Spencer Family

ive of Gerard’s sons, William, John, Michael, Thomas and Gerard and daughter Elizabeth, came to this country from England in the early 1630’s. John returned to England.

Children:

• William SPENCER, b. abt Oct 1601 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 11 Oct 1601 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. bef 4 May 1640 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. He m. (1) Agnes HARRIS abt 1632 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. Agnes, b. abt 1604 at Barnstable, Devonshire, England; chr. 6 Apr 1604 at Barnstaple, Devonshire, England; d. aft 1680 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. Agnes m. 2nd, William Edwards, 1 Dec 1645.
• Elizabeth SPENCER, b. abt Oct 1602 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 31 Oct 1602 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. (twin of Rachel) Elizabeth SPENCER m. (1) Timothy TOMLYNS, (Tomlins).
• Rachel SPENCER, b. abt Oct 1602 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 31 Oct 1602 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. 24 Mar 1609/1610 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. (twin of Elizabeth).
• John SPENCER, b. abt 1603/1604 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 22 Jan 1603/1604 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. bef 1646 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.
• Henry SPENCER, b. abt 1605 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 11 Aug 1605 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. Oct 1607 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; bur. 20 Oct1607 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.
• Thomas SPENCER, (Sgt.), b. abt 1607 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 29 Mar 1607 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. 11 Sep 1687 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT; bur. at Old Center Cem, Suffield, Hartford Co., CT. He m. (1) Ann DERIFIELD abt 1638 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. Ann, b. abt 1610 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. abt 1644 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. He m. (2) Sarah BEARDING 11 Sep 1645 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. Sarah, b. abt 1623 at England; d. 11 Sep 1685 at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
• Richard SPENCER, b. abt 11 Dec 1608 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 11 Dec 1608 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. abt 6 May 1614 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; bur. 6 May 1614 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.
• ____SPENCER, b. abt 1609/1610 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. abt 24 Mar 1609/1610 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; bur. 24 Mar 1609/1610 at Stotfold Cem, Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. *May have been named Nicholas.
• Michael SPENCER (see next generation)
• Gerard SPENCER, (Ensign), b. abt 1614 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 25 Apr 1614 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. Jun 1685 at East Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT. He m. (1) Hannah (Hills?) —- 17 Dec 1636 at Lynn, Essex Co., MA. Hannah, b. abt 1618 at England; d. bef Oct 1683 at Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT. He m. (2) Rebecca PORTER aft 1677. Rebecca, b. abt 1628 at England; chr. 16 Sep 1630 at Felsted, Essex, England; d. 9 Jan 1682/1683 at Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. *Rebecca was the widow of John Clark of Saybrook and the daughter of John and Ann (White) Porter.

Michael SPENCER, b. abt 5 May 1611 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; chr. 5 May 1611 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. 6 May 1653 at Lynn, Essex Co., MA. He m. (1) Isabel —- abt 1636 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. Isabel, b. abt 1615 at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England; d. 9 Oct 1674 at Salem, Essex Co., MA. *Isabel m. 2nd, Aft 1653, Thomas Robbins (1618-1681) Children:

• John SPENCER, b. abt 1638 at Lynn, Essex Co., MA; d. 30 Aug 1684 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI. 31 Oct 1677 Founder of East Greenwich, he and 47 others granted 5000 acres by General Assy. John SPENCER m. (1) Susannah GRIFFIN abt 1665 at Newport, Newport Co., RI. Susannah, b. 13 May 1644 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; d. 12 Apr 1719 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI.
• Susannah SPENCER, b. abt 1643 at Lynn, Essex Co., MA; d. 12 Oct 1728 at Salem, Essex Co., MA. She m. (1) Daniel BACON 4 Aug 1664 at Salem, Essex Co., MA. Daniel, b. abt 1641; d. 1720.
• Michael SPENCER (see next generation)
• William SPENCER, b. abt 1652; d. Jan 1712/1713 at East Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT. “Clark says; `William, if son of Michael, which is doubtful…’but he is never left out of the family.” William SPENCER m. (1) Sarah ACKLEY bef 1687. Sarah, d. aft 1721.

Michael SPENCER, b. abt 1648 at Lynn (prob), Essex Co., MA; d. 26 Mar 1723 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI. He m. (1) Rebecca SWEETMAN 7 Dec 1671 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. Rebecca, dau. of Thomas SWEETMAN and Isabel CUTTER, b. abt 7 Apr 1649 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA; d. aft 1723. Children:

• Rebecca SPENCER, b. 4 Nov 1673 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. *Clark says not mentioned in father’s Will.
• Susannah SPENCER, b. 6 Apr 1680 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. She m. (1) John OLIN 4 Oct 1708 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI. John, b. abt 1664 at Wales; d. 10 Jun 1725 at North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI.
• Michael SPENCER, b. 16 Apr 1682 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. *Clark says, not mentioned in father’s Will. Michael SPENCER m. (1) Robana —-.
• Thomas SPENCER, b. 3 Feb 1688 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA; d. abt 12 Apr 1774 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI. He m. (1) Mary GREENE 9 Dec 1709 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI. Mary, b. abt 1690; d. bef Apr 1774.
• Ammi Ruhamah SPENCER, b. 11 Jul 1690 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. *#865 says birth was 7 Nov 1690. *Clark spells it as one word, Ammiruhamah. Ammi Ruhamah SPENCER m. (1) Rachel LAWRENCE 3 Oct 1717 at East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI.

Note: In the John Olin Family History, the Spencer children were: John, Jr., Michael, Benjamin, William, Robert(638), Abner, Thomas, Peleg and Susannah.

Michael Spencer’s will was made March 23, 1723 and proved March 30, 1723, making the proposed death date above inaccurate. In this will he names wife Rebecca as executrix and friend and kinsman Major Thomas Fry and Thomas Spencer, overseers. He mentions his sons Thomas and Amminuhamah and daughter Susannah Olin.

There is another Spencer family in East Greenwich. Many of the names are familiar and this family includes a Michael Spencer also. The other interesting thing to note is that this Michael Spencer had a brother Thomas who married Elizabeth Pearce in 1703 and it says that she is the daughter of Giles and Elizabeth Hall Pearce. These are the same grandparents of our Susannah Pearce who married John Olin II .

Robert Spencer, Spencer Family Genealogist

Biographical Sketches of the Samuel Olin Family, Oran Lee Raber, 1921 Spencer-Kimbell; 1963, Le Despencer Vol. 17, No. 3-Aug 1993, RI County Records, wills and transactions, Sidney H. Price; Warren Olin; Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.; and A Complete Record of the John Olin Family, C.C. Olin.

Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. — Not sure if the website is still maintained but it looks like their Facebook page is active.

The Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society puts out a quarterly journal and annual dues are $15. They keep a database. Contact: Byron R. Spencer, 3118 Norwood Dr., Springfield, IL 62704-5455 or contact via the link above.

Beverly Royland shares this information:

In a document in Maryland it said that Thomas Gerard died without issue. He was in the war of the Roses. John was the father of Constance Gerard who married Alexander Standish. John is the brother of Thomas Gerard. Thomas and Johns Gerards parents Thomas Gerard was Isabell this line goes further back if your interested.

Maxine Stansel shares this information:

Your Web site indicates that you found an account of the ancestry of Susanna Spencer, wife of John Olin, which shows her to be daughter of Michael Spencer and Rebecca Sweetman, and that the latter couple were married December 7, 1670. Other info I can find indicates it was probably 1671, not 1670.

The History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, searchable at www.ancestry.com, gives the marriage date of Michael Spencer and “Rebecca Swoetman” – daughter of Thomas – as “7 Dec. 1671.”

There is also an International Genealogical Index record at www.familysearch.org which indicates that the “Vital records of Salem, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849,” includes a marriage of “Michaell Spencer” and “Rebecka Swetman” as occurring on “7 Oct 1671.” I suspect that the reason for the discrepancy between October and December is that the original record said “10” or “10th month” and someone mistakenly converted that to October, when it would have been December (because in 1671, and until the mid 1700s, England and the American colonies used a calendar system in which March was deemed the first month).

First, I found a Briggs “colonial ancestry” at www.genealogylibrary.com which shows that the Susannah Spencer from the family of John Spencer and wife Susannah Griffin (children including John, Jr., Michael, Benjamin, William, Robert, Abner, Thomas, Peleg and Susannah – Susannah born December 1681) married a Richard Briggs. The birth dates for these Spencer children listed in the Briggs ancestry match the dates in the Rhode Island births database at www.ancestry.com for births to John and Susannah Spencer. Anyway, the date for the marriage of Susannah Spencer, daughter of John Spencer and Susannah Griffin, to Richard Briggs, and her Briggs children’s birth dates, are such that she cannot be the same Susannah Spencer who married John Olin. I can send email you the excerpt from the Briggs book if you are interested. So, you are probably right that “our” Susannah Spencer is not the daughter of John and Susannah Spencer, expecially in light of your information that Michael Spencer’s will mentions daughter Susannah Olin.

Second, you state at your Web site that the Michael Spencer death date of March 16, 1723, conflicts with information stating that his will was made March 23 and proved March 30. I think the “discrepancy” might be the result of the use of different calendars. In 1723, England and the English colonies were still using the Julian calendar, while much of Europe had switched to the Gregorian calendar. England and the American colonies did not switch to the Gregorian calendar until 1752. There was an 11-day difference between the two calendars in 1723, so that March 16 on the Julian calendar would be March 27 on the Gregorian calendar – which “fits” just fine between a will date of March 23 and a will proved date of March 30, assuming the latter dates were stated in terms of the Gregorian calendar. Sometimes later writers or family historians converted the Julian calendar dates in the pre-1752 records to Gregorian calendar dates when they wrote about them – and sometimes they didn’t. Anyway, it is one possible explanation.