Supposing all the descendants of Ephraim Pratt to have been as prolific as himself for several generations, the numbers that might claim descent from him would have astonished Malthus, he being familiar with such calculations, and alarmed him lest the world should soon become overpopulated. Those persons that cavil at the Bible profess to doubt the Scriptural account of the increase of the children of Israel during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. The Patriarch with his children and his children's children exclusive of his sons' wives numbered seventy persons. His descendants after sojourning there four hundred and thirty years went out of Egypt for the land of promise only 600,000 men besides children. Now if the posterity of Jacob had increased as rapidly as did that of Ephraim Pratt during his lifetime, the world itself would scarcely have contained them. NOTE. Mr. Farmer says that Ephraim Pratt was the grandson of Joshua Pratt of Plymouth. [The above with some other pieces of a similar or historical character have been furnished us by Mr. William H. Montague of this city.] POPULATION OF THE COLONIES IN THIS COUNTRY IN 1700. At the close of the 17th century, the British settlements in North America contained a population of more than 300,000 persons. From a comparison of the calculations of various writers, each of whom almost invariably contradicts all the others, and not unfrequently contradicts himself, I am inclined to think the following estimate of the population of the colonies at this period, nearly, if not entirely, correct; Virginia 60,000, Massachusetts, (to which Maine was then attached,) between 70,000 and 80,000, Connecticut 30,000, Rhode Island 10,000, New Hampshire 10,000, Maryland 30,000, North and South Carolina 10,000, New York 30,000, New Jersey 15,000, Pennsylvania 35,000. Even writers as accurate and sagacious as Dwight and Holmes have been led to underrate the early population of North America, by relying too far on the estimates which the Provincial Government furnished to the British Ministry, for the ascertainment of the numbers of men whom they were to be required to supply for the purposes of naval and military expeditions.-Graham's History of the United States. SCOTCH PRISONERS SENT TO MASSACHUSETTS IN 1652, BY ORDER OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT. London, this 11: of Nouember 1651: MR. THO: KEMBLE Wee whose names are vnder written, freighters of the sh[ipp] John & Sara whereof is Comander John Greene Doe Consigne the said shipp & servants to be disposed of by yow for our best Advantage & account & the whole proceed of the Servants & vojage Retourne in a jojnct stocke without any Division in such goods as you conceive will turne best to accont in the Barbadoes & consign[e] them to Mr. Charles Rich for the aforesajd accott & wt other pay yo" meete with fit for this place send hither & take the Advise & Asistance of Capt Jn° Greene in disposall of the Servants Dispatch of the shipp or wt else may any wajes concerne the vojage thus wishing the shipp a safe vojage & God's blessing on the same not doubting of your best care & dilligence, Re.majne: 4 Signatum et Recognitum in p ncja Jo: Nottock notarius publ: your loving freinds Jo: Beex Entred & Recorded at the Instant Request of the said Mr Tho: Kemble. Edw: Rawson Recorder 13th May 1652. London this 11th of Nouember, 1651: CAPT. JN°: GREENE Wee whose names are vnder written freighters of your shipe the John & Sara doe Order yow forthwith as winde & weather shall permitt to sett sajle for Boston in New England & there deliver our Orders and Servants to Tho: Kemble of charles Toune to be disposed of by him according to orde's wee have sent him in that behalfe & wee desire yow to Advise with the sajd Kemble about all that may concerne that whole Jntended vojage vsing your Jndeavo's with the sajd Kemble for the speediest lading your shipp from New Eng: to the barbadoes with provisions & such other things as are in N. E. fit for the West Jndjes where yow are to deliuer them to Mr. Charles Rich to be disposed of by him for the Joinct accont of the freighters & so to be Retourned home in a stocke vndevided thus desiring your Care & industrje in Dispatch and speed of the vojage wishing you a happy & safe Retourne wee remajne your loving freinds Signatnm et Recognitum in pncia: Jo: Nottock: notar Publ: . 13 May 1652. Entred & Recorded 3 Edward Rawson Recorder. John Beex Rob Rich Will. Greene A list of the passengers aboard the John and Sarah of London John Greene mr bound for New Englan[d] Donald Roye Daniell Simson Sander Milleson John Crag John Gurden Wm Macken John Cragon John Graunt Alestre Mackrore Daniell Mackendocke James Milward Wm Dell James Micknab Glester Macktomas Almister Mackalinsten John Coehon Robert Jenler Hugh Monrow Thomas Bereere Sander Mackdo[n]ell Origlais Mackfarson Daniell blacke Daniell Sessor Patricke Mackhatherne Alexander Tompson Danell Kemper Henry Mack*** ***** [Mac]kfarson *** Monrow ***ster Macknell Daniell Robinson [JJames Shone John Anderson James Graunt Patricke Crosshone John Grant John Scott Dan: Gordon David Hamilton Amos Querne Alestre Hume Neile Johnson Sander Simson James Gorden Charles Robinson Alester Robinson Patricke Robertson Alester graunt Neile Macketh Patricke Macknith Daniell Macknith James hedericke James Mackhell David Monwilljam James Murrow Wm Carmackhell Neile Stewart Rob Mackhane Christopher Wilson John Murrow The persons afore named passed from hence in the ship afore mentioned and are according to order Registed heare, Dat. Search office, Grauesend 8th. Nouember, 1651. GILES BARROW EDW: PELLING Searchers. Jn the Jn & Sara of London John Greene m' for New England: | Rob Rich mt Jronworke household stuffe & other provisions for Plante's and scotch p'isone's free by ordnance of Parliament dat 20th of October 1651. S GR No 1 two trusses of goods for plante's shipt the viiith of Nouember 1651 mrkt & nombred as in the magent. JOHN BRADLEY S wth ye Armes of ye Comonwealth. Entred & Recorded at the Request of m' Thomas kemble. 14 May 1652 F EDWARD RAWSON Recorder. The following is from Governor Hutchinson's Collection of Original Papers and may furnish some light in respect to the above mentioned prisoners sent to this country and sold for slaves, no doubt, by order of the English Government, as a sort of banishment for their rebellion. It is probable that some of them were sent to Barbadoes, as all their names do not seem to appear in any other way in this country, except on this list. Extract from a Letter written by Rev. John Cotton to the Lord General Cromwell, dated at "Boston in N. E. 28. of 5th 1651," respecting some prisoners of the same class of persons included in the above list sent over before these arrived. They all probably were taken at the battle of Dunbar, Sept. 3, 1650, when Cromwell was victorious and four thousand were slain and ten thousand made prisoners. "The Scots, whom God delivered into your hands at Dunbarre, and whereof sundry were sent hither, we have been desirous (as we could) to make their yoke easy. Such as were sick of the scurvy or other diseases have not wanted physick and chyrurgery. They have not been sold for slaves to perpetual servitude, but for 6 or 7 or 8 yeares, as we do our owne; and he that bought the most of them (I heare) buildeth houses for them, for every four an house, layeth some acres of ground thereto, which he giveth them as their owne, requiring 3 dayes in the weeke to worke for him (by turnes) and 4 dayes for them themselves, and promiseth, as soone as they can repay him the money he layed out for them, he will set them at liberty." MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. MARRIAGES. ALGER, REV. WILLIAM ROUNCEVILLE, BRONSON, REV. S. J., of Milbury, to MARY in Brown University, to MISS PROTHE MILLETT, REV. DANIEL C., New York, to MILNE, GEORGE, ESQ., Cincinnati, O., to PALMER, EDWARD DORR GRIFFIN, M. D., PORTER, Rev. CHARLES S., Plymouth, to RYMES, GEN. WILLIAM, to SUSAN E. SHAPLEIGH, MOSES W., Esq., Lebanon, TAYLOR, REV. TOWNSEND E., Lagrange, TUCKERMAN, DR. FRANCIS J., U. S. N., to DEATHS. ANDREWS, DAVID A., Esq., Hingham, Sept. 1, a. 90. BADGER, CAPT. GEORGE W., New Orleans, Aug. 3, a. 22. He was master of bark Apphia Maria of Portsmouth, N. H.. and son of Samuel Badger, Esq., of Kittery, Me. BILLINGS, JESSE LEEDS, ESQ., Whitehall, N. Y., April 4, a. 66. D. C. 1803. Attorney. BREWSTER, MR. SEABURY, Norwich, Ct., July 29, a. 92. Mr. Brewster was a descendant of the venerable Elder William Brewster, one of that memorable band who came to Plymouth in the Mayflower in 1620. BRYANT, MRS. SARAH, Princeton, Ill., May 6, widow of the late Dr. Peter Bryant of Cummington, Ms., sister of the Rev. Dr. Snell of Brookfield, and mother of William Cullen Bryant, the poet. BUNKER, CAPT. E. S., New York city, Aug. 4, a. 75. He was many years since commander of the Steamer Fulton, the first that ever made trips between New York and Providence. BUTRICK, MRS. ELISABETH, Dwight Mission, Cherokee Nation, Aug. 3, a. 61. She was the wife of Rev. S. D. Butrick, and a native of Ipswich, Ms. CHANNING, LUCY BRADSTREET, Milton, Aug. 2, a. 24. She was a daughter of Walter Channing, M. D., of Boston. CLARKE, REV. SAMUEL WALLACE, Greenland, N. H., Aug. 17, a. 52. Pastor of the Congregational Church. COLBY, MRS. ANNE, New London, N. H., CONDIT, REV. JOSEPH D., South Hadley, DINSMORE, COL. SILAS, Bellevue, Boone FISKE, REV. NATHAN WELBY, Jerusalem, Palestine, May 27. D. C. 1817. Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy in Amherst College. GILBERT, MRS. SARAH, Boston, Sept. 20, a. 79, wife of Hon. Benjamin J. Gilbert, who formerly resided in Hanover, N. H. GLENWORTH, DR. HORATIO N., New York, Aug. 16. He was a Surgeon in the United States Navy. His remains were sent to Portsmouth, N. H. GREEN, DR. EZRA, Dover, N. H., June 25, a. 101 years and 28 days. He graduated at Harvard University in 1765. In June, 1775, after the battle of Bunker Hill, he joined the American army. In October, 1777, he was appointed a surgeon on board the Ranger, a sloop of war of 18 guns, under command of John Paul Jones, and continued connected with the Navy until 1781. GROVES, MISS ELISABETH, Boston, Sept. 21. Matron of the House of Reformation. HALE, DR. EBENEZER, JR., Newbury, Aug. 2, a. 38, late of this city. M. D. at D. C. HAVEN, HON. SAMUEL, Roxbury, Sept. 1. a. 76. Judge Haven formerly resided in Dedham, and was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and Register of Probate. He was a son of Rev. Jason Haven, and a maternal grandson of Rev. Samuel Dexter, both of Dedham. H. C. 1789. HOLT, REV. JACOB. Merrimack, N. H., March 30, a. 66. D. C. 1803. IDE, NATHANIEL EMMONS, Boston, a. 26, son of Rev. Dr. Ide of Medway, and grandson of Rev. Dr. Emmons of Franklin. INGALLS, DR. JEDEDIAH, Durham, N. H., ton. KITTREDGE, DR. JOSEPH, Andover, Sept. 13, a. 64. He was the son of Dr. Thom. as Kittredge of that place. D. C. 1806. KNAPP, REV. ISAAC, Westfield, July 6, a. 72, fifth Pastor of the Congregational church in that town. W. C. 1800. LELAND, DEA. MICAH, Sherburne, Sept. 12, a. 68. MATTOCKS, HON. JOHN, Peacham, Vt., Aug. 21, a. 71. He had been a Representative in Congress and Governor of the State. MERRILL, BENJAMIN, LL. D., Salem, July 30, a. 63. He was a native of Conway, N. H. H. C. 1804. PAGE, COL. WILLIAM, Atkinson, N. H., Sept. 13, a. 83 years and 10 months. PARRIS, HON. SAMUEL, Washington, D. C., at the residence of his son, the Hon. Albion K. Parris, Sept. 10, a. 92. He was a native of Pembroke, Ms, and an officer in the Revolutionary War. He |