Prather

b. 1890

d. 1984 Age 93.

m. Granville Pearl Fugate

Nunney Castle continued to be owned by the Prater family into the 17th century. In 1642 the broke out between the

rival factions of and the ; like many Catholics, Colonel Richard Prater supported Charles I. As the war progressed the Edward James Fugate

Royalist situation deteriorated, however, and the southwest became one of the few remaining Royalist strongholds; b. 1912. d. 1964. Age 52.

Nunney Castle was garrisoned in anticipation of Parliamentary attack and took in a number of refugees, including

m. Vesta Noble (1921-2003) Age 83.

many Catholics. In September 1645 a Parliamentary army under the command of and advanced into Somerset, taking

Inez Fugate Liftig

, and before turning to Nunney. Two regiments of soldiers with cannons surrounded the castle on 18 September; when b. 1948

Richard Prater refused to surrender, the cannons opened fire on the north side of the castle, breaching the castle wall.

m. Robert Liftig, 1971. b. 1947

Richard continued to resist, hoisting a flag with a Catholic on it above the castle to taunt the besiegers, but two days later the garrison surrendered.

Anya Liftig

b. 1977

Descendants of John Prater

m. Noel Hartman, 2011

1 John PRATER b: prob. Eaton Water or Inglesham, Wiltshire, Eng.

Dorothy Liftig

Elene KINGSTON b: Abt. 1493 prob. Painswick, Gloucester, Eng.

b. 1981

2 George PRATER b: Inglesham or Eaton Water, Wiltshire, Eng.

m. David Martin, 2009

Jane PLOTT b: Blewberye or Blueberry, Berkshire, Eng.

3 Anthony Thomas PRATER b: 1545 near Latton, Wiltshire, Eng.

Judith IVYE b: 1550 West Kingston, Wiltshire, Eng.

4 Thomas PRATER b: Abt. 1573 Stanton St. Bernard, Wiltshire, Eng.

Margaret QUINTYNE b: 1578 Nushton Manor, Wiltshire, Eng.

5 Alice PRATER b: 1600 Cliffe Papard, Wiltshire, Eng.

27. Thomas ‘Prater’6 Prather (Thomas5 Prater, Anthony Thomas ‘Gentleman’4, George3, John2, William1) was born Abt.

1604 in Eaton Water, on Criklade, N. Wiltshire, Eng., and died Abt. 1666 in Elizabeth Cittie, VA. He married Mary McKay or Powell 1627 in VA. She was born Abt. 1608 in England.

Notes for Thomas ‘Prater’ Prather:

England was expanding its control and development of the Colonies in America when Thomas Prater was a young man.

The King of England knew he could not hold control of his distant domain without the allegiance of his subjects that went there. So keeping with the fuedal system, he offered property to those “born of Gentry” that would go there to claim it. By doing this he knew that the younger children born to those who held power and/or property by the grace of the King in England would go to the Colonies to claim land for themselves. The younger children of “the gentry” of England generally had very little inheritance, this was to do with the practice of giving the bulk of a father’s property to the firstborn son in a family(along with any titles).

Thus the only way a younger son could gain title, position, or property was by marriage or by the grace of the King.

This new offering of the King, to give property to anyone born of gentry, was well accepted by the young men of England who were looking to improve their chances for success and prosperity.

Thomas Prater, being born of Gentry, was also enticed to come to America. He had relatives which had already made the long trip to America. John Powell was such a person. The name Powell is a variation of the name Powelett(also spelled Paulet) which was an allied family of the Praters for several generations in England. (Nunney Castle was purchased from the Paulets by the Praters in the late 1500’s, Paulets were cousins of the Praters). Also the Paulets were intermarried with the Kingstons, Carews, Delamare, and Courtney families who also had marriages to the Praters.

Thomas Prater was only about 18 years of age when he came to the Colonies. It must have been a major adventure for such a young man born and raised on a Manorial Estate in Northern Wiltshire, to board a ship to a new land. He must 355

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