| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. This individual is mentioned in the following will for Thomas Spencer is from various Worldconnect databases as of 21 Sep 2007. He made his will in 1686 one year prior to his 1687 death; it reads: "I Thomas Spencer senior of Hartford, being at present in good and sownd understanding not knoweing how soon I may be removed hence by death and finding the shodowes of the evening are stretching over me canot but judg that council of the prophet very seasonable set they house in order, etc. I doe therefore make ordayn and apoint this followeing to be my last will and testament hereby makeing null and voyd all former wills and testaments by me made whither by word or writing. First I commit my soule to God in Jesus Christ my dear Savior and redeemer from whom alone I expect salvation and an inheritance among the sainets in light my body to the earth to be decently buried in the comon burying place; for that estate God hath blessed me with, I bequeath and dispose of it as followeth - when my just debts and funerall expences are fully satisyed and payed to my eldest son Obadiah I give my houseing and land in Hartford, all my lands both meadow and upland on the west side and east side of the Connecticut River within the bounds of the Township of Hartford, to be to him his heirs and assigns immediately after my decease and from thence forever, he paying out such legacies as I shall appoynt by this Will. I give to my sayd son allso one cupboard and irons warming pan old fann two forekes peas hook two axes and an old hoe. I give unto my son Thomas the sume of fifteen pounds and Obadiah shall pay ten pounds more to him or to his heires in currant pay corn or cattell to be payd within two or three yeares after my decease as he shall be able. I give unto my son Samuel (he having received a good portion from his Uncle) all my wearing apparrell off all sorts and kinds. I give unto my son Jarred my shop and tooles and twelve pownds, all which are in his hands and I have possest him with them allready. The rest of my moveable estate I give unto my five daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, Hanna, Mary and Martha, to be equally divided to them by their brother my son Jarrad. I do make my son Obadiah Spencer executor of this my last will and testament and that he may have a refuge to repayre unto for advice if any difficulty should befall him in the executoin of my will I desire Capt. Jno Allyn, Lieut. Caleb Standly and my cousin Samuel Spencer to be the overseers whom I desire to asssit my sol executor their best advice as occasion may call for it. Finally I leave all my children with the Lord and desire his blessing may be their portion that they may love and serve him and live in love and peace one with another when I shall be gathered to my fathers and for the confirmation of this my will and testmanet I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of September 1686. Thomas Spencer (his mark) Witnesses: John Allyn, Hanna Allyn - Hartford Probate Records 4:262."
2. From various Worldconnect databases as of 21 Sep 2007: Will of Barnabas Derifield of Braintree, MA proved 1680 helps confirm that Thomas Spencers first wife was a sister to Barnabas. Barnabas gave estate to kinsman [his nephew] Samuel Spencer who was to give Samuel's brothers Obadiah and Thomas 40 shillings each. Since these are the 3 sons of Sergt. Thomas by 1st wife and since will of Sergt. Thomas cuts off son Samuel with little with the statement, "he having rec. a good portion from his Uncle." (See N.E. Reg. Jul 1951). See also Thomas Spencer's will in his notes.
The following is a biographical summary on Barnaby Dorryfall, the brother of Ann, from "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633," Volumes I-III:
"Barnaby Dorryfall
Origin: Unknown Migration: 1633 First Residence: Boston Removes: Braintree... Estate: "...In his will of 28 January 1680/1 "Barnabas Derifall now of Brantery" bequeathed to his kinsman Samuel Spencer that half of his estate already in Spencer's possession, and after his (Dorryfall's) decease the other half, Spencer to pay to his two brothers Obadiah and Thomas Spencer within twelve months forty shillings apiece; the will was proved 10 March 1680/1, but was declared imperfect for failure to name an executor, whereupon Samuel Spencer was named to this office [SPR 6:350]. The administrator's bond was not executed until 23 April 1681 [SPR NS 4:8]. The inventory, presented to court on 10 March 1680/1, totalled £206, of which £151 was real estate: house, barns, outhouses and land adjoining, £80; ten acres of land at the furnace pond, £26; fifteen acres of land adjoining to the common, £20; and five acres land at Salter's farm, £25 [SPR 9:34]. Birth: Probably about 1615 Death: Braintree 2 February 1680/1 [BrVR 657]. Marriage: By an unknown date Elizabeth ____, who died at Braintree 16 September 1679 [BrVR 657]. Children: None recorded. Associations: Mrs. William C. Clark, "Who Was the First Wife of Thomas Spencer of Hartford, Conn.?" [NEHGR 105:197-99], demonstrates that the Anne Derrifall who came to New England in 1634 was the first wife of Thomas Spencer, and sister of Barnaby Dorryfall, and mother of the three Spencer brothers named in Barnaby Dorryfall's will. (See also TAG 27:162.)..."
3. The book "Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut," Lucius Barnes Barbour, 1982 ed.: "Sgt. Thomas Spencer, son of Gerald and Alice bp. Mch 29, 1607 (Eng.) died Sept. 11, 1687, mar/1 ( ). Mar/2 Sept 11, 1645 (HTR) Sarah Bearding dau. of Nathaniel Bearding. Early member 1st Church [of Hartford]. Name on Founders Monument [in Hartford]. Children by 1st marriage:
Elizabeth, bp. Mch 26, 1648 (HTR) m. Samuel Andrews.
Hannah, b. Apl 25, 1653 (HTR) m/1 Geroge Sexton, m/2 Daniel Brainerd (See Brainerd Gen., p. 32).
Marah/Mary, b. May 18, 1655 (HTR).
Martha, b. Mch 19, 1657-8 (HTR), m. Andrew Benton.
Gerald, m. Hannah Pratt.
Sarah, m. Thomas Huxley.
Children by 2nd marriage:
Obadiah, m. Mary Disbrough.
Thomas of Enfield, m. Esther Andrews.
Samuel.
Cambridge; freeman May 14, 1634; removed in 1639 to Hfd, where he was an original proprietor; his home lot in 1639 was on the east side of Main St., near what is now the junction of Main and Windsor Sts.; served in the Pequot War; chimney viewer 1650; constable north side 1658; surveyor of highways 1672; was sergeant of the train band 1650, and received in 1671 a grant of 60 acres 'for his good service in the country'."
4. The book "The Thomas Spencer Family of Hartford, Connecticut in the Line of Samuel Spencer of Cromwell, Connecticut 1744-1818," comp. by Frank Farnsworth Starr for James J. Goodwin, Hartford, Conn., copy in Connecticut Historical Society Library, Hartford, CT, pp. 13-20:
"Children of Thomas and ___ Spencer,
I. Obadiah, m. Mary Desborough.
II. Thomas, b. Esther Andrews, and lived in Suffield.
III. Samuel, living Sep. 1686.
Children of Thomas and Sarah (Bearding) Spencer,
I. Garrard, m. 22 Dec 1680, Hannah Pratt, and lived in Hartford.
II. Sarah, m. Thomas Huxley of Hartford and Suffield.
III. Elizabeth, bap. 26 Mar 1648; perhaps m. Samuel Andrews of Hartford.
IV. Hannah, b. 15 Apr 1653, Colony Record; b. 25 Apr 1653, Town Record.
V. Mary, b. 18 May 1655.
VI. Martha, b. 19 Mar 1657; perhaps m. ___ Benton."
5. The following partial excerpts about the wives and children of Thomas Spencer are from "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633," Volumes I-III (see notes of Thomas Spencer for full transcript):
"Thomas Spencer...
Migration: 1633
First Residence: Cambridge
Removes: Hartford 1636...
Estate: ...In his will, dated 9 September 1686 and proved 26 October 1687, "Thomas Spencer Senior of Hartford, ... finding the shadows of the evening are stretching over me," bequeathed to "my eldest son Obadiah ... my housing and land in Hartford, all my lands both meadow and upland on west side and east side of the Connecticut River" in Hartford (he paying certain legacies), along with some personal goods; to "my son Thomas" £15, of which he hath £5; to "my son Samuel (he having received a good portion of his uncle) all my wearing apparell"; to "my son Jarrad my shop & tools & £12, all of which are in his hands"; residue to "my five daughters Sarah, Elizabeth, Hannah, Mary and Martha, to be equally divided to them by their brother my son Jarrad"; "my son Obadiah Spencer my executor"; "Capt. Allyn, Lieut. Caleb Standly and my cousin Samuel Spencer" overseers [Hartford PD Case #5095; Manwaring 1:365]... Marriage: (1) After 2 November 1634 Anne Dorryfall, sister of Barnaby Dorryfall [NEHGR 105:197-99]. "Anne Dorifall, aged 24," sailed on the Elizabeth of Ipswich in 1634 [Hotten 281] and was admitted to Boston church 2 November 1634 as "Ann Derifall, our brother Wm. Coddington's maid servant" [BChR 19]. She died by 1645. (2) Hartford 11 September 1645 Sarah Bearding [HaVR 606], daughter of Nathaniel Bearding of Hartford. Children:
With first wife
i Obadiah ("eldest son"), b. say 1635; m. by about 1666 Mary Disborough (estimated b. of first Child), daughter of Nicholas Disborough [TAG 27:166, 38:209].
ii Thomas, b. say 1637; m. by about 1666 Esther Andrews (estimated b. of first Child), daughter of William Andrews [TAG 27:166-67, 35:57].
iii Samuel, b. about 1639 (if he is the Samuel who d. Windham 8 January 1726/7 aged about 88 [NEHGR 105:198], and if that age at death is not exaggerated); m. by about 1684 Sarah ____ (estimated b. of first child [TAG 27:167]).
With second wife
iv Sarah, b. say 1646; m. by 1667 Thomas Huxley (on 26 March 1667 John Winthrop Jr. treated "Huxlye, Sarah, above 20 years, wife of Tho[mas] Huxly of Hartford & daughter of Sergeant Tho[mas] [S]penc[er] of Hartford" [WMJ 710]).
v Elizabeth, bp. 26 March 1648 [HaVR 579]; m. by about 1668 Samuel Andrews, son of William Andrews [TAG 35:55-59].
vi Jared, b. say 1650; m. Hartford 22 December 1680 Hannah Pratt, daughter of John [HaVR Barbour 301].
vii Hannah, b. Hartford 15 April 1653 [CTVR 31]; said to have married (1) George Sexton, (2) Daniel Brainerd and (3) Jonathan Chapman, but the secondary sources are vague and uncertain, and the evidence for these marriages has not been found.
viii Mary, b. Hartford 18 May 1655 [CTVR 32]; m. Westfield 7 October 1675 Thomas Root [Pynchon VR 31].
ix Martha, b. Hartford 19 March 1657[/8] [CTVR 31]; m. by 1677 Andrew Benton (b. of first Child), son of Andrew Benton [TAG 27:163; NEHGR 60:301-2 (evidence for this marriage not presented in either source)]...
Comments: On 7 September 1652 Thomas Spencer undertook to pay the fine of Sarah Spencer [RPCC 112]."
6. "The American Genealogist," Vol. 27 "The Four Spencer Brothers: Their Ancestors and Descendants," compiled by Donald Lines Jacobus, M. A., pp. 166-67:
"Thomas2 Spencer (Thomas1), born about 1641, died at Suffield, Conn., 23 July 1689 (but inventory of his estate was presented that date); married Esther Andrews, who died at Suffield, 6 Mar. 1697/8, daughter of William and Elizabeth.
Children:
i. Esther3, b. (say 1666); m. in 1688, William Pierce. She had a child by John Barnard, 1683.
ii. Elizabeth, b. (say 1668); m. 24 Mar. 1685/6, John Taylor of Suffield.
iii. Thomas, b. (say 1670); d. 22 Aug. 1692. His will, 9 Apr. 1692, proved 30 Sept. 1692, named mother Esther Spencer; estate of father Thomas brothers Samuel and William; sisters (sic); uncles Thomas Huxley and Jarrad Spencer.
iv. Samuel, b. (say 1674) d. 23 Nov. 1743.
v. William, b. (say 1677) d. Dec. 1745.
vi. Anna, b. at Suffield, 6 June 1680 d. 4 Oct. 1660. Note: Ann Spencer m. (1) at Hartford, 25 Jan. 1704/5, Thomas Hill, b. 13 Jan. 1681/2, d. 1707 two children; m. (2) at Hartford, 15 Nov. 1710, Edward Foster, and settled in Suffield. She could conceivably have been a younger child of Thomas2 of Suffield [above]; or the child born to Esther3 in 1683 (No. 12 above); or identical with Hannah3 [Jared2, Thomas1]. The names Hannah and Ann were sometimes used interchangeably though in other cases they were so little confused that both names were given to daughters in the same family. However, it is to be noted that this Hannah3 was so named in her birth record and in her father's will also, making it less likely that she was ever called Ann."
7. 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.157-158:
"The Family of Thomas1 Spencer (1607-1687) and (1) Ann Derifall (Derifield) (ca.1610-1645) and (2) Sarah Bearding (Barding, Berden); d. before 1674; dau. of Nathaniel Bearding. Ann Derifall was a sister of Barnabas Derifall of Braintree, Massachusetts.
Children by Ann Derifall
Obadiah2 Spencer (Thomas1, GerardA, MichaelB, JohnC-D, RobertE, JohnF, RobertG, ThomasH, HenryI).
b. ca. 1639 at Hartford, CT. Took Freeman's at Hartford 20 May 1658.
m. Mary DISROWE (Disborough), dau. of Nicholas Disbrowe. Mary d before 1709. They had seven children.
d. May 1712 at Hartford, CT.
Thomas2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. ca. 1641 at Hartford, CT.
m. Esther2 Andrews. She d. 6 Mar 1698 at Suffield, CT. Esther was the dau. of William1 Andrews and Abigail (Graves) Andrews of Hartford, CT.
d. 23 July 1689 at Suffield, CT.
Samuel2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. ca. 1643 at Hartford, CT.
m. Sarah ___ (ca.1660-1733). She d. at Windham, CT.
d. 24 Oct 1727 at Windham, CT.
Children by Sarah Bearding
Sarah2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. ca. 1646.
m. Thomas HUXLEY at Suffield, CT. He d. 21 July 1721 at Suffield. A dau. Elizabeth Huxley m. James King who was b. 14 March 1675 at Ipswich, MA. James d. 15 July 1757 at Suffield. He had a large landed estate.
d. 24 Oct 1712.
Elizabeth2 Spencer (Thomas1).
bp. 26 Mar 1648 at Hartford, CT.
m. Samuel2 Andrews of Hartford. Samuel Jan. 1712 at Hartford.
d. ?
Gerard2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. ca 1651.
m. Hannah PRATT (1658-1692) on 22 Dec 1680, dau. of John Pratt.
d. 1712 at Hartford, CT.
Hannah2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. 15 April 1653 at Hartford, CT.
m. (1) George SEXTON, Jr. m. (2) Daniel BRAINERD, Sr. Nov. 1698.
d. 1713
Mary2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. 18 May 1655 at Hartford, CT.
m. Thomas ROOT, 7 Oct 1675. He was of Westfield, MA, son of John Root. He d. 16 Aug 1709.
d. 4 Nov 1690 at Westfield, MA.
Martha2 Spencer (Thomas1).
b. 19 Mar 1658 at Hartford, CT.
m. Andrew BARTON (BENTON), Jr. (1653-1704)."
8. 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. 172-177 has a transcript and analysis of the will dated 9 Sep 1686 of Thomas1 Spencer (see his notes for transcript). He mentions all nine of his children, but not his wife Sarah who preceded him in death. Some of his children are also mentioned in the wills of his first wife's brother Barnabas Derifall (who died 1680) and his second wife's father Nathaniel Bearding (who died 1674):
"The Interpretation of the Will of Thomas1 Spencer
Jacobus reported that Sarah Bearding Spencer, wife of Thomas1 Spencer, as dying before 1674 since she was not named in her father's (Nathaniel Bearding) will which was proven in 1674 (year of father's death).
The inventory of of the Thomas1 estate set the total value at ₤139 19 00, but does not mention the value of his shop or tools or of the considerable amount of land which he had purchased during his lifetime. (A separate analysis is being made of the multiple transactions in Hartford and will be published in a different article).
Not mentioned in this Will was the fact that Thomas had received a grant of 60 acres in 1660 in recognition of his military and civic services to the colony and the city of Hartford. It is possible that his woodworking shop and tools were included in the value of "home lot and housing" which was set at 50 pounds.
It is interesting that a nephew, Samuel2 Spencer, the only son of his brother, William1 Spencer, was named as an overseer in the Will. Samuel2 Spencer spent his whole life at Hartford and fathered eight children by Sarah Meakins. Samuel's last Child, in fact, was born just a few months before the death of Thomas1 in 1687...
In an earlier chapter, the present authors gave a detailed account of the inter-connections of the four or five families in Hartford who were related by cross marriages. As a sequel to that story, we have constructed a chart to show the beneficiaries of the estates of four pioneers who willed property and money to their children (or nieces and nephews) and sometimes to grandchildren. The four pioneers in order of death were William1 Andrews (d. 1659), Nathaniel Bearding (d. 1674), Barnabas Derifall (Derifeild) (d. 1680) and Thomas1 Spencer (d. 1687). All were residents of Hartford except Barnabas Derifall who lived in Braintree (West Quincy), Massachusetts.
The children involved as legatees were the nine children of Thomas1 Spencer (Ann Derifall and Sarah Bearding)and the six children of William1 Andrews. The latter also had two wives, of whom only the second has been identified (Abigail Graves). Abigail in later years became the second wife of Nathaniel Bearing (no children).
In order to simplify the chart of beneficiaries, we have not included any of the surviving spouses.
Chart: The Distribution of Assests to children from the Estates of Four Pioneers in New England [KP Note: reformatted for my transcript:]
Various estates:
A. Barnabas Derifall (d. 1680) of Braintree, MA.
B. Thomas1 Derifall (d. 1687) of Hartford.
C. Nathaniel Bearding (d. 1674) of Hartford
D. William1 Andrews (d. 1659) of Hartford
Children of Thomas1 Spencer (1607-1687):
-Obadiah2 Spencer A, B
-Thomas2 Spencer A, B
-Samuel2 Spencer A, B, C
-Sarah2 Spencer Huxley B
-Elizabeth2 Spencer Andrews B
-Gerard2 Spencer B
-Hannah2 Spencer Sexton-Brainerd B, C
-Mary2 Spencer Root B, C
-Martha2 Spencer Benton B, C
Children of William1 Andrews (d. 1659)
-John2 Andrews C, D
-Abigail2 Andrews D
-Elizabeth2 Andrews Grannis D
-Thomas2 Andrews C, D
-Esther2 Andrews Spencer D
-Samuel2 Andrews C, D
The emerging pattern from the chart illustrates the dichotomy which characterized the bequests from Nathaniel Bearding - some assets to his grandchildren in the Thomas1 Spencer family, but excluding any children who had been born to the first wife of Thomas1, Ann Derifall - a not unlikely scenario for those who did not share his bloodlines.
Nathaniel Bearding's legatees among the Andrews children showed some separation, but of a considerably different character. Nathaniel had only two step grandchildren, Esther2 Andrews and Samuel2 Andrews. Samuel2 was a major beneficiary with 40 pounds, while Esther2 Andrews Spencer was not named in the will. On the other hand, Nathaniel Bearding made bequests to John2 Andrews and Thomas2 Andrews who were bore no blood relation to Nathaniel We believe the explanation of the latter two bequests was based on the fact that Abigail Graves Andrews-Bearding had raised the four children (stepchildren) from William Andrews first marriage to Mary Britton as well as her own two children by William1 Andrews.
In the case of the bequests by Thomas1 Spencer, there is an oddity in the fact that his son Samuel2 Spencer essentially was excluded from the will (except for clothing). We do not believe this is an indication of differential favoritism among the sons, but the fact that Samuel2 had been well provided for in the will of his grandfather, Barnabas Derifall of Braintree, Massachusetts.
Abigail2 Andrews was not named in her father's will because she had died (1653) some years before her father's death.
The only other aspect of the estates is the fact that females in general received only token recognition from the father or grandfather as the case might be. It was the sons and grandsons who always were the major legatees."
9. The book "The Great Migration," by Robert Charles Anderson, pp. 64-67:
"WILLIAM ANDREWS
ORIGIN: Unknown
MIGRATION: 1634
FIRST RESIDENCE: Cambridge
REMOVES: Hartford 1637
OCCUPATION: Schoolmaster at Hartford, 1643, 1648, 1650, 1655 (and probably other years) [HaTR 65, 87,94, 108]...
MARRIAGE: By about 1632 Abigail ___. (She may have been sister of George Graves of Hartford [TAG 35:56].) She married (2) Nathaniel Barding [Manwaring 1:182-83; TAG 35:56] and died 26 March 1682/3 (unless this is the date the inventory was taken, in which case she probably died somewhat earlier) [Hartford PD Case #478].
CHILDREN...
v ESTHER, b. Hartford [blank] September 1641 [CTVR 31]; m. by about 1666 Thomas Spencer, son of THOMAS SPENCER [TAG 27:166-67, 35:57; GMB 3:1720].
vi SAMUEL, b. Hartford 20 October 1645 [CTVR 31; HaVR 576 (omits day of birth)]; m. about 1668 Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of THOMAS SPENCER [TAG 27:163, 35:59; GMB 3:1720]...
10. 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. 261-290:
"Chapter XVI
Thomas2 Spencer (1641-1689), A PIONEER of SUFField, CONNECTICUT (with NOTES ON SGT. Thomas HUXLEY).
I. The English OriginS of Thomas2 Spencer.
Thomas2 Spencer was in the second generation of the "Four Spencer Brothers" who came to New England about 1630 in the earliest vessels of the Winthrop Fleet. Thomas2 was the second son of the second oldest of the Four Brothers, that is SGT. Thomas1 Spencer (1607-1687). The Four Brothers all have left a long line of descendants in America. Indeed, it seems likely that most of the presently living descendants who bear that surname of Spencer in America (of English origin) can trace their ancestry either to William1, Thomas1, Michael1, or Gerard1. William1 (1601-1640) was one of the eight original founders of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Thomas1 also was a pioneer of Cambridge and a co-founder of Hartford, Connecticut. He was a veteran of the Pequot War of 1637. In later years, his woodworking shop in Hartford began a dynasty of furniture makers whose products were highly regarded in New England for more than a century and a half.
Michael1 (1611-1653) was a co-founder of Lynn, Massachusetts and the ancestor of a long line of Spencer descendants in Rhode Island. Gerard1 (1614-1685) became known as the "Patriarch of Haddam" (Connecticut), but he was (along with Michael1) a co-founder of Lynn, Massachusetts. In later years, Gerard lived for a short time in Hartford. Most of his later life, however, was associated with Haddam, Connecticut. Gerard was the progenitor of a long line of Haddam Spencers, including MAJOR GENERAL Joseph Spencer who was on the staff of George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
II. The Families Immediately Related to Thomas1 and Thomas2 in Hartford
Because a rather complex relationship existed among the immediate relatives of Thomas1 in Hartford, the present authors have prepared a separate article (1995) on the interrelationships of Thomas1 and Thomas2 to the Andrews, Graves, and Bearding families. A brief summary is presented in the following notes along with the accompanying chart.
Linkages Among The Andrews, Graves, Bearding and Spencer Families in Hartford [KP note: reformatted for my transcription]:
William1 Andrews (-1659)
m.(l) Mary Britton. Children by Wife#1:
-John2 (ca.1632-1690)
-Abigail2 (1634-1653)
-Elizabeth2 (1636-)
-Thomas2 (1638-)
m.(2) Abigail Graves (-1683). [Abigail marries Nathaniel1 Bearding as his second wife.] children by Wife #2:
-Esther2 (1641-1698) [Esther marries Thomas2 Spencer.]
-Samuel2 (1645-1712)
Thomas1 Spencer (1607-1689)
m.(1) Ann Derifall (1610-1645). Children by Wife #1:
-Obadiah 2 (c.1639-1712)
-Thomas 2 (1641-1689) [Thomas marries Esther2 Andrews.]
-Samuel 2 (1643-1727)
m. (2) Sarah Bearding (-1674). [Sarah is child from Nathaniel1 Bearding's first wife.] children by Wife #2:
-Sarah2 (ca1646-1712)
-Elizabeth2 (1648)
-Gerard2 (1651-1712)
-Hannah2 (1653-1713)
-Mary 2 (1655-1690)
-Martha2 (1658-1704)
Nathaniel1 Bearding (-1674)
m. (1) ___. Children by Wife #1:
-Sarah2 Bearding [Becomes 2nd wife of Thomas1 Spencer]
m. (2)Abigail (Graves) Andrews (-1683) [Abigail marries William1 Andrews as his second wife.]
The first list on the left shows the children descended from William1 Andrews, while the list on the right shows the one child (Sarah) of Nathaniel1 Bearding. Sandwiched between these two lists are the descendants of Thomas1 Spencer and his two wives, Ann Derifall and Sarah Bearding. Connecting lines indicate the intermarriages.
Abigail (Graves) Andrews (d. 1683) was the second wife of William1 Andrews of Hartford and the mother of Esther Andrews (1641-1698) who married Thomas2 Spencer (later of Suffield). Esther Andrews had a brother, Samuel Andrews (1645-1712), who married Elizabeth2 Spencer, a half sister to Thomas2 Spencer.
In later life, Abigail. (Graves) Andrews married Nathaniel Bearding as his second wife. Earlier, Nathaniel Bearding had a daughter Sarah who became the second wife of Sgt. Thomas1 Spencer.
All of the above is totally unintelligible unless the reader makes a careful study of the chart.
III. The EARLY DAYS of SUFField
Suffield, Connecticut, was not the earliest town along the "Greate River" (now the Connecticut River) which extends from Long Island Sound at its mouth several hundred miles north across Connecticut and Massachusetts. In its upper reaches, it forms the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire. Such towns as Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield along the lower reaches of the river were well into their fourth decade before the establishment of Suffield between Windsor and Springfield, Massachusetts. Perhaps this delayed development of Suffield was fortunate because it allowed adequate time for the PYNCHON family of Springfield to assess a fortune which could be used in the development of a town such as Suffield.
The first of the PYNCHON family in Springfield was William PYNCHON who was there as early as 1636 (the same year that the followers of Thomas Hooker emigrated from Cambridge to Hartford). William was an example of the explosive expansion of the Puritans in New England who first came in substantial numbers to the Boston area with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. William PYNCHON essentially built his fortune through fur trading with the Indians and the exporting of the pelts to England. William's son Johnhad been born in Essex County, England (home to many Puritans) in 1621. It was natural Johnwould follow in his father's footsteps at an early age. Indeed, when William PYNCHON came into conflict with the religious authorities and was indicted for heresy, his son Johnwas able to assume full control of the Pynchon enterprises in 1652.
JohnPHYCHON was not solely a fur trader, but also expanded his interests to the extent that he became a leading developer and promoter. His widespread business interests required extensive travel along the "Great River", which remained a hazardous area, especially in the wilderness area between Windsor and Springfield. By 1669, JohnPYNCHON had selected a suitable site for his "Stonéy Brooke Plantation". He filed a petition with the General Court of Massachusetts resulting in a grant of land extending six miles to the south of Springfield and six miles to the West. The grant cost JohnPYNCHON 40 pounds, or perhaps the equivalent of about 500 dollars in modern U.S. currency.
JohnPYNCHON and a half dozen of his key associates in Springfield drew up a precise pattern for laying out the plans for Suffield. It was by no means a haphazard enterprise. There were strict rules to be followed, probably very essential considering the wilderness which was to be tamed.
Each petitioner for a grant in the Plantation generally was to be allocated 50 or 60 acres, plus a plot of 5 or 6 acres for his house. He was given a period of 3 years to clear and fence the land and build on the property. The settler could not dispose of his property until he had been on the land for a period of seven years.
There were many other facets of the rules and regulations concerning social and religious life. For example, there were large set asides of land for the support of the minister and the creation of a school. Industry was not overlooked, including grants of 60 acres to the settler(s) who built a sawmill and gristmill. It was fore-ordained that the mills would be built by JohnPYNCHON. A sawmill was an urgent priority since the settlers had no knowledge of how to build a log cabin. The very first structures were houses of frame and clapboard design. Of necessity, the houses were small and generally located in proximity to one another for defensive purposes.
The Pynchon Committee of the Stoney Brooke Plantation also had firm control of the economic life of the community. They set the value of agricultural commodities which were used in an extensive system of bartering.
By 1674, there were 37 families in Suffield, whose houses were principally located along High Street running from north to south (see accompanying map). Records for the year 1675 are non-existent because of the King Philip War and the evacuation of the townspeople to more protective areas. The town did not begin a recovery until 1677 when JohnPHYCHON rebuilt the sawmill and the gristmill. The Pynchon Committee retained firm control until 1681 when the first Town Meeting was held. Only 37 settlers could vote at this meeting who were considered original settlers of Suffield. Thomas2 Spencer was included among the 37 voters.
Incidentally, Suffield was considered a part of Massachusetts until 1749. Prior to this date, the town had struggled for many years to come under the aegis of Connecticut. It was not until 1742 when PHINEAS LYMAN, a legal scholar, made Suffield his home and embarked on the struggle to move the town under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. Later, LYMAN became a foremost leader in the French and Indian War, 1755-1760 (see J.T. & E.W. Spencer).
Much of the later history of Spencer descendants in Suffield was associated with West Suffield (see map). The lineage of the families beyond Thomas2 Spencer essentially was divided between Samuel3 (1674-1743) and William3 (1677-1745). The "Samuel3 Group" resided primarily within the boundaries of the original town, while the "William3 Group" resided in West Suffield. These geographic separations prevailed for several generations, especially for the descendants of Samuel3.
IV. The "FATE" of The Thomas2 LAND GRANT ON High STREET IN 1674.
The original grant of 60 acres to Thomas2 Spencer was located on the east side of High St. between the 60 acres belonging to MAJ. JohnPYNCHON on the south and 50 acres to HUGH ROE on the north side. Smaller house lots on the opposite side (west) of High St. belonged to MAJ. PYNCHON, JohnTaylor, and Thomas Taylor. On the modern map, the original Spencer land was at the intersections of South Main, Kent Ave., and Suffield St. South of the intersection was the later home of Samuel REID Spencer (b. 1871) and the present Dr. Alexander King House. [KP note: Book includes two hand-drawn maps of the houselots of "The First Settlers 1671-84," drawn from records by H.S. Sheldon in 1882.]
The original 60 acres belonging to Thomas2 Spencer seems to have been farmed up to the time of the death of Thomas2 in 1689 (Alcorn). At the death of Thomas2 the property was divided between his sons Samuel3 (1674-1743) and William3 (c1677-1745). In 1698, Samuel3 was granted an additional 16 acres. This arrangement seems to have prevailed for about 30 to 35 years after Thomas2 had died in 1689. By 1721, the first move seems to have been made by William3 who bought 50 acres on Sheldon St. about half way between Grand St. and Taintor St. (near what is now headquarters of the V.F.W.). William3 was now 44 years of age and had seven children ranging in ages from 5 years to 16 years. For some reason, William3 Spencer remained on the Sheldon Street farm for about a decade and then purchased 43 acres from Nathan HARMON about 1730. This farm remained a focus for Spencer descendants for at least a century. It was located at what is now the intersection of Stone Road South and Mountain Road which loops northward just to the west of the Spencer property. In later pages, we will detail the long history of the "Mountain Farm" belonging to William3 Spencer.
The descendants of Samuel3 Spencer, brother to William3, remained for many years on the Spencer properties just southwest of the center of town and those near Taintor's Hill. Samuel3 in 1726 followed the in the steps of William3 and sold his half of the original Spencer grant, now 52 years after the grant to Thomas2 in 1674. Samuel3 was now about 52 years of age and the father of two sons, Thomas4 who was 24 years of age and Daniel4 who was 22. Both sons had married by 1726 and this may have motivated their father to make some changes. Samuel constructed a house near Taintor Hill in 1726. His son, Thomas4 built a house in the late 1720s at Prospect and Spencer Streets where a memorial stone is still located in the present day. Thomas4 died in 1754 at the early age of 52.
Daniel4, along with his brother Thomas4, split the land of their father (Samuel3), Daniel taking the north half and Thomas the south half of the property.
Daniel5 (1733-1784) inherited the farm of Daniel4 and passed the property along to his descendants, notably AugustINE6 (b. 1760) who in turn sold the land to HEZEKIAH6 (1766-1820), a descendant of Thomas4.
The "Spencer Place" property lies just north of Spencer Street and east of Prospect Street. An interesting history of the "Spencer Place" was published in 1921 on the occasion of the 250th Anniversary of Suffield. This was a house built sometime before 1743 by Daniel4 Spencer (Samuel3, Thomas2, Thomas1). The history of some of the property divided between Thomas4 and Daniel4 is presented in the following description by R.H. Alcorn:
"Thomas2 Spencer came to Suffield in 1674 and received a grant of sixty acres on the east side of High Street, comprising the present Norton place and the property of St. Joseph's church.
In 1698, his son Samuel3 received a grant of sixteen acres in the meadow which is still a part of the Spencer farm (1921). High Street was becoming thickly settled by 1726 and Samuel3 Spencer sold his half of his father's grant (1674) and built a house on the present Olds & Whipple farm (1921). It was on the flat west of the present house and was the first house built between High Street and Taintor Hill. The same year (1726), the town laid out a road by this house, and soon after, Thomas4 Spencer built a house on the brow of the hill, east of his father's place and near where the large maple now stands. With the single exception of the DAN Phelps house west of the mountain, it is said to be the only one in Suffield with an overhanging second story. Samuel3 Spencer died in 1743 and his sons divided the land, Daniel4 taking the north and Thomas4 the south half. Daniel Spencer died in 1772 and his farm passed to Daniel5 Spencer, Jr., who died in 1784, when the property passed to his children. In 1798, AugustINE6 Spencer, son of Daniel5 Spencer, Jr., sold his place to his cousin, HEZENKlAH6, grandson of Thomas. In 1803, Spencer Street was laid out by the town, just north of this house, but it was subsequently changed to the south. In 1810, HEZEKIAH6 Spencer moved to South Street to be on the post road, but retained ownership of the farm.
We should make it clear that there were many more Spencer properties in Suffield than the ones described above. The focus on the "Spencer Place" is justified because it is one of the important historical landmarks in Suffield. [KP note: Book includes a modern map or central Suffield, CT, showing locations of the original land grant to Thomas2 Spencer, the Spencer Memorial marker, and Location of William3 Spencer on Sheldon St. in 1721. The original land grant appears to be in the northeast corner of the intersection of S. Main St. and Kent Av.]
Thomas2 Spencer
The Family of Thomas2 Spencer and Esther Andrews. Thomas2 Spencer was born at Hartford, Connectcut, ca 1641 and died at Suffield, CT, ca 23 July 1689. Esther Andrews was born in September, 1641 and died at Suffield on 6 March 1698. Thomas and Esther removed from Hartford to Suffield about 1674, but perhaps did not make the move permanent until 1677 after the close of the King Philip War. Esther was the daughter of William1 Andrews and Abigail (Graves) Andrews. Children... [Author continues with details on six children of Thomas and Esther; however, I do not transcribe it.]
V. The History of Thomas2 Spencer IN SUFField.
Thomas2 Spencer spent his early life in Hartford, as did his wife, Esther Andrews (1641-1698). Their first three (or four?) children probably all were born in Hartford, although Samuel3 could have been born in Hartford or in Suffield. The family possibly removed to the newly established town of Suffield in 1674. In that year, Thomas received a grant of 60 acres on High St. The earliest grants of land in Suffield had been made in 1670.
The town records of 22 July 1677 had an interesting entry related to the original Spencer land grant which had been approved 24 June 1674 (Sheldon):
"In the lifetime of Serg. Tho. Spenser, the Towne upon his request, or proposal; Granted him an allotment of forty acres, for his son Thomas; but through his neglect, it mist an orderly entry in the time of it; both of the Grant, and of the Laying out of the same; but it evidently appearing by testimony, circumstances, and especially his yearly paying of Rates for it; that the thing was reall. The Towne therefore being orderly warned, and convened, August the 10th, 1697: did then by a clear, and unanimous vote: ratify, and confirm said Grant unto the Widow, and the heirs to that estate, in the places where it is asserted it was Lay'd out to him."
The same year (1674) that Thomas2 Spencer and family removed to Suffield from Hartford also was the fateful year of the King Philip War, resulting in the evacuation of the town. Most of the inhabitants apparently fled northward to Springfield (which also came under attack by the Indians). It may have been more logical for Thomas and his family to have returned to Hartford which was their original home.
The last meeting of the Town Council of Suffield was held on 28 Jan 1674. The next meeting was dated 20 Dec 1676, so an interval of two or three years elapsed before the re-settlement was attempted.
The "Committee for the Plantation" has a record dated 24 June 1674, which among other grants, included one to Thomas Spencer for 60 acres. It was not until mid-1675 that the first events of the King Philip War heated up in eastern Massachusetts. By September of 1675, the Indians were attacking the Connecticut River settlements of Deerfield and Hadley in western Massachusetts.
Suffield was one of the many targets of the Indian onslaught in 1675 and much of the town was burned. The War continued on into mid-1676 until the Indians suffered a serious defeat at Hadley in June of that year. The War ended in August of 1676 with the killing of King Philip. This cycle of events produced a blank in the formal records of Suffield for 1674, 1675, and nearly all of 1676.
As we related these events to the affairs of the family of Thomas2 Spencer, it seems probable that they may have returned to Suffield early 1677, since it would have been too late in the autumn of 1676 to re-establish housing before the onset of winter. The year 1677 was noteworthy also for the re-building of JohnPYNCHON's grist mill and sawmill.
The first mention of Thomas2 Spencer in the Suffield town records (other than the land grant of 1674) was in March of 1682 where he was listed a "Corp. Tho: Spencer", one of 34 men who had the "Liberty of Voteing in all Towne affairs".
In June of 1686, it was ruled that each proprietor then resident should receive an additional 20 acres of land "to be laid out in a common field". Corp. Spencer was on a Committee of eight men chosen to oversee this distribution. (The plan had a great deal of opposition and seems to have been abandoned at a later date).
On 28 June 1689, Corp. THO. Spencer was one of six men chosen as "Selectmen" for one year. On 23 July 1689, the death of Thomas2 Spencer was recorded, age about 48.
On 16 April 1684, a burying place was laid out on "Meeting House Hill" containing one and a half acres. The plot was bounded on the north by the lot of Thomas HUXLEY, Jr. and on the south and west by the property of Robert OldS. On modern maps this is shown as the "Old Burying Ground" of the First Church of Christ Congregational. The Old Burying Ground today contains an imposing marble monument showing the descendants of Sgt. Thomas1 Spencer in the line of Daniel LINE 4 and Thomas LINE4.
In April of 1685, the Town Council agreed to a scale of payments for compensating Sgt. Thomas HUXLEY for the digging of graves.
From the rather meager record of Thomas2 Spencer, we cannot assume that he played any major role in the destiny of the fledgling community. In part, this was due to the fact that he died within a month or two of being elected as a "Selectman" on the Town Council. We do not know what sort of skills he may have had as an artisan, although he must have had considerable exposure to the woodworking shop which his father had developed to a high degree of perfection in Hartford. Perhaps all of his energies in early Suffield were consumed with land clearing, the provision, of an adequate shelter for his family, and the beginnings of crop cultivation and animal husbandry.
When Thomas2 Spencer died at age 48, his wife Esther (Andrews) Spencer was of the same age. They had had six children, including 3 boys and 3 girls. Esther3, the eldest, was only 23 and she had married William PIERCE a year before the death of her father. (Incidentally, Esther3 had a son by JohnBARNARD who was raised by the BARNARD family). Elizabeth3 was 21 years of age, but at age 18 had married JohnTaylor of Windsor and had a son one year of age when Thomas2 died.
[Note that book has a photo of the "Monument to the Descendants of Sgt. Thomas1 Spencer in the Old Burying ground of Suffield now the Churchyard of the First Church of Christ Congregational. Different lines of Descent are on each of the four faces of the monument. It notes "Serg. Thomas Spencer, b. England 1607, d. Hartford 1687."]
The third child of Thomas2 Spencer and Esther Andrews was Thomas3 who was 18 in 1689, but he died only three years after his father and hence played no further role in the history of the Thomas2 family. The fourth and fifth child of Thomas and Esther were Samuel3 and William3, the youngest of the male offspring. It is clear that the extension of the Thomas2 family in Suffield would revolve around these two men. Samuel3 was only 15 when his father died, while William3 was 11 years of age. Indeed, the long lines of descendants from these two third generation Spencers divided all the subsequent Spencers in Suffield into two very contrasting groups which we will describe in detail as the story unfolds...
Because Esther (Andrews) Spencer was widowed at an early age (45), we can see that the burden of survival for the family rested on the shoulders of Samuel3 who was barely 15 when his father died. As noted above, in the later years, the two surviving sons equally divided the land pioneered by their father. The descendants of Samuel3 seemed to be oriented more to commercial enterprises in Hartford County, whereas the descendants of William3 remained wedded to the land. The latter group also participated in the great westward movements to New York State (some also to Vermont) and the lands of the Connecticut Western Reserve in northern Ohio. We shall recount all these diverse activities in detail (particularly the Ohio migrants) as we move from generation to generation.
VIII. SGT. Thomas HUXLEY of SUFField, BROTHER-IN-LAW of Thomas2 Spencer.
Thomas2 Spencer had a half-sister, Sarah2 Spencer, who also was an early pioneer of Suffield through her marriage to Sgt. Thomas HUXLEY. Sarah2 was born in Hartford about 1646. Her husband first appears in the Suffield Town Records in 1678. Savage notes that Thomas HUXLEY and Sarah (Spencer) HUXLEY had the following children born in Hartford: Thomas (b. 1668), John, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth. The children born in Suffield included: Jared, 1680; Hannah, 1682; Nathaniel, 1683 (d. young); William, 1687.
Sarah (Spencer) HUXLEY died 24 Oct 1712, while Thomas HUXLEY died 21 July 1721.
Thomas HUXLEY had a grant for 60 acres on High Street in 1678. By a vote of the town in 1686, HUXLEY was chosen keeper of a "Public House of Entertainment". This tavern was situated on High St. on a lot later owned by CAPT. THADDEUS H.6 Spencer (1768-1825). HUXLEY became a freeman in 1681 and held important town offices (Sheldon). Like Thomas2 Spencer, Thomas HUXLEY was on the list of 34 men who had the "liberty of voting in all town affaires". HUXLEY, Sr. had a son (Thomas, Jr.) who received a grant of eight acres on the west side of High St. in March of 1683.
In March of 1683, Thomas "HUCKSLEY" was chosen one of five Selectmen for the coming year. This nomination was indicative that HUXLEY, Sr. already was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens of Suffield. In April of 1685, the Town Council agreed to a scale of payments for compensating Serj. Thomas HUCKSLEY for digging of graves. In the same year, he received an additional land grant of ten acres "adjoining his meddow".
In March of 1687, Thomas HUXLEY again was chosen as one of five Selectmen for the ensuing year. The same nomination was received in 1688. His elevation to this position seemed continuous for he was also on the list for 1690. Other mentions of HUXLEY Senior included "Surveyor of Highways, 1697. in 1698 he was chosen as one of four "Fence Viewers" for the ensuing year.
On 10 Jan 1710, JohnHUXLEY, along with 24.others voted against a tax levy in support of a "School Master". In 1712, the same JohnHUXLEY was chosen as one of four "Fence Viewers". On 2 April 1713, the Town voted additional land to 102 "Inhabitants" of the Town of Suffield. JohnHUXLEY received seven and one half acres. Samuel3 Spencer was voted five and one half acres along with William3 Spencer who received the same allotment. Thomas HUXLEY (the original settler) received eight acres.
On 29 Jan 17, Jared HUXLEY was chosen as Constable. On 22 March 1715, JohnHUXLEY was elected as one of four "Fence Viewers".
The distribution of land to the various Inhabitants in 1713 continued to arouse a great deal of dissension. On 4 Aug 17 15, 25 persons signed as dissenters to the 1713 allotments. On 4 Aug 1715, 25 persons signed as dissenters to the land allotment of two years earlier. Jared HUXLEY was among the dissenters despite the fact that his father Thomas and brother (?) Johnwere among the beneficiaries of the distribution.
The distribution of lands continued despite the opposition. On 3 Jan 1716, Samuel3 Spencer and William3 Spencer each received ten and one half acres. JohnHUXLEY received twelve and one half acres. At the same meeting, 30 dissenters opposed the distribution. This time, Thomas HUXLEY joined Jared HUXLEY with a negative vote. Eventually, the dissenters were successful in getting the land grants nullified by the Massachusetts General Court which had been made subsequent to 9 March 1713.
At the Town Meeting of 29 Nov 1716, Thomas HUXLEY was chosen as Moderator.
The name of William HUXLEY first appears in the record of 29 Nov 1717 when he was granted half a crown for digging a grave for the child of George GRANGER. We recall that Thomas HUXLEY (father of William?) was paid for grave digging as early as 1685.
In March of 1718, JohnHUXLEY was sworn in as "Surveyor of Highways" - one of four so chosen.
On 15 May 1718, 41 dissenters again signed a resolution opposed to further meetings on the question of land distribution. Thomas and Jared HUXLEY were among the signers in 1719, Jared HUXLEY was named one of two "Tything Men". In 1720, the Council voted that "JohnHUXLEY should have the use of the burying place for twenty years, provided, he clear it, and fence it, and keep it entire, and leave it fenced when the time is up". In 1721, JohnHUXLEY again was chosen a "Tything Man".
Widow EXPERIENCE HUXLEY was mentioned in the record of 3 Dec 1725. She was EXPERIENCE (GIBBS) HUXLEY, widow of JohnHUXLEY, whom she had married in 1706.
There is no further mention of the Huxleys for several years. In 1729, however, Jared HUXLEY and Samuel Spencer were listed as "Hogg Reeves" (overseers of swine). Again, there was a hiatus of several years. In 1736, Serj. Jared HUXLEY was paid 5 pounds "for keeping Ishmael Negro for ye time past". The same entry was noted in 1737. In June of 1737, "Jared HUXLEY Sen." was paid 3 shillings for "2 lode of poles in Town". In 1743, Jared HUXLEY received "2/ for Timber for Highways".
The grave digging jobs for JohnHUXLEY seemed to continue on through the years. In 1744, John was paid ten shillings "for diging of the Grave".
In 1745, "JARUT HUXLEY Junior" was on the list as a Highway Surveyor. He held the same position in 1750.
Here the record terminates for the Huxleys because the book which HEZEKIAH Spencer Sheldon had prepared of the Suffield Town meetings from 1660 to 1750 had ended. Alcorn in his "Biography of a Town, 1670-1970" barely mentions the name of Thomas HUXLEY.
IX. IN RETROSPECT.
Thomas2 Spencer (1641-1689) was the second son in a family of nine children, all born at Hartford, Connecticut, between 1639 and 1658. Hartford had been founded in 1636, only five years before the birth of Thomas2. Consequently, the Childhood of Thomas must have been greatly influenced by the wilderness areas which surrounded all three of the fledgling river towns (Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor) for vast distances on all sides. The young Thomas must have been exposed to all the problems which confronted the establishment and growth of new towns in the wilderness of central Connecticut, including the constant threat from Indian attacks.
Thomas also must have been greatly influenced by the woodworking skills of this father, Thomas1, although the precise time period in which the elder Spencer established the Hartford shop is unknown. Thomas2, however, was 36 years of age in 1677 when he probably left Hartford to establish a new home in the war-scarred town of Suffield. He had at least three small children, so he must already have earned a livelihood in Hartford before the emigration northward. Why did Thomas2 not remain in Hartford instead of exposing his young family to the hazards of the wilderness surrounding the "Stoney Brooke Plantation"? Possibly he felt that his older brother, Obadiah2 Spencer, would be the inheritor of his father's thriving business in Hartford. Unfortunately, Thomas2 was destined to live only a few short years in Suffield. His death in 1689 at age 48 deprived him of the opportunity to play any significant role in the further history of his adopted town.
There was, however, a most important legacy to the lives of Thomas2 Spencer and Esther (Andrews) Spencer. They established the impressive dynasty of Spencers in Suffield which was to prevail for the succeeding three centuries. Some of the descendants achieved pre-eminence in the world of business and finance, especially in the city of Hartford which became the capital of the State of Connecticut.
Besides the descendants of Thomas2 in Suffield, there were many who became the pioneers in the great emigration to the West and to the North, especially to Vermont, New York, and Ohio. Many of these pioneers carried the surname of Spencer, but there were countless others who, although lacking the surname, traced their heredity directly back to Thomas2 and Esther Andrews.
References:
ALCORN, R.E. "The Biography of a Town-Suffield, Connecticut". Three Hundredth Anniversary Committee of the Town of Suffield. 1970.
Clark, FLORA S. (Mrs. William E.) "Descendants of Thomas2 Spencer, Samuel2, and Jared2". (Private Papers, Elkins Park, PA. 1962. (Editor, Dr. Rowena Spencer).
CUTTER, William R. "New England Families". Four Vol. Originally Published 1913. Reprinted 19 94, Gen. Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD.
HIBBARD, GEO. S. "A History of Rupert, VT". JOHNSTON, Henry P. (Editor). "Record of Connecticut Men in the Military and Naval Service During the War of the Revolution, 1775-1783." Hartford, 1889.
KETCHUM, Richard M. (Editor). "The American Heritage Book of the American Revolution". The American Heritage Publishing Co., New York. 1958.
LESSER, Charles H. (Editor). "The Sinews of Independence". The Univ. of Chicago Press, 1976.
MANWARING, Charles W. "A Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Hartford District". Three Vol.1635-1750. Reprinted 1995, Gen. Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD.
MIDDLEKAUF, Robert. "The Glorious Cause". Oxford Univ. Press, 1983.
NEBENZAHL, KENNETH & DON HIGGINBOTHAM. "Atlas of the American Revolution". Rand McNally & Co.1976.
POPE, Charles Henry. "The Pioneers of Massachusetts". Reprinted 1981, Gen. Publishing Co. of Baltimore, MD.
SCHLESINGER, ARTHUR M., Jr. "The Almanac of American History". A Bison & Perigree Book, 1983.
Sheldon, HEZEKIAH Spencer. "The History of Suffield, Connecticut, 1660-1749". Springfield, Mass.1879.
Spencer Jack T. & Edith W. Spencer. "The Spencers and Other Men of Suffield Who Served in the French and Indian War, 1755-1760". Conn. Nutmegger, Vol.28, No. 2, Sept. 1995.
Spencer, JackT. & Edith W. Spencer. "The Five Spencer Siblings of Bedfordshire, the Role of the Braintree Company, and the Beginnings of Cambridge, Mass.". le DeSpencer, Vol. 17, 1993."
11. The book "Colonial Ancestors. Four lineal genealogies of eastern Connecticut families…," by Bernice Andrews (Livingston) Rieg (Camden, Maine; Penobscot Press, 1991), pp. 1-7 [Note: I neglected to copy the source list.]:
"WILLIAM1 ANDREWS, whose place and date of birth are not known, died in Hartford, Conn., between 01 Apl 1659, when his will was written, and 08 Aug of the same year, when the inventory of his estate was taken by Edward Stebbing, George Grave and George Barnard.[1] William married ABIGAIL (? - GRAVE), thought to have been the sister of George Grave, Senior, of Hartford; after her husband's death, Abigail married second, Nathaniel Berden (or, Bearding) who died 14 Sep 1674;[2] and she died in Hartford, 20 Mch 1682/3.[3]
Abigail (? - Grave) (Andrews) Berden's nuncupative exhibited in Court 04 Apl 1683, presents an interesting family relationship, since her son Samuel, in his recollections of his mother's instructions, referred to his mother as, "Grandmother"! This was possible because Samuel, son of William and Abigail Andrews, married Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Thomas Spencer and his second wife, Sarah Berden, daughter of Nathaniel and his first wife. Thus, when the widow Abigail Andrews married Nathaniel Berden, she became step-mother to Sarah (Berden) Spencer and step-grandmother to Sarah's daughter, Elizabeth Spencer, the wife of her son Samuel Andrews...
It is interesting to note that Nathaniel Berden, in his will dated 07 Jan 1673, mentioned his wife, Abigail, son-in-law Thomas Spencer the elder, Samuel Andrews and wife Elizabeth to whom he left £40 to be paid after "the decease of my wife his mother." In addition to Elizabeth, the other four daughters of Thomas and Sarah (Berden) Spencer are mentioned by name, i.e. Sarah, Hannah, Mary and Martha. Next in order appear John Andrews, Thomas Andrews, and Jarred Spencer, "my grandchild," who would have been the only son of the above mentioned Thomas and Sarah (Berden) Spencer.[22]
Children of William and Abigail (?-Grave) Andrews:[23]...
v. Esther Andrews, b. Hartford, -- Sep 1641, d. Suffield, Conn., 06 Mch 1697/8; m. prob. by 1665 to Thomas Spencer, Jr., b.c. 1641, d. Suffield, 23 Jul 1689, son of Sergt. Thomas and Ann (Derifall) Spencer. In 1657, John Winthrop, Jr. had written in his medical journal that Esther dwelt with Ens. Talcott, was sixteen years old, and had a pain in the head and stomach; the next year,. his records show she had a toothache!
Children, Spencer, b.c. 1666-1680: Esther, Elizabeth, Thomas, Samuel, William, and Anna. [24] [25]
vi Samuel Andrews, b. Hartford, 20 Oct 1645, d. there bt 01 Jan 1711/12 (date of will) and 29 Jan 1711/12 (date of inventory); m. c. 1668 Elizabeth Spencer, by Hartford, 26 Mch 1648, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Berden) Spencer. Elizabeth survived her husband.
Children, Andrews, order of birth unknown:
Nathaniel; John; Abigail, m. John Stedman of Farmington; Thomas; Elizabeth, m. William Day; Samuel, bp. Hartford, 14 Nov 1686. [24]"
11. The periodical "The American Genealogist," 35[1959]:55-58, "Andrews Families of Western Connecticut," by Donald Lines Jacobus, M.A., F.A.S.G.:
"Under the above heading we hope to publish from time to time data on the early generations of the Andrews families of western Connecticut. The chief aim is to bring together new or corrective information relating to the first three or four generations, and even for this period no pretense is made that the research has been exhaustive or that our account is in any way definitive. Others who have found new and important data affecting the very early generations are invited to submit it.
I. William Andrews of Hartford
William1 Andrews of Hartford, Conn., came, according to Savage [Gen. Dict., 1:56], from Cambridge, Mass., where his wife Mary died 19 Jan. 1640; was the first schoolmaster and town clerk; Abigail (who married second, Nathaniel Barding) is called his second wife; the three sons are named, John, Thomas and Samuel, and but one daughter, Elizabeth, is named.
William Andrews was chosen Register (town clerk) at Hartford 12 Jan. 1651/2 and was succeeded by John Allyn 11 Apr. 1659, a few days after Andrews made his will, in which he described himself as in poor health. His Hartford lands were entered without date, yet he was a very early and probably an original settler. The lands of Francis Andrews were entered February 1639/40. In the Secretary's Book, the lands of William and Francis Andrews are entered on successive pages, those of William first. [Conn. Hist. Soc. Coll. 14:xi, xv, 235, 388]. In these records he is usually entitled "Mr." and it is worth noting that Francis bought land from William.
It is certain that William was in Hartford before 1640 when he became schoolmaster, and in fact he had a child born there in 1638. Although many of the Hartford settlers came from Cambridge, I think he was a different man from the William Andrews of Cambridge whose wife Mary died there 19 Jan. 1639/40. One reason for this conclusion is that William's wife Abigail is the proved mother of William's three sons -- proved by William's will which called the children "our" children as well as by the fact that Abigail's second husband gave them legacies, and finally by a deed of Abigail Barding which calls John, Thomas and Samuel Andrews her sons. Since the mother of Thomas (born 1638) was Abigail, it could not have been the Hartford William's wife Mary who died at Cambridge in 1640. Furthermore, Cambridge Church Records (p. 7) give us the family of a "Samuel Andrews (son of Mr William Andrews deceased)" who joined the church there with his wife Elizabeth 10 Dec. 1658 and had children Samuel, William, John (1661), Elizabeth (1663), Thomas (1665), Mary (1666), and Thomas again (1668). Samuel the son of William of Hartford also had a wife Elizabeth, but a different history and a different group of children. It is a curious coincidence that the same names occur in the Cambridge and Hartford families.
William Andrews in 1658, the year before his death, was called "senex" by Winthrop, who rarely applied that term to men much under 70. Even if 65 at the time, this would make William born as early as 1593 and his known children could all have been born after he was 40. This raises the question whether he could have had children by a former wife.
He certainly married Abigail, most probably a sister of George Grave [later called Graves], Sr., of Hartford but possibly sister of Grave's unknown first wife. His will, made 1 Apr. 1659, when he was "sick and weak," gave virtually all his property to his wife Abigail, making casual mention of his "son Edward Grannis," and giving to "my son John" a steer. He asked his wife to dispose of his lands among "our Children" with the advice and consent of the overseers, whom he named as "my friend Edward Stebbing" and "my Brother George Grave." They witnessed the will and he died before 8 Aug. 1659 when the inventory was taken by the said Stebbing and Grave together with John Barnard [Manwaring's Digest, 1:92].
The widow soon married Nathaniel Berding, Barding or Bearding, who died 14 Sept. 1674. His will of 7 Jan. 1673/4 made liberal provision for his wife Abigail. He gave to "my son-in-law Thomas Spencer, the elder," £15; to Samuel Andrews and Elizabeth his wife, £40, to be paid to him after the decease of "my wife his mother"; to Sarah, Hannah, Mary and Martha Spencer, the four daughters of Thomas Spencer the elder, £10 between them; to John Andrews, £1; to Thomas Andrews, £1; and the residue to Jarred Spencer, "my grandchild, whoe is the son of Thomas Spencer the eldest." He made Paul Peck, Sr., and George Graves his overseers, and they, with Caleb Stanley took the inventory [ibid., 1:182-3].
It should be noted that Nathaniel Bearding was a widower with one child of his own, Sarah Bearding, who married at Hartford, 11 Sept. 1645, as his second wife, Sergt. Thomas1 Spencer, baptized at Stotfold, co. Bedford, England, 29 Mar. 1607, died at Hartford 11 Sept. 1687, and became the mother of Jared [Gerrard] Spencer and of five daughters, one of whom, Elizabeth Spencer, married Samuel2 Andrews, her grandfather's stepson. To complicate matters, Thomas2 Spencer, son of Sergt. Thomas by his first wife, Ann Derifield, married Esther2 Andrews.
Soon after her second husband's death, on 20 Jan. 1674/5, Abigail Berden of Hartford, Widdow, "for Naturall Love to my son John Andrews & my son Thomas Andrews & my son Samll Andrews & my son in law Thomas Spencer Junior & in persueance of the Last will & testament of my Loueing husband William Andrews...." conveyed the house and various lands to them. On 16 Feb. 1675/6, John, Thomas and Samuell Andrews conveyed to Bevill Waters, and on 28 May 1677 John Andrews and Mara his wife, Thomas Andrews and Hannah his wife, and Samuell Andrews and Elizabeth his wife, appeared and acknowledged the deed; Abigaile Berding had consented 24 Apr. 1677, calling John, Thomas and Samuel her sons. [Hartford Deeds, 1:25, 344.]
Abigail (Grave?) (Andrews) Bearding died 20 March 1682/3 and by nuncupative will proved 4 Apr. 1683 gave to Samuel Andrews what was due to her from Gerrerd Spencer, and to her daughter Hester Spencer the residue. This was established by the testimony of George Graves, aged about 52 [George, Jr., presumably her nephew], Samuel Andrews, aged about 36 [her son], and Paul Peck, Sr., aged about 60 [Manwaring's Digest, 1:271].
The fact that the daughter Abigail died in young womanhood at Fairfield, where Francis Andrews who had been at Hartford with William Andrews had settled, and that the daughter Elizabeth at marriage was called of Farmington where John Andrews lived, while that John's eldest son and namesake settled in Hartford, suggests a relationship. Francis and John (of Farmington) were young enough perhaps to have been sons of William by a former marriage, yet we cannot suppose that William had two sons named John, as his will mentions one son John without any distinguishing appellation. If brothers of William, possibly Francis and John (of Farmington) were much younger half-brothers.
Children of William and Abigail (Grave?) Andrews:
i. John2, b. (say 1632).
ii. Abigail, b. (say 1634); d. at Fairfield (called daughter of William of Hartford), buried May 1653 (entered in
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
Abt 1637 - Abt 1689 (52 years)
