| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. FHL book 929.273 Sp33 "The Spencers of the Great Migration," by Jack Taif Spencer and Edith Woolley Spencer (Gateway Press, Baltimore; 1997) vol. 1, partial excerpts from pp. 79-80, 85:
"When we seek to define the status of the Spencers at Edworth in the mid-1500s, it seems clear that they were still in the "tenant" category. In Rev. John Holding's study, he found that the farm operated by the Spencers was held under a leasehold arrangement from the lord of the manor (in this case the PARRYS). A careful reading of ANNE (Merrill) Spencer'S will (widow of JohnC) shows that there was no mention of the distribution of land or tenements to her oldest son. Holding calculated that the leasehold at Edworth would expire in the year 1575. Anne died in 1560, so apparently her son's operation of the farm was safe for another fifteen years. We know that MichaelB did serve out the remaining years of the lease, but by 1573 he had located at STOTFOld, a short distance south of Edworth.
Just what lease or ownership arrangements the Spencers had at Stotfold has not been revealed in the literature, but presumably it was another leasehold. MichaelB and his wife Elizabeth still had several small children at this stage and indeed their last three children (including GerardA born at Stotfold There was at least one other living son (ThomasA, b. 1571), so it seems unlikely that GerardA (b. 1576) would have inherited a leasehold. In any event, GerardA and Alice Whitbread had all of their children born at Stotfold.
In the sequence of events mentioned above, it would appear that leases were the predominant pattern of land usage at least by the parents and grandparents of GerardA Spencer (b.1576) Rev. Holding notes that GerardA in 1615 conveyed a lease to his brother, ThomasA, (b. 1571) and quote "conveying them next year to the same". This may have marked the year when GerardA and Alice Spencer moved from Stotfold, but their new location has never been ascertained. Apparently they did not move to co. Essex as was once believed since a careful search of the records in 1993 in Braintree and nearby towns revealed no clue as to their presence in that region. At this time in the family's history, the children ranged in age from one to fourteen years."
"...This vast expanse of time brought us from Thomas1 of Badby down through HenryH, ThomasG, RobertF, and JOHNE Spencer. The "E" generation ended about 1500 with the death of JOHNE of South Mylls, Beds. His children, however had survived the internal struggles of the 1500s for the possession of the English Crown.
The children of JOHND Spencer of South Mylls and CHRISTIAN BAKER came on the scene in time to witness the attack on the Catholics by Henry VIII (1509-1547) and the great religious struggle of that period.
The life spans of the children of JohnSpencer of South Mylls (ca 1500-1568) (William, Robert, JOHN) and ETHELREDE BAKER coincide almost exactly with the reign of Henry VIII to the mid-1500s. It was during this period also, that we note the shift of the family from SOUTH MYLLS to EDWORTH. JohnC (later the husband of ANNE Merrill) was the first born at EDWORTH shortly before Henry VIII ascended the throne in 1509.
The Spencer occupation at Edworth extended on for another three-quarters of a century to about 1576. The last Spencer to be born at Edworth appears to have been ThomasA Spencer in 1571. His unborn siblings (KatherineA, GerardA, and RichardA) were born at STOTFOld. Thus, those who lived at Edworth survived the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), EdwardVI (1547-1553), and much of the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). It was during this period that the Spencers in generations "C" and "B" of Edworth were exposed to the great religious convulsions under HenryVIII and the restraints implosed under Elizabeth I against the rising Puritan forces.
When GerardA (b. 1576) (father of the Four Brothers) was born at Stotfold, Elizabeth was in the middle of her reign and the great battle against the Spanish Armada (1588) took place when GerardA was only twelve years of age. When GerardA and Alice Whitbread were married at UPPER GRAVENHURST in 1600, Elizabeth'S long reign was coming to a close and Puritanism had become a widespread influence in the life of the average Englishman. During the years that Gerard and Alice's children were born (1601-1614), James I (1603-1625) had come to the throne and the struggle against the Puritans was intensifying. Charles I (1625-1649) continued to oppress the Puritans and by 1630 the stage was being set for a great Civil War between the religious and political factions.
We can now see that the Four Spencer Brothers were young men who had arrived on the scene at a critical juncture in English history. It is clear from the record that neither they nor their parents were in a solid position of land ownership. Indeed, this Spencer line for generations seemed to be in the "tenant" class. Consequently, Gerard and Alice's children easily could have looked to America for the "great salvation" and the acquisition of a promised one hundred acres of free land for each emigrant."
2. FHL book 929.273 Sp33 "The Spencers of the Great Migration," by Jack Taif Spencer and Edith Woolley Spencer (Gateway Press, Baltimore; 1997) vol. 1, pp. Preface-78:
"Foreword.
The co-authors, Jack and Edith Spencer, have been accumulating data on the history and genealogy of the Bedfordshire Spencers for many decades. Indeed, as far back as the 1950s, they were corresponding with Donald Lines Jacobus (Dean of American genealogists) regarding his monumental genealogy of the "Four Spencer Brothers" which was published in The American Genealogist (TAG) in the early years of that decade...
Another important source of information has been the enormous collection of genealogical records compiled by Flora S. Clark of Elkin Park, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, this gold mine of information of some 1,400 typed pages on the Bedfordshire Spencers and their New England descendants was never issued as a formal publication. However, the former librarian of the Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society, Dr. Rowena Spencer of New Orleans, undertook the massive task of organizing and indexing all of Flora Clark's data...
...Suffield's long-time Historian, Mr. Hawley E. Rising ... supplied us with the Spencer vital records, the early maps of Suffield, and invaluable photographs of buildings and monuments.
Finally, recognition is given to Zena Grant Collier of Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire, England, who devoted several years in the early 1990s to reviewing every conceivable record on the origins and lineage of the Spencers of Bedfordshire. From America, Collier worked under the guidance of two individuals. One was Henry C. Spencer of Green Valley, Arizona, Past President of the Spencer Society. The other individual was Dr. Rowena Spencer of New Orleans. The nearly 300 pages of the English Research was indexed by the co-authors of this book.
The co-authors also wish to give special recognition to Henry C. Spencer for his life-long contributions to the genealogy of the Bedfordshire Spencers. His many publications in the "Le Despencer", Quarterly Journal of the Spencer Society, have been a source of invaluable information, especially on the Four Spencer Brothers...
The PARAMETERS of The Spencer History
The genealogy and history of the Spencers (DeSpencers) of England and America extends back at least one thousand years beginning with the Vikings and Normans in France (Normandy) and later with the first centuries of Norman rule in England.
As might be expected there were several lines of Spencer descendants in England after their beginnings at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. In the present study, the authors have a principal interest in the Spencer line which produced the emigrants from Bedfordshire to New England about 1630 A.D...
The accompanying Chart will show the lineage of the Five [Immigrant] Spencer Siblings back to Thomas[I] Spencer who was a native of Badby in Northamptonshire a county immediately northwest of Bedfordshire on the east.
1. Thomas[I] Spencer of Badby
2. Henry[H] of Badby m. Isobel Lincoln
3. JOHN
3. Thomas[G] b. ca 1378
4. Johnb.ca1404
4. Robert[F] b. ca 1406
5. Robert ca 1432-1521
5. JOHN[E] b. ca 1434 (Living 1490)
6. Robert b. ca 1460
6. JOHN[D] b. ca 1462 m. Christian Baker
7. JOHN[C] 1505-1558 m. Ann Merrill
8. Michael[B] b. ca 1531 (moved from Edworth to Stotfold between 1573
and 1576) m. Agnes Limer; m. Elizabeth ___ (d. 1599)
9. John1557- [Children:] Daniel m. Sarah Audley; Francis, d. 1636, m. Marg. Marler; Elizabeth 1586-; Anne 1590-.
9. Michael 1558-
9. Ann 1560-
(Wife #2)
9. Joan 1564-
9. Alice 1566-
9. Thomas[A] 1571- m. Margaret Spencer. [Children:] Anthony m. Kath. Mills; Gerard, d. 1601, m. Joan Mills; Thomas; Richard; Margaret m. Simon Spencer.
9. Katherine 1573- m. ___ Bland. [Children:] Sarah and Hannah Bland.
9. Gerard[A] 1576-1646 m Alice Whitbread [Parents of the five immigrants William, Elizabeth, Thomas, Michael, Gerard, and non immigrants John and Henry.]
9. Richard 1580-1646
8. Johnca 1533-1560
8. Gerard ca 1543-1577 [Children:] Richard, Agnes, Joan, and a child 1576/7.
8. William b. ca 1545
5. Henry b. ca 1436 (Living 1490)
5. Thomas ca 1438-1490 m. Margaret Smyth(?)
4. Thomas ca 1408-1453 m. Joan ___
3. William
3. Nicholas
...The family of JohnC Spencer and Ann (Merrill) Spencer all lived in the town of Edworth in southeastern Bedfordshire. The oldest son, MichaelB Spencer (who was the grandfather of the children who came to New England) moved to the nearby town of Stotfold about 1572 and some of the "A" generation, including GerardA, were born in this new location. Our principal interest will focus on the children of GerardA Spencer and his wife, Alice (Whitbread) Spencer, who were the parents of the Five Siblings who emigrated to New England, 1630-1631.
Much of the information in the above chart is based on the extensive data published by Donald Lines Jacobus in the The American Genealogist (TAG) between 1951 and 1954. This monumental work includes nearly 100 pages of text. All the descendants of the Five Siblings owe Jacobus an immense debt of gratitude for his publications on the Spencers. For the much older generations in England (approximately "E" to "I") the authors relied heavily on the study of the Bedfordshire Spencers published by Vicar JohnHOldING in 1903. Holding was the first to review the so-called "Phillipps Manuscript" which threw much light on the earlier generations in east Bedfordshire.
The accompanying map of the counties in present-day England shows that Bedfordshire is located in the Central Heartland of England and that it provides ready accessibility to the Greater London area as well as the East Anglican counties of the Channel Coast. The Heartland stretches clear across England from Hertfordshire on the east to Gloucestershire on the west. However, Bedfordshire also has close links to East Anglia and the Fens. The Heartland itself extends about seventy miles from east to west and 100 miles from north to south. It is largely a rural area, but today also includes the urban sprawls from London and Birmingham. The most significant topographic features are the Chiltern Hills in the east and the Cotswolds in the central section. The term "Hills" is appropriate for elevations which range up to a thousand feet as a maximum.
Although the towns of Edworth and Stotfold in Bedfordshire played pre-eminent roles in the early history of the Spencer Siblings, there apparently was a change in location by the family of GerardA Spencer and Alice (Whitbread) Spencer before their children went to America about 1630. One writer (L.E. DeForest) suggested the family may have removed to co. Essex where there was a focus of leaders in the Puritan movement.
Braintree was believed to be the new location of the Spencers. In 1993, the authors of this article sponsored a research study in the areas in and around Braintree and Chelmsford to ascertain if there was any trace of Gerard and Alice Spencer and/or their children. All records pertaining to property deeds, probate records, marriages and births, were carefully explored by Adam Smith, a local historian well acquainted with the vital records in co. Essex. No trace of any kind could be found of this particular Spencer family.
There have been other suggestions that the family may have moved to London and that the Spencer siblings departed from that location on their long journey to New England. This hypothesis, like the one respecting co. Essex, remains to be proven.
Braintree and its environs, of course, were the home of the members of the well known "Braintree Company" which came to the Boston area in 1632 and first settled at Wollaston (Quincy). They remained at Wollaston only a few short weeks before moving on to Newe Towne (Cambridge) late that same year. We know that William1 Spencer was not among the Braintree Company because already he was at Newe Towne in 1631 (perhaps in New England by 1630). The earlier arrivals at Newe Towne had been passengers in the first flotilla of ships in the Wintrhop Fleet in the summer of 1630...
References:
DeFOREST, L. E. "Moore and Allied Families". 1938.
Jacobus, Donald L. "The Four Spencer Brothers - Their Ancestors and Descendants". The American Genealogist, Vols. 27-30, 1951-1954.
Spencer, HAROld L. Jr. "A Spencer Genealogy - The Descent From Gerard of Haddam, Connecticut". 1977.
Spencer, William D. "The Maine Spencers". The Rumford Press, Concord, New Hampshire, 1898.
BANKS, Charles E. "The Planters of the Commonwealth". Gen. Publ. Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1979, 231 pp.
BREMER, Francis J. "The Puritan Experiment". St. Martin's Press, N.Y. 1976. 255 pp.
GIES, FRANCES & Joseph. "Life in a Medieval Village". Harper Perennial, 1991. 258 pp.
HINDE, Thomas. Ed. "The Domesday Book, England's Heritage, Then and Now". Crown Publ. New York, 1985. 351 pp.
HOldING, JohnRev. "The Spencers of Bedfordshire". England, 1901. 60 pp.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. 'The Age of Chivalry". Washington, D.C. 1969. 378 pp.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS of The GENEALOGICAL Records FOR The NEW
England Spencers
I. BACKGROUND
Many genealogists in both England and America have attempted in recent years to resolve the lineage of the "The Four Spencer Brothers" (William, Thomas, Michael, Gerard) and their sister (Elizabeth) who came to New England about 1630 from Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. These five siblings were the ancestors of thousands of Spencers who now reside in the United States. Most of the research which has focused on their ancestry in England began in the early years of the twentieth century and has continued up to the present day (1996). Despite the importance of the subject, only a half dozen or fewer writers have made important contributions to the published literature. Probably the most significant milestones have been the writings of Vicar JohnHOldING in 1903, Henry F. WATERS in 1907, and Donald Lines Jacobus in the mid-1950s. A third contribution of an unpublished nature has been the research of ZENA COLLIER of Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire, who commencing in 1989 under the auspices of "The Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society of America", has delved into many resources in Bedfordshire and adjacent counties which were hitherto unknown to the American workers. In the present article, we shall attempt to review Collier's material as well as summarize some of the progress made by Holding, Waters, Jacobus, and others.
At the outset we must caution that despite the valiant efforts of the above named authors a final solution to the complete lineage of the Five Spencer Siblings has yet to be achieved. It is true that we are on sound ground for about four generations leading back from the Five Siblings. However from the fifth generation back in time the trail becomes somewhat uncertain. Many theories have been advanced regarding those earliest generations but some questions still remain Perhaps the situation is not entirely discouraging for there still remains a great challenge for the future students to confirm those early generations of Spencers who were the ancestors of the Five Spencer Siblings of Stotfold Beds We do know that the trail would lead to the first Normans who came to England in 1066 with William the Conqueror...
In addition to the sources mentioned above, the data in the International Genealogical Index from Salt Lake City has been especially valuable for corroboration of generation "D" in England as well as the clarification of surnames of some of the wives of the early Spencers. Mention also should be made of the old Visitation Records of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire dating from the 16th and 17th centuries which were attempts to establish the credibility of the "gentry" as to lineage and coats of arms. Some of these Visitation Records are questionable, but in some cases they support the evidence from other sources.
Aside from the IGI, separate searches have evolved based on related records found in the Salt Lake City archives. Notable among these is the lineage developed in 1963 by Dr. James LeRoy Kimball and Virgil Spencer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Their results were summarized in an article published by the present authors in "Le Despencer", the journal of the Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society in America, Vol. 17, 1993. In 1993 we believed that the Kimball-Spencer lineage might well serve as a standard for judging the credibility of other published articles prior to 1993. Our continuing review of sources has tended to support the Kimball-Spencer records, especially for the early generations in England. However, the Kimball-Spencer lineage for generations "C" and "D" was faulty. We shall discuss these changes in detail later in the present article.
Our Chart No. I summarizes the lineage of the Spencers of Befordshire and Northamptonshire as viewed by most of the genealogists, both English and American, who have published on this subject. The Chart also summarizes the visitations of 1566, 1572, and 1634 which included lineages for the Spencers of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
CHART I: Proposed Lineages Leading to the Four Spencer Brothers who Came to America from England about 1630:
KIMBALL-Spencer-1963:
HenryI of Badby m. Isabel Lincoln
ThomasH of Eaton Socon
RobertG of Colmworth m. ___ Smyth
JohnF of S. Mylls
RobertE of S. Mylls m. Anne Pecke
JohnD of Cople m. Christian Baker
JohnC of Edworth m. Anne Merrill
MichaelB of Edworth & Stotfold m. Agnes Limer, m. Elizabeth ___
GerardA of Stotfold m. Alice Whitbread (Parents of the Four Brothers.)
IGI 1990:
JohnD of Edworth m. Christian Baker
JohnC of Edworth m. Anne Merrill
MichaelB of Edworth & Stotfold m. (not in IGI), m. Elizabeth ___
GerardA of Stotfold m. Alice Whitbread
VISITATION BEDS. - 1634:
JohnF of S. Mylls
RobertE of S. Mylls
JohnD of S. Mylls m. Christian Baker
JohnC of London
Four dau. - line extinct.
VISITATION HERTS. - 1572:
JohnF of S. Mylls
RobertE of S. Mylls
JohnD of S. Mylls m. Christian Baker
JohnC of London
HERALD VIS - 1566:
RobertE of S. Mylls m. Anne Pecke
JohnD of Pavenham m. Anne Arnold
ThomasC of Cople m. Anne Bowlkeley
PHillIPS MANUSCRIPT:
ThomasG of Eaton Socon
RobertF of St. Albans m. ___ Smyth
JohnE of South Mylls.
JohnD of Kempston m. Christian Baker
HOldING-COPLE LINE:
Back to Geoffrey
HenryI of Badby m. Isabel Lincoln
John H of ___, m. ___ Warnstede.
WilliamG of Redborn m. Elizabeth Empson
Sir WilliamE of ___ m. Susan Knightly
Sir JohnD of ___ m. Mary Catelyn
K. Spencer 1979:
HenryI of Badby
JohnH of Hodnell
JohnG, m. Ann Eupson; m. Jane Gruant
RobertF of S. Mylls, m. Anne Pecke
JohnE of S. Mylls m. Christian Baker
JohnD of Edworth m. Isabela Osborne
JohnC of Edworth m. Anne Gerrard
MichaelB of Stotfold m. Annes Lymer, m. Elizabeth ___
GeratA of Stotfold m. Alice Whitbread
DIANA TRITTON-1989:
HenryI of Badby m. Isabella Lincoln
ThomasH of Eaton Socon
RobertG m. Anne Peake
JohnF of Pavenham m Anne Arnold
ThomasE of Cople m. Anne Bulkeley
[Not shown]
JohnC of Edworth m. Anne Clark?Arnold?; m. Anne Merrill.
MichaelB of Stotfold m. Agnes Limer; m. Elizabeth ___
GerardA of Stotfold m. Alice Whitbread
The reader should become acquainted with the names and locations of the English counties located in the "Heartland", especially Bedfordshire (Beds), Hertfordshire (Herts), Cambridgeshire (Cambs) and Northamptonshire (Northants). Special mention should be made of the many small towns in these counties where the Spencers had lived for countless generations. The most important of these towns for the ancestors of the Five Siblings are South Mylls (near Blunham), Edworth, and Stotfold in Beds. There also are many other towns in eastern Beds associated with the general ancestry of the Spencer family beyond the direct lineage of the Five Siblings. One of the major mysteries still confronting the genealogist is the delineation of the exact relationships among these various branches bearing the surname of Spencer (and sometimes Despencer). Zena Collier in her unpublished research notes (1989-1995) has made the most extended effort to solve the riddle of these various linkages.
After the construction of the Spencer lineage based on the Kimball-Spencer charts of the 1960s, the present authors reviewed many additional sources, including the Visitations of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire in the 16th and 17th centuries, the IGI, and especially the research notes compiled by Zena Collier between 1989 and 1995. We also have re-studied the many charts compiled by Vicar John Holding in 1903, with special emphasis on the information that he found in the old "Phillipps Manuscript". Based on these sources we have constructed a new lineage chart which is designated the "Holding-Phillipps Chart" (see Chart No. II). We will review the new chart in some detail as it relates to Holding's earlier charts. On this Chart No. II we have presented not only the lineage of the Five Spencer Siblings of New England, but also the ancestry of the "Cople Spencers" who were closely related to the "Spencers of South Mylls". The Cople descendants eventually became the line of Spencers who settled n Virginia, often referred to as the "southern Spencers", although there were also other Spencer immigrants in the South aside from the Virginia line from Bedfordshire.
II. The "HOldING-PHillIPPS" CHART:
CHART NO. II. The "HOldING-PHillIPPS" CHART, A PROPOSED LINEAGE FOR The FIVE Spencer SIBLINGS of Bedfordshire WHO CAME To NEW England ABOUT 1630:
-ThomasI of Badby = Isabel Lincoln
-HenryH of Badby = Isabel Lincoln
-John of Hodnal & Wormleighton
-William
-Nicholas
-ThomasG of Eaton Socon (b. ca 1378) [Author lists Thomas as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-John of Begery (b. ca. 1404)
-Alice = Robert Arnold of St. Neots
-Ann Arnold
-Thomas of Eaton Socom (ca 1408-1453) = John ___
-RobertF of St. Albans (b. ca 1406) - ___ Smyth of Bedford. [Author lists Robert as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Robert of South Mylls, Blunham & Cople (ca1432-1521) = Ann Pecke of Cople (d. 1523.
-Alice (b. ca. 1478) = Thomas Dyckons.
-Johane (b. ca 1490) = ___ Batell
-John of Pavenham (ca1486-1531 = Ann Arnold. [Author lists John as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Elizabeth = John Slade
-Rose = John Colbecke
-Thomas of Cople (1514-1547) = Anne Bulkley [Author lists Thomas as first Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.] Children: Robert of Cople (ca 1533-1620?) = Rose Cokain; William; Elizabeth = Robert Parrys; Anne (unm.). [Note that author continues with three more generations from Robert to Spencer descendants in Virginia.]
-Henry of Colmworth (b. ca 1462; living 1490)
-Thomas of Eaton Socom (ca1438-1490) = Margaret (Smyth?) (d. 1506). Children: John, Elizabeth, Andrew?
-JohnE of South Mylls (b. ca 1434; living 1490) [Author lists John as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Robert of South Mylls (b. ca 1460)
-John of South Mylls (ca1500-1568) = Ethelrede Baker
-William of South Mylls & Northants (d. 1582) = Isabel Osborne
-Robert of St. Albans (living 1572) = Frances Foster, Herts; = ___ Smyth. Children: John (1562-1622) = Margaret Bayly of Herts; Ann = ___ Gylman of Herts.
-John of London (d. 1583 = ___ Tichborne; = Margaret Green. Children: Mary = John White, = Thomas Ballard; Christian = Reginald Greene of London; Jane = Richard Cockerham of London; Margaret = Laurance Greene of London.
-JohnD of South Mylls "John of Kempston" (b. ca1462) = Christian Baker
-JohnC of Edworth (ca 1505-1558) = Ann Merrill (d. 1560)
-MichaelB of Stotfold (b. ca 1531) = Eliz. ___ (d. 1599)
-JohnA (b. 1557)
-Thomas (b. 1571) = Margaret Spencer
-Katherine (1573-) = ___ Bland
-Gerard (1576-) = Alice Whitbread. [Author continues with another generation down from Gerard.]
-Richard (1580-1645)
-John of Edworth (ca 1523-1560)
-Gerard of Edworth (ca 1543-1577) = Ellen Whysson
-William of Edworth (b. ca 1545)
The Spencer lineage on the "Holding-Phillipps" chart is divided into two main groups. On the left is the line of "Cople Spencers" which leads eventually to the Spencers of Virginia. The
Virginia Spencers were first represented in America by Nicholas 1 Spencer who came to America "sometime during or before 1659". Thus, Nicholas1 Spencer came to America at. least one generation later than the Spencers in New England. The latter represented the tenth generation from ThomasI of Badby, while the Cople Spencers had eleven generations coming down to the "third Nicholas". Some members of the first generation in America from Cople returned to England, making it difficult to trace their colonial descent. The best authority on the Virginia line is Henry W. RIGBY who prepared his unpublished report in 1977.
In reviewing the Holding-Phillipps Chart (No. II), we could begin with the first generation in New England and trace them backwards in time or we could begin with the earliest known generation in England and come forward in time to the first generation in New England. We shall elect to begin with the earliest postulated ancestor in England and come forward to the Five Siblings of Beds.
III. The "TRAP" FOR SCHOLARS of The Spencer Genealogy
Before examining the earliest generations line by line, let us note at the outset that many lineages developed by genealogists of the past failed because of two women who occupied central positions in the descending line for the Spencers of South Mylls. These two women were ETHELREDE BAKER and CHRISTIAN BAKER. Both women (see chart II) were married to a JohnSpencer, but one of these men was JOHN[D] Spencer of Kempston and the other was JohnSpencer of S. Mylls. Because of this similarity, a majority of the early lineage charts were derailed. The records found in the International Genealogical Index were critical in identifying CHRISTIAN BAKER as the gr gr grandmother of the Five Siblings of Beds who came to New England about 1630.
One of the first examples of the "Baker mixup" was repeated by Vicar John Holding in 1903 when he reprinted the chart for the Spencers of South Mylls from the Visitation of Bedfordshire, 1634 (Harleian Society of London, 1884). We have placed dotted lines around the mistaken entry for CHRISTIAN BAKER (see Chart VI). This single mistake in 1634 mislead nearly every Spencer genealogist up into modern times.
Conversely, if we make the single change from CHRISTIAN to ETHELREDE BAKER in Chart V, we seem to have a consistent record of this South Mylls line. However, it was not the line leading to the Five Siblings of New England. CHRISTIAN BAKER was in a parallel line from the South Mylls Spencers and was the true gr gr grandmother of the Five Siblings.
IV. The VISITATION CHARTS
Chart III. The Visitation of Bedfordshire For Spencers of Cople 1566 (Holding, p.3)
-Robert Spencer of South Mylls = Ann Pecke of Cople
-John Spencer of Pavenham = Ann Arnold
-Thomas Spencer of Cople = Ann Bulkley
-Robert Spencer of Cople (as yet unm.)
-William Spencer
-Elizabeth Spencer = Robert Parrys
-Anne Spencer (unm.)
-Elizabeth Spencer = John Slade
-Rose Spencer = John Colbecke
-Alice Spencer = Thomas Dyckons
-Johane Spencer = ___ Battell
Chart IV. The Spencers of Cople, Visitation of Bedfordshire, 1634 (Holding, p. 4)
-Thomas Spencer of Cople = Anne Bulkley of Burgate, Southampton
-Robert Spencer of Cople = Rose Cokain of Hatley, Beds
-Nicholas Spencer of Cople, Esq. = Mary Elmes of Lylford, Northants
-Alice Spencer = Gains Squier of Rowland
-Nicholas Spencer = Mary Gastwick of Willington, Beds.
-William Spencer
-Nicolas Spencer
-Robert Spencer
-Mary Spencer
-Christian Spencer
-Rose Spencer
Signed Nicholas Spencer
The Cople lineage as shown in the Visitations of 1566 and 1634 (Charts III and IV) seem to have held up well to later scrutiny so far as they go. We note that the 1634 Chart began with Thomas Spencer of Cople (1514-1547), but does not reveal the earlier generations leading to Thomas Spencer of Eaton Socon (b. ca 1378).
We shall now return to the early generations on the Holding-Phillipps chart (No. II) and attempt to evaluate their sources and credibility.
Chart V. The Spencers of St. Albans – Visitation of Hertfordshire. 1572
-John Spencer of South Mylls, 1475
-Robert Spencer
-John Spencer of South Mylls = Christian Baker (note: the correct entry should be Ethelrede Baker)
-William Spencer of South Mylls = Isabella Osborne of Kélmarsh, Northants
-Robert Spencer of St. Albans = Frances Foster of Brantfield, Herts; = ___ Smythe of Beds.
-John Spencer (b. 1562)
-Anne Spencer
-John Spencer of London
By me Robert Spencer (Note: Robert did not identify his mother correctly)
CHART VI. ThE Spencers of SOUTH MYLLS. VISITATION of Bedfordshire. 1634 (Holding, p. 5)
-John Spencer of South Mylls, 1474
-Robert Spencer of South Mylls
-John Spencer of South Mylls = Christian Baker (Note: The wife was Etheldred Baker and the error has been repeated by many genealogists)
-William Spencer of of South Mylls, Beds = Isabel Osborne of South Mylls & Meyrs Asby, Northants.
-Robert Spencer of St. Albans, Herts = Frances Foster of Brantfield, Herts; = ___ Smyth of Beds
-John Spencer (1562-1622) = Margaret of Bayly (marr. 2nd to Twyford Wath)
-Anne Spencer = ___ Gylman of Herts
-Mary Spencer = John White of Nordian; = Thos. Ballard
-Christian Spencer = Reginald Greene of London, grocer
-Jane Spencer = Richard Cockerham of London, grocer
-Margaret Spencer = Laurance Greene Merchant
-John Spencer of London, Merchant = Anne Clark of London
IV. The EARLIEST ANCESTORS LEADING To The Spencers of SOUTH MYLLS and COPLE, Bedfordshire.
We shall first focus on generations C, D, E, F, G, H, and I. The present authors have carefully reviewed all of the voluminous records on the Spencers of central and eastern Beds which are available up to 1996. Many of these records will be presented in detail later in this article. From an overall view, we believe that the study by Vicar John Holding (1903) and the Phillipps Manuscript presented in his report offer the most credible evidence for the earliest generations beginning with ThomasI Spencer of Badby, Northants. The final master chart prepared by Holding (pages 50-51) suggests that ThomasG of Eaton Socon (living 1433) may have been the ancestor of the Spencers of Eaton Socon. Based on this assumption, we have included HenryH of Badby and ThomasI of Badby as the two preceding generations. From ThomasG of Eaton Socon (who was in the Phillipps Manuscript), we take the next step to RobertF of St. Albans who was born about 1406 and who married a woman with the surname of SMYTH. The siblings of RobertF of St. Albans were Johnof BEGERY (b. ca 1404) and Thomas of EATON SOCON (b. ca 1408). The latter Thomas Spencer and wife Joan had no children.
In summary, we have combined Holding's early generations (G, H, and I) with the Phillipps Manuscript starting at generation F (Robert of ST. ALBANS) and following in the South Mylls line to JOHNE of SOUTH MYLLS, JOHND of KEMPSTON, and JohnC of EDWORTH. The critical juncture lies with JOHNE of SOUTH MYLLS (b. ca. 1434). Some genealogists (esp. Zena Collier, p. 100) depicted the descent as flowing through Thomas of EATON SOCON (d. 1490) and his wife Margaret (SMYTH?). Margaret died in 1506. Their son Johnwas considered by Collier to be the likely JOHNE of SOUTH MYLLS leading to JOHND of KEMPSTON and JohnC of EDWORTH. We shall examine this suggested linkage in detail at a later point when we read the Will of Thomas and the Court Mandamus relating to Margaret's estate. However, we find no positive evidence to prove that John, son of Thomas and Margaret SMYTH, was the JOHNE of SOUTH MYLLS leading to JOHND of KEMPSTON and JohnC of EDWORTH.
The lineage chart leading to the Spencers of Cople has followed the same principles as those described for the Spencers of South Mylls. We know that the Cople and South Mylls families were very closely related because of the naming of beneficiaries and executors in some of the Wills left by the male line. For example, Robert of SOUTH MYLLS (b. ca 1460) was named as an executor for Johnof KEMPSTON (d. 1531) and Robert of COPLE (d. 1521). They respectively were his cousin and uncle.
V. The Estates of Thomas of EATON SOCON (ca 1438-1490) and WIFE Margaret (SMYTH?) (d.1506).
As mentioned above, ZENA COLLIER (p. 100) considered the eldest son (JOHN) of Thomas and Margaret to be the Johnof SOUTH MYLLS leading directly to JOHND of KEMPSTON and JohnC of EDWORTH. Although this hypothesis does not seem proven, we will review the Will of Thomas and the estate of Margaret (Court Mandamus) for reference purposes.
The Will of Thomas Spencer dated as 22 Jan 1490/91 contained the following provisions:
1. To be buried in Eaton churchyard.
2. To son John, all lands, tenements, rents, and services belonging in Eaton in fee simple.
3. If he dies without heirs, executors to sell and give Elizabeth, testator's daughter, 20 marks from money received and Henry, testator's brother, to have aforesaid lands for a smaller sum of money than anyone else by 20 marks and if he doesn't buy them then, Thomas FITZHUGH and JohnBETTS shall have them.
4. Executors: Thomas FITZHUGH, JN BETTS, HEN Spencer. Pro by HEN Spencer. Power reserved to THOS FITZHUGH.
From the foregoing Will of Thomas Spencer, we can identify his brother Henry, his son John, and his daughter Elizabeth. If Thomas was born about 1438, we can estimate his eldest son Johnto be born about 1463, or closely parallel to the generation of JOHND of KEMPSTON. Hence, we find a problem in depicting Thomas's son Johnas the father of JOHND of KEMPSTON. On the other hand (Chart II), the JOHNE, who was the son of RobertF of ST. ALBANS and born about 1434, fits well into the time scale for generation D, E, and F.
There is no mention of the widow of Thomas, in the latter's Will, but this omission is probably related to the Will of JohnSMYTH, a relative of Margaret's, who made bequests to both Margaret and her husband Thomas. For some reason, JohnSMYTH's estate was disposed under a Mandamus, or Court Order, but this was issued nearly a decade after the death of Thomas. Such action is perhaps a reminder that there was no mention of Margaret in the Will of Thomas, nor is their any mention of the property at Wold (Old?), Northants. The Court Order reads as follows:
"John Smyth. Writ of Mandamus 28 May 13 Henry Vii inq. 30 December 14 Henry VII (1498). He was seized of the under-mentioned manor etc in fee, being so seized, gave them to one Thomas SPENSER and Margaret, wife of the said Thomas, his cousin and heir, to hold to them and the heirs of the body of the said Margaret, with remainder in default to one Alice BRETT, her heirs and assigns for ever; by virtue whereof the said Thomas
and Margaret were seised. Thomas in his demesne as of free tenement and Margaret in her desmesne as of fee tail, and they had issue between them one William SPENSER; and afterwards the said Thomas SPENSER died so seised and the said Margaret survived him and continued her possession, and was and still is solely seised in her desmesne as of fee tail, by the form of the gift by right of survivorship. He died 10 March 12 Henry VII (1497). The said Margaret, aged 40 and more, is his cousin and heir".
"NORTHAMPTON. The manor of Wold with its appurtenances in Wold, the three virgates of land and a quarter in the same town, also the advowson of the church of the same town to the same man belonging; also two other messuages and three virgates land in Wold, worth L7, HELD of John, EARL of OXFORD, by socage."
One suspects from the Court Order of 1498 that Margaret had to exert her rights to part of the Wold property which had been divided between her and Thomas according to the wishes of JohnSMYTH. Whatever happened to Thomas'S half of the Wold property is not revealed, but it may have been disposed of by Thomas earlier and the proceeds invested in the Eaton Socon property.
The mention of Margaret as his "cousin" may be subject to interpretation. In Holding's ancestral chart of the Cople Spencers (pp.50-51 and our Chart VIII), he calls Margaret a "daughter" of JohnSMYTH of "OULD" (Wold?). The Smyth Mandamus is also at odds with the later Will of Margaret (see below) in that the Court Order cites a son, William SPENSER, who does not exist in Margaret's Will. The so-called "William SPENSER" would seem to be the son-in-law William Reynolds. Furthermore, there is no reference in the Court Order to an "Andrew Spencer" mentioned in Margaret's Will.
For comparison, we quote a verbatim version of Margaret (SMYTH?) Spencer'S Will of 1506:
"MarGT. Spencer (Eaton Socon). "5 day of Our Lord 1506", pr. 19 Nov. 1506. (161). For her mortuary as custom and manner is to the church of Lincoln 20d.; to the high altar for tithes forgotten 12d.; to Eaton church 5 r. land abutting on "Hundyssh dytch". To the prior of St. Neots 8d. to pray for her.
"To JN. Spencer sr. land in his grandfather's will, and the "platt", a pair of great "landyrens", also 1 a. land; to Andrew Spencer 1/2 a. land; residue of land and house that she dwells in to d., w. of WM. Reynolds; 2 and 1/2 a. meadow to be sold, WM. Reynolds to have option of buying; a priest to sing for her and her husband as long as the money lasts; residue of goods to exor., he to give part to poor, part to godChildren and part to himself. Exor. s. WM. RAYNALD, witn. JAS. STEvenSON, vicar of Eaton, and JN. MAN".
The reading of Margaret's Will reveals the existence of son-in-law William Reynolds (RAYNALD) as well as an Andrew Spencer who may be a sibling of Elizabeth. In addition, the mention of "JohnSpencer sr." as a beneficiary of land in his "grandather's will" poses one of the great enigmas in Spencer genealogy. The correct interpretation is critical to the linkage between generations "D " and "E" in the ancestral line of the Spencers of South Mylls (see Chart III). If we assume the reference is to John, son of Thomas and Margaret, then the grandfather might be RobertF of ST. ALBANS, or it might be Margaret's father (JohnSMYTH?). No Will has been found for RobertF of ST. ALBANS and JohnSMYTH mentioned no grandson in his Will according to the Court Mandamus.
After weighing the pro and con, we believe that the reference to a "grandfather" referred specifically to JohnSMYTH. In the Mandamus quoted above, JohnSMYTH (or the court) clearly split the estate between Thomas and Margaret, so that Margaret in her Will still had control of property, presumably at Wold (Ould) in Northants. She refers to "JohnSpencer, sr. land in his grandfather's Will". Thus we can infer that John, son of Thomas and Margaret, had inherited his father's share of the Smyth estate as well as his mother's share of the same estate. One flaw in this hypothesis is that Thomas (b. ca 1438) in his Will mentions only the property in Eaton Socon and makes no reference to Wold Manor in Northants. The same can be said for Margaret's Will. In terms of geography, however, Wold Manor was a long distance from Eaton Socon and both Thomas and Margaret may have disposed of the property after the death of JohnSMYTH. Actually, we do not know when JohnSMYTH died. The Court Order was dated 1498, but the property granted by JohnSMYTH to Thomas and Margaret may have been made many years earlier while JohnSMYTH was still living.
JOHNE Spencer of South Mylls (b. ca 1434) is listed as living in South Mylls, perhaps the first Spencer to live there. His wife is unknown, but perhaps she had land in South Mylls and wished to live there. JOHNE Spencer had two sons, Robert of South Mylls and JOHND of South Mylls, the latter known as "Johnof KEMPSTON", a suburb of Bedford.. He was in the line leading to the Five Siblings of New England. Robert (b. ca 1460) as the eldest son received the property of JOHNE and was known to have land at Duloe, Charlton, and Blunham (adjacent to South Mylls).
Johnof SOUTH MYLLS (b. ca 1500), son of Robert (b. ca 1460), owned land in at least nine different locations. His wife was EHELREDE BAKER (often mistakenly identified as CHRISTIAN BAKER).
There is one final but significant reservation regarding Thomas Spencer (ca 1438-1490) of Eaton Socon. His origin is noted in the Phillipps Manuscript (Chart VII) as being the grandson of ThomasG of EATON (b. ca 1378). in contrast, Holding thought that this same Thomas was the grandson of HenryH of BADBY and ISABEL LINCOLN (CHART V). Holding even hints that the Thomas who was the son of Henry of BADBY may have been the ThomasG of EATON SOCON (probably 1438). However, another generation down the line, Holding identifies Thomas of BADBY as married to Margaret SMYTH of OULD (Wold). Regrettably, we do not know the source of Holding's information on this Northants lineage. We recall Holding's statement on page 51 as follows: One thing, however, is certain; the Bedfordshire Spencers were allied to those of Northamptonshire, but where the point of junction lies, it is impossible for us to say.
Apparently Holding had not seen the Wills of JohnSMYTH, Thomas of EATON SOCON (b. ca 1438), and the latter's wife Margaret. Is it possible Holding had the clue to the descent of all the Spencers of Eaton Socon and South Mylls but failed to recognize it? We note that Holding in his document made repeated references to tracing the Spencers of Edworth and Stotfold to ancestors who came from St. Albans. Perhaps he was strongly influenced by the Phillipps Manuscript (Chart VII) where RobertF of ST. ALBANS is shown as the father of Robert of COPLE, JOHNE of SOUTH MYLLS, and Thomas of EATON SOCON (d. 1490). It is fascinating to see that this Robert of ST. ALBANS was married to a woman with the surname of SMYTH. There is a strong possibility that Margaret of EATON SOCON (d. 1506) also was a SMYTH. The SMYTH name leads us back to Northants and the Manor of Wold. A close approximation to OULD or WOld is the town of "Old", a few miles NE of Northampton. The town of Wormleighton, although in Warks, is close to the western border of Northants. As a consequence, we can see that the SMYTHS of Old as well as the Spencers of Badby, Everdon, and Wormleighton all revolved around the northern area of Northamptonshire (which also is the location of the ALTHORPE Spencers and the former home of DIANA Spencer, Princess of Wales, daughter of the recently deceased EARL Spencer).
CHART VII. The LINEAGE of The Spencers of EAST Bedfordshire AS INTERPRETED byVICAR JohnHOldING from The PHillIPPS MANUSCRIPT.1903
-Thomas Spencer of Eton (Living in 1433)
-JohnSpencer of Begery = Alice
-Alice Spencer = Robert ARNOld of St. Neots
-ANNE ARNOld = JohnSpencer of Pavenham (See below.)
-Thomas Spencer (d. 1453) = Joan [Author lists Thomas after Robert, but I arrange differently for a better visual on descendancy of Robert.]
-Robert Spencer of St. Albans = ___ SMYTH of Beds.
-Robert Spencer of Cople (d. bef. 1523) = ANNE PECKE (d. 1523)
-JohnSpencer of Pavenham (d. 1523) m. ANNE ARNOld (See above.) [Child:] Thomas Spencer (b. 1514)
-JohnSpencer of South Mylls
-Robert Spencer of St. Neots [Child:] JohnSpencer (d. 1568)
-JohnSpencer of Kempston
-Henry Spencer
-Thomas Spencer (d. 1490) [Children:] John and Elizabeth.
CHART VIII. The LINEAGE of The Spencers of NORTHANTS and WARKS SHOWING POSSIBLE Origin of The Spencers of EATON SOCON, BEDS. from HenryH Spencer of BADBY and ISABEL LINCOLN (After Holding, pp. 50-51):
-Geoffrey le Despencer (son and heir of Thurstan, descended in the fifth generation from Robert le Despencer; steward to William the Conqueror, 1066; d. 1251)
-Hugh le Despencer (Justiciary of England; slain at Evesham,1265) = Alice Bassett, relict of Earl of Norfolk.
-Hugh le Despencer Earl of Winchester
-Alianora = Hugh Courtney, Earl of Devon
-Geoffrey = Emma, dau. of St. John
-Sir John =Anne Spencer, 1274
-Adam Spencer of Stanley, co. Gloucester [Author lists as second son, however, I reposition for an easier visual on the descendancy of his brother William.]
-Sir William Spencer of Defford; d. 1328
-John Spencer of Defford = Alice Deverell
-Nicholas Spencer of Defford = Joan Pollard
-William Spencer = Margaret Clare [Children:] John Spencer o.s.p. 1445; Alice Spencer.
-Thomas Spencer [Author lists him as first son; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Henry Spencer of Badby, d. 1476 = Isabel Linclon
-Thomas Spencer
-William Spencer
-Nicholas Spencer
-John Spencer of Hodnall and Wormleighton = ___ Warnstede. [Author lists John as first son; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Henry Spencer
-John Spencer of Hodnall = John Graunt [Child:] Thomas Spencer of Everdon.
-Thomas Spencer of Badby = Margaret Smyth of Ould
-William Spencer of Redbourn = Elizabeth Empson [Author lists William as eldest Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Thomas Spencer
-Dorothy Spencer
-Jane Spencer = ___ Smyth of Shefford
-Sir John Spencer, d. 1522 = Isabel Graunt [Author lists John as eldest Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Anthony
-Isabella
-Dorothy
-Sir William Spencer, d. 1532 = Susan Knightly [Author lists William as eldest Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Sir John Spencer, d. 1595 + Mary Catelyn (relict of Thomas Burgoyne of Sutton, Beds.)
-Mary = Thomas Bolles of Wallington, Herts
Chart No. VIII is a copy of the linkages presented by JohnHOldING on pp. 50-51 in his report of 1903. In a footnote, Holding suggested that the ThomasG Spencer who was the son of HenryH Spencer of Badby and Isabel Lincoln posed an interesting question as follows: "Is it possible that the Spencers of Eaton came from this Thomas?" In our Chart II, we essentially adopted this suggestion and then followed the chart of the Phillipps Manuscript for the descendants of ThomasG Spencer of Eaton Socon who was b. ca 1378 and living in 1433.
One of the fascinating aspects of Holding's final chart is the linkage back to one of the most powerful DESpencers of the realm in the person of HUGH le DESpencer, Justiciary of England, who was slain at the battle of Evesham in 1265. It is but a few steps back to Robert le DESpencer, Steward to William the CONQUEROR in 1066.
VI. The COATS-OF-ARMS AS EVIDENCE of The Linkage of The Bedfordshire and NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Spencers.
The similarity in Coats-of Arms between the Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire Spencers was noted by John Holding in his 1903 study (p 51). We can quote directly from his article:
"One thing, however, is certain; the Bedfordshire Spencers were allied to those of Northamptonshire, but where the point of junction lies it is impossible for us to say, as we have no materials at our disposal to enable us to decide. They must have satisfied the Heralds in their visitations in 1566, 1634, and 1663 that they were of the same family, otherwise they would not have been allowed to bear the same coat of arms and crest, as they did with one slight difference only, that whereas on the bend sable of the Northampton arms there are three escallops (shells), on the Bedfordshire shield there are three fleurs-de-lis. The crest is exactly the same - a griffin's head between two wings expanded emerging out of a mural crown.
The actual descriptions of the Coats-of-Arms from the several Visitations were as follows:
Spencer of ST. ALBANS, 1572 (Herts):
ARMS - Quarterly Or and Gules, in the second and third quarters a fret of the first, over all a bend Sable charged with three fleurs-d-lis Argent.
CREST - Out of a ducal coronet Argent, gemmed Gules, a demi-griffin of the first, beaked and eared of the second, collared per pale of the second and Or, winged of the third, on each wing and on the breasts fleur-de-lis Sable.
Spencer of SOUTH MYLLS, 1634 (Beds):
ARMS - Quarterly or and gules, in the second and third quarters a fret of the first, on a bend sable three fleurs-de-lys argent.
CREST - Out of a mural crown per pale argent and gules, a griffin 's head, collared or, beaked gules, between two wings expanded, charged on the breast and on each wing with a fleur-de-lys sable, all counterchanged.
Spencer of COPLE, 1566 (Beds):
ARMS - Quarterly Or and gules, in the second and third quarters a fret or; on a bend sable three fleurs-de-lis argent.
Spencers of COPLE, 1634 (Beds):
ARMS – Quarterly - 1, Quarterly or and gules, in the second and third quarters a fret of the first, on a bend sable three fleurs-de-lys, Spencer; 2, Argent, three pickaxes sable, PECK; 3, Sable, two lions passant or, ARNOld; e, blank.
CREST - Out of a ducal coronet gules a griffin's head argent, collared or, between two wings expanded of the third, charged on the breast and on each wing with a fleur-de-lys sable, and on the neck a crescent.
Holding noted the Coat-of Arms for some of the Northants Spencers bore three scallops in place of the three "fleurs-de-lis" Argent.
Some of the terms used for the coats-of-arms may be unfamiliar to the reader. GULES - red, represented in engravings by parallel vertical lines. FRET - ornamental network. ARGENT - silver, whiteness, shining. SABLE - black. PASSANT - any animal represented as walking with the dexter forepaw raised.
There may be a special significance attached to the close similarity of the Spencer Coat-of-Arms in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. As we noted earlier, there has been considerable discussion among genealogists as to whether the Spencers of Beds were closely related to the Spencers of Northants. The identical characteristics of the Coats-of-Arms would seem to add much weight to the linkage of the South Mylls Spencer with Henry of BADBY and ISOBEL LINCOLN. The relationship may be one based on "cadet" branches of the earlier ancestors in Northants, i.e. younger sons of the family who were excluded from the line of inheritance when the oldest son in a family inherited the estate, a custom long entrenched in the well-to-do families in order to prevent the breakup of the feudal manorial system.
VII. The Linkage 10 Henry Spencer and JohnSpencer of BEGERY.
Henry Spencer is clearly identified in the Will of Thomas of EATON SOCON (d. 1490) as a brother, but almost nothing is known about Henry. Henry also is shown on the chart of the Phillipps Manuscript (Chart VII) as well as Holding's final chart (Chart VIII), again as a brother of Thomas of BADBY (who as we noted seems to be the same as Thomas of EATON SOCON who died ca 1490).
Turning now to JohnSpencer of BEGERY, we have another significant point. There is no doubt that Johnof BEGERY has an important linkage to the Cople Spencers. What is the basis for considering him to be a sibling of Robert of ST. ALBANS and. Thomas Spencer of EATON SOCON (b. ca 1408)? A search of a II existing records traces the beginnings of Johnof BEGERY to a list prepared in 1433 by a Commission created by Henry VI "for all persons of quality to take an oath". The list included "Thomas Spencer DE GETON" and "JOHANNES" (John) Spencer. From this simple entry it has been deduced that this was Thomas of EATON (1378) and his son John(later of BEGERY). Since Johnhad no residence indicated in the Commissioners' List, it was believed that he must the son of Thomas6 Spencer. We find this concept incorporated in the Phillipps Manuscript (Chart VII). The same source identifies Johnof BEGERY as a brother of Thomas of EATON SOCON who died in 1453, but left no heirs. Johnof "BEYGAI" was listed as one of the Executors of the Will of Thomas "of Ford by Eaton Socon", strengthening the view that he was a close relative of the deceased.
A final comment is made on the "F" generation level which as we see on the Holding-Phillipps Chart (No. II) includes Johnof BEGERY, Henry, and Thomas of EATON SOCON (b. ca 1408). The main deviation from this concept is found in the Phillipps Manuscript which would include "Robert of ST. ALBANS" (m. to ___ SMYTH), Thomas of FORD (m. Joan ) who died in 1453, and Johnof BEGERY in a generation preceding Henry and the Thomas who d. in 1490 (m.. Margaret SMYTH?). There is perhaps some justification for this alternate view in that Johnof BEGERY who was an adult in 1433 would likely be a generation older than Thomas of EATON SOCON (d. 1490) who is believed to have been born about 1438.
As we can see from these various considerations, the ancestors of both the Cople and South Mylls Spencer tines could deserve more study. ZENA COLLIER herself throughout her five-year study proposed many theories regarding these early ancestors, especially in regard to the Spencers of South Mylls. Collier (p. 237) considered it most likely that the very early Spencers who lived in Blunham and Mogerhanger were the direct line to South Mylls. She also leaned heavily towards the Spencers of Hatley who lived along the eastern border of Beds with Cambs. She did not comment on Robert of COLMWORTH (or ST. ALBANS?) who occupies a prominent slot on the Kimball-Spencer Chart (No. IX).
VIII. The KIMBALL-Spencer CHART of 1963 (Chart No. IX)
Earlier we mentioned the Spencer lineage compiled in the 1960s by DR. James L. KIMBALL of Salt Lake City and Virgil Spencer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but which was never formally published. The present authors (Jack and Edith Spencer) presented an outline of this lineage in their "Comparative Analysis" article published in 1993 in the Le Despencer Journal (Spencer Historical and Genealogical Society). We have drawn a detailed Chart (No. IX) of the lineage proposed in the Kimball-Spencer papers. This is an appropriate point to look at their version of the early Spencer ancestors as derived from the then existing records at Salt Lake City.
First, their treatment of the descent from ThomasG of EATON SOCON, 1433, and the next three generations is identical to the Phillipps Manuscript with the exception of "RobertF of ST. ALBANS" who they tag as "Robert of COLMWORTH". The entry of "COLMWORTH" as an early location for this Robert is a new designation. Colmworth is in the far northern section of Bedfordshire and a considerable distance from St. Albans in Hertfordshire. Colmworth, however, is next door to Eaton Socon in county Beds.
The "unknown" Henry (as designated on most charts) is now "Henry of COLMWORTH" in the Kimball-Spencer lineage.
Robert of SOUTH MYLLS (later Robert of COPLE) who married Ann PECKE) is shown in the line leading to the Five Siblings of New England, whereas in fact he was the head of the Cople line leading to the Spencers of Virginia. The same can be said of Johnof PAVENHAM. He married Ann ARNOld, but had no relationship to CHRISTIAN BAKER.
CHART NO. IX. The Kimball-Spencer Version of the English Ancestors of the Five Spencer Siblings of Bedfordshire who came to New England about 1630.
-HenryH of Badby = Isobel Lincoln
-ThomasG of Eaton Socon (b. ca 1378 – living 1433)
-John of Begery (b. ca 1404)
-Thomas of Ford, Eaton Socon (b. ca 1408-1453 = Joan ___.
-Robert of Colmworth (b. ca 1406) = ___ Smyth of Bedford. [Author lists Robert as 2nd Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Robert of Cople (b. ca 1432)
-Henry of Colmworth (b. ca 1436)
-Thomas of Eaton Socon (b. ca 1438)
-JohnE of South Mylls (b. ca. 1434) [Author lists John as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-JohnD of South Mylls (b. ca 1462. [Author lists John as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his brother's descendancy.]
-Robert of South Mylls (ca. 1460-1521)
-Alice of South Mylls (b. ca 1486) = Thomas Decons
-Johanne (b. ca 1490 = ___ Battell
-John of South Mylls (b. ca 1486-1532), d. at Pavenham = Anne Arnold; = Christian Baker. [Author lists John as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-William of South Mylls (b. ca 1496) = Isabella Osborn
-Robert of St. Albans (b. ca 1498) = Frances Foster
-JohnC of Edworth (1505-1558) = Ann Merrill ca 1509-1560
-John Jr. of Edworth (ca 1533-1560)
-Gerard of Edworth (ca 1543-1577) = Ellen Whysson
-William of Edworth (b. ca 1545)
-MichaelB of Edworth (b. ca 1531) = Agnes Limer (1532-1562); = Eliz. ___ (ca 1542-1599)
-Alice of Edworth (b. 1556)
-John of Edworth (b. 1557)
-Michael of Edworth (b. 1558)
-Ann of Edworth (b. 1560)
-Joan of Edworth (b. 1564)
-Thomas of Edworth (b. 1571) = Margaret Spencer
-GerardA of Stotfold (b. 1576-1646) = Alice Whitbread (Ten Children, five f whom were the sibings who came to New England about 1630 and all of whom were born at Stotfold, Bedfordshire.)
-Richard of Stotfold (b. 1580)
-Katherine of Stotfold (b. 1582) = ___ Bland
In conclusion, the Kimball-Spencer lineage is confused between the Cople line of descent and that of South Mylls. The upper and lower ends of Chart IX may have some merit in that the former has a strong resemblance to the Phillipps Manuscript (No. VII). The lower end of the K-S Chart from JohnC Spencer (1505-1558) and Ann Merrill (d. 1560) is a credible ancestry leading to the Five Spencer Siblings of New England.
We might repeat that the confusion over the Cople and South Mylls lines has been duplicated over and over by most Spencer genealogists in the 20th century.
IX. The LINEAGE DEVELOPED byH.R.Spencer, 1927.
One of the earliest American genealogists to study the English lineage of the Spencers of Bedfordshire was H.R. Spencer of Duluth, Minnesota. His unpublished notes were widely adapted by John Kimball and Virgil Spencer in their own studies. It is noteworthy that H.R. Spencer completed his work a quarter century before the reports by Donald Lines Jacobus in the early 1950s. H.R. Spencer actually visited England as well as Normandy and was well acquainted with the work which John Holding had published in 1903. H. R. Spencer developed the Spencer lineage clear back to the time of William the Conqueror (1066 A.D.). For our purposes, however, we will show in the accompanying chart only those Spencers from the early 1400s onward.
CHART X. The LINEAGE PROPOSED byH.R. Spencer: "THE Spencers of Bedfordshire. England and EAST HADDAM. CONNECTICUT". 1927.
-Thomas Spencer (living 1435)
-John of Hodnell &Wormleighton (Ancestor of Duke of Marlborough & Earl Spencer of Althrope)
-William
-Nicholas
-Thomas of Eaton Socon (living 1453) [Author lists Thomas as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-John of Begery (b. ca 1432, living 1453)
-Thomas of Eaton Socon (d. 1453; no issue)
-Robert of St. Albans (& South Mylls) = ___ Smyth [Author lists Robert as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Robert
-Henry
-Thomas of Eaton Socon (ca. 1448-1490)
-John of Kempston & South Mylls [Author lists John as eldest Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-Robert [Author lists Robert as second Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-John of Edworth (1505-1558) = Ann Lymer
-Gerard
-John
-William
-Michael of Edworth & Stotfold (d. 1599) = Alice Lorimor; = Eliz. ___ [Author lists Michael as eldest Child; however, I rearrange for a better visual on his descendancy.]
-John, Michael, Thomas, Gerard, Richard, Joan, Anne, and Katherine.
Beginning with Thomas Spencer who was living in 1435, H.R. Spencer follows the Spencer lineage described in Holding's report of 1903. However, when it came to the children of Henry of BADBY, H.R. developed the succeeding generations from Thomas, the second son of Henry. Holding did not pursue this line, but merely suggested the possibility of such a connection.
From Robert of ST. ALBANS (and SOUTH MYLLS), H.R. follows the Phillipps Manuscript on through Johnof SOUTH MYLLS (d. 1503) and his son Johnof KEMPSTON. H.R. errs in naming Ann LYMER (Lorimer) as the wife of the second John, whereas it was Ann Merrill. H.R. made no attempt to delineate the Cople line from Johnof BEGERY.
One feature of H.R. Spencer's lineage is the emphasis on the Spencers of Badby, Northants, as the origin of the Spencers of South Mylls. Holding himself hinted at this, but l
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
bur. 9 Jun 1558, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England