| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. The book "Spencer Family Record of the Springfield, VT. and Evansville, Wis. Spencers. (Descendants of Garrard Spencer of Haddam, Conn. Emigrant of 1630," by William Henry Spencer, New York, Tobias A. Wright, 1907, children of Gerat Spencer:
"William Spencer, bapt. Oct. 11, 1601, at St. Mary's Parish, Stotfold, emigrated with his three brothers to New England, 1630. Settled in "New Town," now Cambridge, Mass., till 1638, when he moved to Hartford, Conn. Was Selectman, Deputy to Court, a Commissioner to revise the laws, etc. He d. 1640, leaving wife Agnes and three children.
Elizabeth Spencer, bap. Oct. 21, 1602; m. Tomlyers as appears in Richard's will.
John Spencer, bap. June 22, 1604, at Stotford.
Henry Spencer, bap. Aug. 11, 1605, at Stotfold; buried Oct. 20, 1607.
Thomas Spencer, bap. March 29, 1607 at Stotfold; emigrated to New England, 1630, with three brothers. Settled in Cambridge (New Town) till 1637; then moved to Hartford, Conn. Freeman 1634; in Pequoit War 1637; Sergt. Train Band, 1650; he m. (1) ___, who d. 1644; left three sons; m. (2) 1645, Sarah Reading; had six children; he d. 1687.
Richard Spencer, bap. Dec. 11, 1608, at Stotfold; d. May 6, 1614.
Michael Spencer, bap. May 5, 1611, at Stotfold; emigrated ot New England, 1630, with his three brothers. Lived at Cambridge and Lynn, Mass.; d. 1653; had two children. His first wife unknown; m. (2) widow Robbins. It is not known that any descendants of this emigrant brother are living.
Garrard Spencer, bapt. April 25, 1614, at St. Mary's Parish, Stotfold; emigrated to New England, 1630, with his three brothers, Thomas, William, and Michael. Settled in Cambridge till 1637; moved to Lynn, thence to Hartford in 1660, and to Haddam, Conn., in 1662. He was made Freeman in 1637; Ensign of Lynn Train Band, 1636; Deputy from Haddam to General Court from 1674 to 1680. His will of Sept. 17, 1683, probated in 1685, at Hartford."
2. "The Great Migration," by Robert Charles Anderson:
"Jared Spencer
Origin: Stotfold, Bedford.
Migration: 1634 (based on grant of land at Cambridge on 1 September 1634 [CaTR 10]).
First Residence: Cambridge.
Removes Lynn 1636, Hartford 1660, Haddam 1662...
Associations: Jared Spencer was brother of William Spencer {1631, Cambridge} [GMB 3:1721-25], Thomas Spencer {1633, Cambridge} [GMB 3:1718-21], and Michael Spencer {1634, Cambridge} [TAG 27:84].
Elizabeth, the wife of Timothy Tomlins {1632, Cambridge}, was probably sister of Jared Spencer [TAG 41:109-18; GMB 3:1828-30]..."
3. "The American Genealogist," 27:161: "The Four Spencer Brothers: Their Ancestors and Descendants," by Donald Lines Jacobus:
"Gerard Spencer, baptized at Stotfold, co. Bedford, 20 May 1576, died before 1646; married at Upper Gravenhurst, Co. Bedford, 10 Nov. 1600, Alice Whitbread or Whitbred (see 32:129), who belonged to a family of some prominence. An account of her family is reserved for a later chapter. It seems quite possible that Gerard and his family moved from Stotfold some years before the emigration of his sons to New England; perhaps to London, where his brother Richard had become a prosperous haberdasher.
Children, recorded at Stotfold
i. William, bapt. 11 Oct. 1601.
ii. Elizabeth, bapt. 31 Oct. 1602; m. ___ Tomlins.
iii. John, bapt. 22 Jan. 1603/4 almost certainly d. young or without issue before 1646, since neither he nor his heirs are named in the will of his uncle Richard which gave a large legacy to each of his three surviving brothers and the same amount to the children of his deceased brother William.
iv. Henry, bapt. 11 Aug. 1605; bur. 20 Oct. 1607.
v. Thomas, bapt. 29 Mar. 1607.
vi. Richard, bapt. 11 Dec. 1608; bur. 6 May 1614.
vii. A son, bur. 24 Mar. 1609/10.
viii. Michael, bapt. 5 May 1611.
ix. Gerard, bapt. 25 Apr. 1614."
4. "The Great Migration Begins," by Robert Charles Anderson:
"Timothy Tomlins
Origin: Unknown
Migration: 1632
First Residence: Cambridge
Removes: Lynn by 1634
Occupation: On 8 September 1636 "Mr. Tymothy Tomlins is licensed to keep a house of entertainment at Saugust" [MBCR 1:180]. In a case before Salem court on 9 July 1645, Timothy Tomlins deposed of William Prichett [Pritchard] that "[m]y wife and I were out of the house, and he drew more wine himself and drank too much" [EQC 1:82].
Church Membership: Admission to a Massachusetts Bay church prior to 4 March 1632/3 implied by freemanship.
Freeman: 4 March 1632/3 [MBCR 1:367].
Education The various tasks assigned Timothy Tomlins by the General Court presuppose some education.
Offices: "Mr. Tymothy Tomlyns" appointed to a committee to oversee the "powder & shot, & all other ammunition, in the several plantations where they live," 3 September 1634 [MBCR 1:125]; committee "to consider of the act of Mr. Endicott, in defacing the colors," 6 May 1635 [MBCR 1:145]; committee to make a colony-wide tax assessment, 8 September 1636, 1 August 1637 [MBCR 1:180, 201]; committee to "settle the bounds between Charistowne, Boston, & Linn," 6 June 1639 [MBCR 1:263]; committee "to set out the nearest, cheapest, safest, & most convenient way between Linn & Winnetsemet," 13 May 1640 [MBCR 1:289].
Deputy from Lynn to General Court, 3 March 1634/5, 8 September 1636, 18 April 1631, 17 May 1637, 26 September 1637, 2 November 1637, 12 March 1637/8, 2 May 1638, 13 March 1638/9, 22 May 1639, 13 May 1640, 7 October 1640 [MBCR 1:135, 178, 192, 194, 204, 205, 220, 227, 250, 256, 288, 301].
Essex jury, 27 June 1636 (foreman), 26 December 1637, 25 January 1641/2 [EQC 1:3, 7, 33]; grand jury, 26 December 1643, 9 July 1644 [EQC 1:57, 62].
Estate: Granted ten acres at Cambridge, on the west side of the river, 4 August 1634 [CaTR 8]. From the evidence of a mutilated entry in the Cambridge land inventory on 1 May 1635, this was the only parcel of land that he held [CaBOP 5].
Received eighty acres in the Lynn land grant of 1638 [EQC 2:270]. (Essex County deeds from 1660 and later refer to land granted to Timothy Tomlins by Lynn [ELR 2:5, 6, 3:43].)
On 28 September 1641, John Winthrop caused a statement to be recorded indicating that any persons claiming part of Long Island without leave from the Earl of Sterling, who held the King's patent, did so illegally. He specifically mentioned that "Edward Tomlins and Timothy Tomlins, together with one Hansard Knowles, clerk, & others, have lately entered and taken possession of some part of the Longe Iland..." and called them intruders [SLR 1:21-22]. The General Court seconded, this warning, directly ordering that "Mr. Edward [Tomlins] & Tymo: Tomlins, with John Poole, were admonished not to go to the Dutch because of scandal & offence" [MBCR 1:337].
Birth: Baptized Todenham, Gloucestershire, 11 January 1606/7, son of Edward and Mary () Tomlins.
Death: Probably by 17 March 1645/6 when Elizabeth (Spencer) Tomlins appears as a widow, but certainly by December 1647 (when Nicolas Batty of Lynn was appointed guardian of the children of William Ballard in place of Timothie Tomlins who had since deceased [TAG 41:111, EQC 1:131]).
Marriage: Probably Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Gerrard Spencer [TAG 41:109-18].
Child:
i Samuel, named in uncle Samuel's 1661 will [Waters 598].
Associations: Edward Tomlins of Lynn was brother of Timothy. (See sketch of Edward for further discussion of other possible relationships.)
Comments: By analysis of the committee of 3 September 1634 and the list of deputies of 3 March 1634/5, Timothy Tomlins is found to be representing Lynn in both cases.
On 7 March 1636/7 the General Court noted that "Tymothy Tomlins was contented to take only 10s. of John Stretton" [MBCR 1:194]; the details of the matter in dispute are not evident.
In Essex court on various dates between 31 December 1639 and 27 August 1 644 as witness, surety or plaintiff [EQC 1:14, 22, 32, 45, 52, 64, 70]."
5. 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.159-160:
"THE EARLY DAYS IN NEWE TOWNE (CAMBRIDGE)...
In 1630 or 1631, when the Spencer siblings made their arrival in New England (Elizabeth perhaps in 1629), they were all very young adults and all of the males were unmarried. William1 Spencer, the oldest, was about age 30. The second sibling, Elizabeth, was about 27 years of age and most likely already married to Timothy Tomlins of Gloucestershire. Elizabeth1 Spencer very likely came to the New World at least one or two years in advance of her four brothers, settling first at Salem and later at Lynn. Thomas1 Spencer, the subject of this article, was 23 years of age in 1630 and came to New England as a young bachelor. Michael1 Spencer was 19 and Gerard1 was was only 16 years of age. We believe that all four brothers probably came at the same time (1630?) in the first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet. All of their names appear in the very early records of Newe Towne (Cambridge), Massachusetts.
In the past, some historians have believed that the Spencer brothers were members of the famous "Braintree Company" of County Essex, England, whose members first settled at Wollaston (Quincy) south of Boston. There is clear evidence now (records of the General Court at Newe Towne) that William1 Spencer already was at Cambridge at least one year before the Braintree Company came to that town in the late summer of 1632. Hence, the Spencer siblings did not have a close affiliation with the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the leader of the Braintree Company. Indeed, both William1 and Thomas1 seem not to have been in the first and second contingents (or perhaps a third) of Hooker's congregation which went to Hartford in 1635 and 1636. Thomas, nevertheless, was a member from Hartford of Major JohnMASON's army which fought the Pequot War of 1637. William Spencer, a leading figure in Cambridge, does not appear among the Hartford residents until about 1638 (or more likely 1639), perhaps attracted by the presence of his brother Thomas who apparently had become an "inhabitant" by virtue of his service in the Pequot War."
6. 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. 141-155 that are applicable to Elizabeth Spencer (see notes of husband Timothy Tomlins for full transcript):
"It is not widely known that the Four Spencer Brothers had a sister, Elizabeth Spencer (b. 1602), who also came to New England, but whose history is shrouded in the dim ages of the past. The absence of any historical statements on Elizabeth is not unexpected because references to the wives of the early pioneers is almost totally lacking. Our only alternative is to study the records of their spouses and from that limited source attempt to visualize the life and experiences of the females in the wilderness of New England.
Elizabeth Spencer was married to Timothy Tomlins (Tomlyns), a member of a large family which was native to county Gloucestershire, England. The identification of the Tomlins family stems largely from the will of Samuel Tomlins "minister of Northaw in the county of Hertford" which was proved 11 October 1661..."
"We note from the "History of Lynn" (Newhall) that fifty male settlers were listed in the influx of 1630 and all were identified as "heads of families". Both Edward and Timothy Tomlins were identified on this list of fifty settlers, as was Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins. Newhall gives the distinct impression that these fifty settlers were passengers on one or more of the first eleven vessels of the Winthrop Fleet which reached New England in 1630.
A much different and undoubtedly more accurate record is provided by C.E. Banks who identifies Edward Tomlins [a brother of Timothy] as a passenger on one of six ships reaching New England a year in advance of the Winthrop vessels of 1630. These earlier vessels of 1629 did not sail as a unified "convoy", but rather came from several widely scattered ports in England with approximately 350 passengers. The six vessels were Talbot, Lyon's Whelp, Lyon, George Bonaventure, Four Sisters, and the Mayflower. In some cases, specific names of passengers could not be correlated with specific ships. Such was the case with Edward
Tomlins.
Thus, it is clear that the arrival of the Tomlins families in New England was quite different from the arrival of the Four Spencer Brothers who almost certainly came with the Winthrop vessels of 1630 or 1631. Edward and Timothy Tomlins most likely spent the first year at Salem and then moved on to Lynn as part of the fifty families which came to Lynn in 1630. The same scenario undoubtedly applied to Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins.
One of the striking aspects of the prior arrival of the Tomlins families in advance of the Spencer Brothers is the real possibility that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was in New England a year in advance of her brothers that is, 1629 compared to 1630. It seems certain that the Spencer Brothers (at least the two older ones, William and Thomas) could not have come before 1630 when the first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet came to Boston. We know Edward and Timothy Tomlins came in 1629 in advance of the Winthrop Fleet. The historian of Lynn (Newhall) states that all the males who came to Lynn in 1630 were heads of families. In any event, we have a strong probability that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins arrived in the New World in advance of her brothers and may have been the trigger which launched her male siblings upon the "Great Adventure."
"...The year 1645 may have been a turning point for the Tomlins families in Lynn because this marked the approximate year of Timothy's death. There is further evidence that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins returned to England because she was a beneficiary in the will of RichardA Spencer, proved 8 June 1646. (Waters) In this will, Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was named a co-beneficiary (along with two other female relatives) of a messuage in Grace Church Street, London. Such an arrangement of income from property in England would have seemed unlikely if Elizabeth had remained in New England.
Elizabeth and Timothy Tomlins had one child, Samuel Tomlins, who is mentioned in the will of the Rev. Samuel Tomlins of Northaw, Herts, in 1661."
"...Edward TOMLIINS was a Deputy to the General Court. (This is the last record of the Tomlins brothers in the History of Lynn. From the probate records in England, it appears that Timothy TOMLIN had died in 1645. Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was listed as a widow and beneficiary in the will of RichardA Spencer, proved 8 June 1646. Elizabeth was designated as a co-beneficiary with the Bland sisters for income from certain properties located in London. This bequest carries the implication that Elizabeth may have returned to England after the death of her husband, Timothy Tomlins)."
"...Finally, what was the fate of the Tomlins brothers and especially of Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins? We need a great deal more research both in America and in England to elucidate an answer. We do know that Timothy Tomlins died at a relatively young age, probably in his mid-forties at Lynn in 1645. In this respect, his life was similar to that of his brother-in-law, William Spencer, who died at Hartford in 1640, barely 39 years of age. As we noted earlier, there is some evidence that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins returned to England after the death of her husband. Elizabeth and Timothy Tomlins were known to have had a son, Samuel Tomlins, of whom nothing further is found in the records."
"...As for Edward Tomlins, it seems certain that he was still living in 1661 when the will of his brother, Samuel Tomlins, was proved on 11 October 1661 in county Hertfordshire, England. Not only was Edward named as a beneficiary, but the same was true for Samuel Tomlins, the son of Timothy and Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins. Just where Edward Tomlins was living at this stage in his life is a matter of conjecture. The last record of Edward at Lynn was in 1644 when he was chosen as a Deputy to the General Court of the Commmonwealth. Since there is no further mention of Edward Tomlins in the history of Lynn, it would be reasonable to expect that Edward, like his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins and her son Samuel, may all have returned to England. Some of the historians (such as Paige) believed that Edward Tomlins was living in Dublin in 1679."
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. 79-114, provides a long article on "Why and How did the Spencer Siblings of Bedfordshire Come to America," "The First Generation of the Spencer Siblings in America," and "The Five Spencer Siblings of Bedfordshire, the Role of the Braintree Company, and the Beginnings of Cambridge, Massachusetts." I have fully transcribed all three of these chapters within the notes of Thomas Spencer, the immigrant, who is my direct ancestor. Rather than include the same lengthy article in all four of the other immigrant Spencers, I include this reference only to the notes of Thomas Spencer. The same author does include many (but not all) of the important facts from the three chapters in later chapters which focus on the individual siblings and which I fully transcribe in their individual notes.
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, partial excerpt of full transcript in the notes of the earliest Spencer, pp. 62-63:
"The Family of GerardA Spencer (b. 1576-d.before 1646) and Alice Whitbread (1580-1646) of Upper Gravenhurst, Beds.
-William1 Spencer (GerardA, MichaelB, JohnC...). (The oldest of the Four Brothers who came to New England about 1630); bapt. 11 Oct 1601 at Stotfold, Beds.; m. Agnes HARRIS, 1633, Stotfold, Beds. Witn.: Agnes Pratt. (IGI A034); d. 1640 at Hartford, CT.
-Elizabeth1 Spencer (Also an emigrant to New England, perhaps a year prior to her four sibling brothers); bapt. 31 Oct 1602 at Stotfold, Beds.; m. Timothy TOMLIN (Timothy and Elizabeth were first at Salem, then first settlers at Lynn, MA).
-Henry Spencer; bapt. 11 Aug 1605 at Stotfold, Beds.; bur. 20 Oct 1607.
-Thomas1 Spencer (Second oldest of the Four Brothers); bapt. 29 Mar 1607 at Stotfold, Beds.; m. (1) Ann Derifeild (Derifall), Ann b. ca 1610; m. (2) Sarah Bearding (BARDING) at Hartford, CT, 11 Sept 1645. Sarah d. before 1674; d. 11 Sept 1687 at Hartford, CT.
-Richard Spencer; bapt. 11 Dec 1608; bur. 6 May 1614.
-Michael1 Spencer (Third oldest of the Four Brothers); bapt. 5 May 1611 at Stotfold, Beds.; m. ISABEL ___; d. 1653 at Lynn, MA.
-Gerard1 Spencer (Youngest of The Four Brothers); bapt. 25 April 1614 at Stotfold, Beds.; m. (1) Hannah HillS (Hannah d. before Gerard made his Will in 1683 and perhaps much earlier); m. (2) Rebecca (Porter) Clark after 1677. She was the dau. of John and Anne (White) Porter of Windsor; d. 1685 at Haddam, CT."
9. The periodical "Connecticut Nutmegger," 27[June 1994);32-37, "William Spencer, an Early Leader in New England, and his wife Agnes Harris, ancestress of the Edwards Family of Connecticut," by Jack T. Spencer and Edith W. Spencer:
The genealogy of the Five Spencer Siblings of Bedfordshire, England, was explored in detail in the famous articles published by Donald Lines Jacobus in the The American Genealogist nearly a half century ago. William, Elizabeth, Thomas, Michael, and Gerard Spencer were all born in county Bedfordshire in the early 1600's when Puritanism was assuming a major force in the religious life of England. All five of the Spencer siblings came to America. The two oldest brothers (William and Thomas) almost certainly came in the earliest contingents of the Winthrop Fleet, probably in 1630 or 1631. William Spencer (1601-1640) played an important role in the history of the Massachusetts Bay Company and the founding of both Cambridge, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut. The five Spencer siblings had been raised in Stotfold, county Bedfordshire in the "heartland" of England. Most of their ancestors had lived in the town of Edworth in the same county for several centuries. There were numerous other branches of the Spencer line who had lived in Bedfordshire as well as in some of the neighboring counties. The exact relationships among these earlier Spencer lines are not entirely clear. However, as we have written in an earlier account, the lines down to Gerard Spencer (father of the five siblings) have been depicted for nine generations (back to generation "H") in England with a considerable degree of reliability. Of the five Spencer siblings who came to America in the early 1600's, William undoubtedly was the best prepared for the task from the standpoint of age and educational attainments. He was thirty years of age in 1631, while his siblings ranged in age from 29 (Elizabeth) to 17 (Gerard). It has been stated by some historians that William was a close associate of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the leader of the ".Braintree Company" of county Essex. Before coming to America, Hooker had his headquarters at Little Baddow near Chelmsford in county Essex. A recent search of the vital records for county Essex and several towns around Chelmsford has given no indication that the parents of the five Spencer siblings (Gerard and Alice Spencer) had moved to county Essex in order to be near to the Rev. Hooker's congregation, nor is there any indication that any of the siblings had lived in county Essex. This leads to the conclusion that if William Spencer was in fact a close associate of the Rev. Hooker, this relationship may have developed in New England rather having taken place at an earlier date in the home country.
A careful search of all the original and secondary records on The Great Migration (1630-1640) has offered no clue as to the ship or ships on which the Spencer siblings embarked for New England. We do not know for certain if they came as an individual group or singly or in pairs. Despite these gaps in our knowledge, we can with a high degree of certainty designate the year in which William Spencer arrived in New England. The same can be said for his next younger brother Thomas Spencer. These conclusions are based on the fact that the early ships from England uniformly left their home ports early in the spring and arrived at their destination in New England in mid-summer. (There was only a slight deviation from this pattern). From the original records of the Massachusetts Bay Company, we know that William Spencer was in New England on 4 March 1632 when he took the oath of Freeman. Hence, he must have arrived in Boston at least by 1631. Could William possibly have come in the first ships of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630? Certainly the possibility cannot be ruled out. In addition, we know William was in the original group of eight proprietors who were the first residents of Newe Towne (later Cambridge).
Thomas Spencer took the oath of Freeman on 1 April 1633. Likewise, Gerard was accepted on 9 March 1637; Michael in March of 1638. The gap between the oldest pair of brothers and the youngest pair is considerable, amounting to five or six years.
II. Agnes Harris Spencer and William Edwards...
References
Banks, C.E. "Topographical Dictionary of 2,88r English Emigrants to New England 1620-1650". Gen. Publ. Co., Baltimore, 1981.
Berquist, D.C. "A Visit to Barnstaple, County Devon". Le Despencer, Vol. 16, May 1992.
Goodwin, N. "Genealogical Notes - Contributions to the Family History of Some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts". Gen. Publ. Co., Baltimore, 1982.
Love, W.D. "The Colonial History of Hartford", Conn. Printers, 1935.
McCracken G.E. "Tucker-Wyatt-Allyn-Pratt. The Wife of William Spencer and William Edwards". The American Genealogist, Vol. 42, 1966.
Manwaring, C.W, "A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records". Vol. 1. Hartford District, 1635-1700. R.S. Peck & Co. Hartford, 1904.
Paige, L.R. "History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877". The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1877.
Pitkin, R.S. "Notable Descendants of Agnes Harris Spencer-Edwards".
Richardson, D. "The English Origin of Agnes Harris of Hartford, Conn., Wife of William Spencer and William Edwards", The American Gen. 63:33-45. 1988.
Spencer, J.T., Edith Spencer, Virgil "A Comparative Analysis of Genealogical Records for Ancestors of the Four Spencer Brothers in England". Le Despencer, Vol. 3, Aug. 1993.
Tepper, M. "Passengers to America". Gen. Publ. Co., Baltimore, 1980.
-"Original Distribution of Lands in Hartford among the Settlers". Conn. Historical Soc., Hartford: 1912.
-"The Records the Town of Cambridge (Newe Towne), Mass. 1630-1703". Cambridge, 1901.
-"The Register Book of the Lands and Houses in Newe Towne and the Town of Cambridge with the Records of the Proprietors of the Common Lands", Cambridge, 1896."
10. The periodical "Connecticut Nutmegger," by Jack T. Spencer, CSG, "The Families Linked to Sgt. Thomas Spencer, a Co-Founder of Hartford," vol. 29, pp. 14
"I. BACKGROUND
Sgt. THOMAS1 SPENCER was one of the "Four Spencer Brothers" of Bedfordshire, England, who were among the earliest settlers of New England and who almost certainly were passengers in the earliest vessels of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 or 1631. THOMAS1 was the second oldest of the Spencer Brothers. The older was WILLIAM1 SPENCER (1601-1640). The two youngest brothers were MICHAEL1 SPENCER (1611-1653) and GERARD SPENCER (1614-c.1683). There also was a sister, ELIZABETH1 SPENCER (1602- ) who came to New England as the wife of TIMOTHY TOMLYNS and settled at Lynn, Massachusetts.
The male Spencer siblings (William, Thomas, Michael, Gerard) first settled at Newe Towne (Cambridge, Massachusetts.) A few years later the two older brothers, along with other pioneers, became co-founders of Hartford, Connecticut. Michael and Gerard eventually settled at Lynn, Massachusetts, but Gerard made another move in later years to become the "patriarch" of Haddam, Connecticut.
All of the Spencer siblings were born at Stotfold, co. Bedfordshire, England. Their parents were GERARDA SPENCER (1576- ) and ALICE WHITBREAD SPENCER. These Spencers were descendants of a long line of this surname in Bedfordshire whose ancestry can be traced back with certainty to the middle of the 14th century. Tracing the general lineage to even earlier times, we know that the original ancestors came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066 and participated in the Battle of Hastings. In the ensuing two or three centuries, the "Despencers" ranked among the highest of the Norman nobility, sometimes gaining and sometimes losing (their lives) for this close relationship.
In earlier publications (see reference list), we have described the important activities undertaken by WILLIAM1 SPENCER in the founding of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was the first Town Clerk of Cambridge and later served as a "Selectman" for several years. William played even more important roles for the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Company, especially in regard to surveying and setting the boundary lines for many of the towns under the control of the Court. For many years he served as a Deputy representing Newe Towne at the frequent meetings of the General Court in Cambridge and in Boston.
As for ELIZABETH1 SPENCER, we already have documented the activities of her husband, TIMOTHY TOMLINS (see reference list), who was a co-founder of Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630. Timothy, like William Spencer, was a prominent leader in Lynn and served as a Deputy to the General Court and in many other civic and military capacities before his untimely death about 1645..."
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
1602 - Aft 1646 (~ 45 years)
