17 First settler in America, in this line. He came with Rev. Thomas Hooker to Newtown (now Cambridge) Mass. in 1633 and then to Hartford, Conn. He was one of the original proprietors or settlers of Hartford, Conn. and is named on Founders' Monument there.
The Pequots had frequently shown as great cruelty to other Indian tribes as they did to the Colonists. In 1634, they signed a peace treaty with Massachusetts Bay which included the privilege the whites of settling on the Connecticut River, but in spite of that the Indians committed frequent depredations. It may be truthfully said that no event in the very early history of New England had a greater influence on its destiny than that known as the Pequot War. It turned the tide which threatened to overwhelm the Colonies, and established a peace that continued unbroken for nearly forty years. William was one of the band that went from Hartford to fight the Pequots. He received a land grant in Soldiers Field in recognition of his services.
He was a large landholder in Saybrook and Hebron, Conn. which fell to his sons at his death. He was named in the will of Attawanhood, third son of Uncas, the Indian Chief signed 10 Mar 1676. He had a great deal to do with settling relationships with the Indians, and was held in great esteem by them as shown in Connecticut Records.
He represented the town of Saybrook in 23 sessions of the general Assembly during the years between 1666 and 1678.


18 William Pratt (1609–1678) was an early colonial settler, a lieutenant in the Pequot War, and a representative to the General Court of Connecticut for 23 terms.[12][13] William and his older brother John were two sons of Reverend William Pratt of England. William and John came to Massachusetts on the same ship as John Cotton and Thomas Hooker. Before that, William and John Pratt went with Thomas Hooker to Holland. Rev. Hooker and Rev Cotton attended the same college at Cambridge as Rev. William Pratt. All were strong believers in the Puritan movement. Rev. Hooker was an ardent believer in universal Christian suffrage and along with William and John Pratt broke away from Rev. Cotton of Massachusetts Bay Colony. They went on to found the Connecticut Colony, which on 14 January 1639 ratified "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut" which were inspired by the beliefs of Hooker. Connecticut is known as "The Constitution State" because of the hugely forward thinking of its founders, including the Pratt Brothers and Rev. Hooker who saw the future in American Democracy and freedom of Religion, as first espoused by its first truly Puritan Church leaders.