. Thomas

vii. William

viii. Nicholas

ix. Edward

2. Anthony Thomas born about 1545 (see below).

3. George born the third son, presumably in Latton, Wiltshire. He lived at Can Court in Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire. He was buried April 25, 1591, at Latton Manor.[14]

4. John born the fourth son, presumably in Latton, Wiltshire. He was a Gentleman of Wooton Bassett. He married likely about 1572 and had children who were named in his will. He was buried in Wooten Bassett, Wiltshire, July 10, 1591.[15]

i. John, who inherited Crosshouse

ii. William

iii. Thomas

iv. Agnes

v. Two more daughters.

5. Dorothy (or Dorathe) born presumably about 1548 in Latton, Wiltshire. She married George Provender September 29, 1569, at Stanton St. Barnard, Wiltshire.[16] They apparently had children but she is thought to have died about 1580.

i. Anthonie.

6. Nicholas born the fifth son, presumably in Latton, Wiltshire. He inherited the house they called Hook Manor on