PROUTY (PRO UTE) GENEALOGY COMPILED BY CHARLES HENRY POPE Author of The Pioneers of Massachusetts, and Other Works BOSTON, MASS. PUBLISHED BY CHARLES H. POPE 221 COLUMBUS AVENUE 1910 This Edition is limited to three hundred copies . , ' (.l:-_AJ .; :. of which this is Number _____ :-_)_~--~------- PRESS OF MURRAY AND EMERY COMPANY BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS INTRODUCTION The first practical step towards the preparation of this book was the sending of the following letter to representative members of the Prouty family in Vermont, New York and Iowa. In these three states, with Massachusetts, are found the largest groups of persons of our name. Re. "PROUTY FAMILY.'' Boston, Mass., February 21, 1910. Dear Sir: A number of the members of the Prouty fa1nily in Massa­ chusetts, interested in our genealogy, think it would be well to have a book of the "Prouty Family" compiled. Such a book would preserve, in convenient reference form, inform.a­ tion which at times we all want to know and which with every decade is becoming more difficult to obtain. Ours is one of the old families of New England, dating from 1667 and as such, its records should, we think, be put in permanent form. The book would become of greater value and interest each year. · Some of us have done already considerable investigation and can trace our own line to the original Richard of Scituate. But this book proposed would start with the first member and follow his descendants and their children down to the present time. To do such a piece of work thoroughly and expeditiously seems to demand a person trained in genealogi­ cal research. At the suggestion of the Librarian of the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston, we have conferred with a gentleman who is doing this work well today. He has compiled a number of exceedingly satisfactory genealogies of New England families and could undertake ours at once. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There are four main groups of the family in this country: one in Massachusetts, one in Vermont, one in New York, and one in Iowa. By way of having a center of interest in V • VI INTRODUCTION each of these groups, we propose to ask each to guarantee part of the amount needed. If you approve the plan as outlined, will you be responsible for the amount * * * from your group? You may of course distribute it among your relatives as you wish. We are writing to a representative member of each of the other groups and on receipt of a favorable reply ·will begin t}ie work at once. The writer has conferred with Mr. Dwight M. Prouty of Boston and with him, with your consent, will become your executive committee to carry the work through. Hoping for an early and favorable reply, I am, Yours very truly, . LEWIS I. PROUTY. References, First National Bank of Boston. City Trust Company of Boston. The responses to these letters showed a cordial interest and although the amounts asked for were not fully offered, enough encouragement was received to lead the committee to arrange with Mr. Pope who at once set to work to gather materials for the book. He drew the facts from printed "Vital Records of Massa­ chusetts Towns" where the family has been numerous, from the "Transcripts of Town Records since 1840 '' which are at the State House, from unpublished records and from town histories; correspondence added material from other States and from places whose records were inaccessible. County records of sales of land and probate of estates gave much information, and town clerks of many places added more. Family Bibles and other forms of record were drawn upon; and the memory of some persons contributed statements which, in certain cases, proved to be inaccurate, though generally trustworthy. As the work progressed it seemed important to make a search in England in order to give completeness to the records, and Mr. Pope was accordingly sent on a special trip of investigation. The results are shown in the pages which follow. In searching for any particular family or person, use the index of Prouty names or that of the names of those who have in-ser- •• INTRODUCTION Vll married with the family; or you may find your friend or kindred by looking at the place index. Remember that there have often been several of the same name. Many questions and criticisms are certain to arise on account of the fallibility of all who have contributed to this genealogy, together with those who have done the editing, printing and proof-reading; but a serious effort has been made to get and give the truth and here is the result. It is hoped that readers will report to the publisher or committee anything thought to be erroneous, giving the reasons for the belief. For the guarantee fund which made possible the publication of this genealogy our f am Hy is indebted to: HoN. GEORGE H. PROUTY, of Newport, Vt. MR. SHIRLEY B. PROUTY, of St. Louis, Mo. MRs. GUY W. WALKER, of New York City Miss MARGARET P, HILLHOUSE, of New York City MRs. AUGUSTA H. ADAMS, of New York City HoN. CHARLES N. PRoUTY, of Spencer MR. GEORGE S. PROUTY, of Spencer MR. DWIGHT M. PROUTY, of Boston MR. LEWIS I. PROUTY, of Brookline PROUTY(PROUTE)GENEALOGY THE FAMILY IN ENGLAND The Prouty Family in America is descended from Richard Prouty, of Scituate, Plymouth Colony, New England. He was there in 1670, says the town history; he is first recorded in 1676. His name was spelled variously by recorders, Prouty, Proutey, Proutee and Prout. No signature of his has come down to us; but his eldest son that grew up, Edward, wrote the surname "Proute" on at least one occasion, and others of the family spelled it so during the eighteenth cen­ tury; then the spelling settled into the form. Prouty. Not so in England, however; the forms Prout, Proute, Proud, Proude, Prowte and Prowde are found, but never Prouty. As Prouty is plainly a derivative from one of those (like Smithy from Smith, or Southey from South), we must look for the origin of the American immigrant in records which are so designated. In the years before the settlement of New England the utmost carelessness prevailed as to the spelling of words, and names partook of the prevalent ir­ regularity. So we may consider any records under either of the modes mentioned as relating to the early stages of the Prouty family. "\Ve are not able to find any contemporaneous record made here by the immigrant or his children or associates which tells whence he came. Nor have we found any document in England which states that a "Richard Proute," born there, had gone to New England or was then in America. Only a very small number of the founders of our republic are as definitely connected with the old world as that sort of record would afford. Even when family genealogists make the definite statement that their immigrant ancestor was the son of such and such a man, born in such and such a place at such and such a date, the historian is sometimes 1 2 THE PROUTY GENEALOGY merely giving an opinion of his own in the form of a proven fact. But we say that we believe there is a very strong probability that we have found who his parents were and when and where he was born. This opinion or theory will be stated distinctly, and the reader shall have opportunity to follow the course of in­ vestigation made and the arguments which convinced the writer of its correctness. He holds with the famous Bishop Butler that "To us probability is the very guide of life." The first step in the investigation made in England was of a general sort. Many indexes to probate records and parish registers there are in print; and these were scrutinized to see where this name prevailed at and before the settlement of New England. We found that it did not occur in many counties; that it was chiefly found in Cornwall, Devonshire and Gloucestershire; and thorough search of the documents in those dioceses was made. The earliest general lists of Englishmen accessible on any extended scale are the lists of jurymen who settled the suc­ cession of the lords of manors, in what were called" Inquisi­ tiones post mortem.'' As there were no regular registers of baptisms kept till after the year 1500, succession had to be proved before that time by witnesses who could say that they knew a claimant to have been the child and true heir of the deceased. And the jury decided on the claims. Records of these inquisi­ tions after death are extant for several counties from the period of the Crusade~ to the time of Charles I. In such an inquisition held at Seynebury, County Glouces­ ter, "on Monday before the feast of St. Peter in cathedra, anno 17, Edward 1," (A.D. 1289) "William Prowde" was one of the jury who decided on the succession to the lands held by John Musard. In an inquisition held about the lands of Henry de Dene, lord of the manor of Pagenhull in the same county, 9 April, anno 20, Edward I (A.D. 1299) "Robt le Proute" and "John le Proute '' appear in the list of jurors. The use of the French article "Le" before a name was common, not as indicating THE FAMILY IN ENGLAND 3 the person to be of that nationality but simply a custom of the reporters who were usually trained by Norman teachers.