Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Gerard Spencer

Male Abt 1543 - 1577  (~ 33 years)


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  • Name Gerard Spencer 
    Born Abt 1543  Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died From 8 Jul 1576 to 20 May 1577  Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2170  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father John Spencer,   b. Bef 1508, of Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 9 Jun 1558, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 50 years) 
    Mother Ann Merrill,   b. Bef 1510, of Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 16 Jun 1560, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 50 years) 
    Married Bef 1530  of Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F1175  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Helen Whyston,   b. Bef 1549, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1576, of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age > 29 years) 
    Married 30 Jul 1568  Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1294  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • 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, sons of John Spencer:
      "John Spencer, c. April 21, 1560, at Edworth. He is called 'son of Ann.' It is supposed that his two brothers were Gerat and Michael, the last of whom was the grandfather of Garrard the Emigrant.
      Gerat Spencer, lived at Biggleswade, Bedford Co., m. July 30, 1568, Helen Whyston; he d. 1576-7. His will of July 8, 1576, proved May 20, 1577, speaks of four children, viz: a son, two daughters and a child unborn.
      Michael Spencer, of Edworth and Stotfold, in Bedford Co., m. (1) in Edworth, Jan. 25, 1555, Annis Liner (or Miner), who was b. [should this be d.?] 23 Feb1561; left two sons. He m. (2) Elizabeth ___, who was b. 18 Nov 1599 [should this be d.?]. She had eight children."

      2. "The American Genealogist," Vol. 27 "The Four Spencer Brothers: Their Ancestors and Descendants," compiled by Donald Lines Jacobus, M. A.
      "John Spencer, born probably within a few years after 1500, buried at Edworth, co. Bedford, 9 June 1558; married Anne, perhaps Merrill, who was buried at Edworth, 16 June 1560.
      John was called "senior" at burial. The recorder in entering the burial of Ann Spencer, widow, paid her respect by the following tribute: "the good hospitallity keeper; and she did give to the towneship of Edworth ii of her best bease [beastsl to be lett to ii pore folks in the towne for iii s. a cow & the parson & churchwarden to have the letting of them & the distributing of the money to the poore & to se the stock meinteined each of them to have iiii d. of the vi s. for ther paynes to se this truly done acording to her last will."
      Her will, dated 13 June 1560, proved 21 Apr. 1561, calls her Widow, in Edworth, Beds., and names her son Gerard (aged 17); son Michael, to have the chest that was his brother John's; John Spencer, son Michael's Child, to have £20; Elisabeth Lymer, to have ₤4 at marriage; Alice Aystin, to have a calf; servants; for the mending of "London Brygge waye," 10 s.; brother Edward's children, to have the ₤1 that he borrowed of her, and the barley he gave her sons to his children; Nicholas Merryll and John Merryll his brother, to have the barley their father gave her sons; and the poor of Edworth, to have the gift already mentioned. Michael Spencer was a witness.
      From this will we gain the impression that our Spencer family at that period was of the yeoman class, and somewhat better off than the average village family of the time and place. Whether they were in origin a younger branch of an older gentry family, or a more humble clan which by industry and good fortune had improved its lot, we are not in a position to affirm. It would be necessary to prove the parentage and more remote ancestry of John Spencer, Sr., by documentary evidence, before claiming any specific connection with any other Spencer family in England. From the terms of the will, it would seem that Anne's brother was Edward Merryll or Merrill, and that this was her maiden name. A search of Merrill wills might confirm this conjecture.
      Children:
      i. Michael, b. probably 1530-1535.
      ii. John, bur. at Edworth, 21 Apr. 1560, as son of Ann Spencer, widow.
      iii. Gerard, b. Ca. 15143; d. at Biggleswade, Beds, ca. 1577; m. at Edworth, 30 July 1568, Ellen Whyston. His will, dated 8 July 1576, proved 20 May 1577, calls him of Biggleswade, yeoman, and names son Richard, under 21 (to have ₤60); daus. Agnes and Johan Spencer (underage) and child unborn, to have 140 marks apiece at 18 years; wife Elen; god-daughter Johan Spencer, my brother 's dau. (to have ₤1); brother Michael Spencer (to have 5 marks); wife Helen and brother Michael, executors. (F.C.C. Doughtrey, 19.) Children: 1. Richard. 2. Agnes. 3. Joan. 4. A child, b. 1576-7."

      3. 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. 60-61:
      "Vital Records for the Early English Generations of the New England Spencers.
      CHART I: The near relatives of the five Spencer siblings of Bedfordshire who came to New England about 1630:
      -JohnC Spencer (1505-1550) = Anne Merrill (d. 1560)
      -MichaelB (b. 1531) = Agnes Lymer (d. 1562); = Eliz. (d. 1599)
      -John (b. 1577 Edworth) children b. Baldock, Beds.: Daniel = Sarah Audley; Francis = Margaret Roberts.
      -Michael (1558-1560 Edworth)
      -Anne (b. 1560 Edworth)
      -Joan (b. 1564 Edworth)
      -Alice (b. 1566 Edworth)
      -Thomas (1571-1631 Edworth) = Margaret Spencer (?). Children b. Stotfold, beds.: Gerard (b. 1601) = Joan Hills; Anthony = Katherine Hills; Thomas; Richard; Margaret (d. 1635) = Simon Spencer.
      -Catherine (b. 1573 Edworth) = ___ Bland
      -Gerard (b. 1576 Stotfold) = Alice Whitbread. Children b. Stotfold: William (1601-1640) = Agnes Harris; Elizabeth (b. 1602) = Timothy Tomlins; John (b. 1604); Henry (1605-1607); Thomas (1607-1767) = Ann Derifield, = Sarah Bearding; Richard (1608-1614); a son; Michael (1611-1653) = Isabel ___; Gerard (1614-1685) = Hannah Hills, = Rebecca Porter Clark. [Note that the pedigree continues with another generation from the children William, Thomas, and Gerard.]
      -Richard (1580 Stotfold-1645)
      -John (1533-1560)
      -Gerard (ca 1543-1577) = Ellen Whysson. Children b. Biggleswade, Beds.: Richard, Agnes, Joan, a child (b. 1567).
      -William (b. ca 1545)...
      II. The Vital Records of the Early Generations in England [KP note: I delete all generations prior to JohnC since it is unproven conjecture.]
      -JohnC Spencer of Edworth; b. ca 1505; m. Ann Merrill (d. 1560); d. 1558.
      The Family of JohnC Spencer of Edworth (JohnD, JohnE, RobertF, ThomasG, HenryH, ThomasI) and Ann Merrill.
      -MichaelB Spencer of Edworth, Beds.; (The first of the Spencers at Stotfold, Beds); b. 1531 at Edworth; m. (1) Agnes Lorimer (Limer), 22 Jan 1555/56 at Edworth. Agnes bur. at Edworth, 23 Feb 1562; m. (2) Elizabeth ___ in 1563; Elizabeth bur. at Stotfold, 18 Nov 1599; d. after 1599. Probably bur. at Biggleswade, Beds.
      -JohnB Spencer of Edworth; b. ca 1533 at Edworth; d. ca 1560.
      -Gerard Spencer, b. ca 1543 at Biggleswade, Beds. (perhaps earlier); m. Ellen (Helen) Whyston (Whysson), 10 July 1568 at Edworth, Beds. Ellen was the dau. of Wm. and Elizabeth Whyston; d. ca 1576 at Biggleswade. Will dated 8 July 1576 and proved 20 May 1577.
      -WilliamB Spencer of Edworth; b. ca 1545 at Edworth.
      The Family of MichaelB Spencer (b. ca 1531) and Agnes Lorimer (d 1561/62 and Elizabeth ___; (The first three children were by Agnes Lorimer).
      -JohnA Spencer (MichaelB, JohnC, JohnD, JohnE, RobertF, ThomasG, HenryH, ThomasI). (Holding states that JohnA may have settled at Baldock, Beds, where several of his children were baptized); bapt. 20 April 1557 at Edworth, Beds.
      -MichaelA Spencer; bpt. 27 May 1558 at Edworth, Beds.; bur. 21 April l560 at Edworth.
      -Anna Spencer; bapt.) 24 July 1560.
      -Joan Spencer; bapt. 21 Aug 1564 at Edworth. AliceA Spencer; bapt.) 30 Aug 1566 at Edworth.
      -Thomas Spencer; bapt. 12 Mar 1571 at Edworth; m. Margaret Spencer (?) who was bur. 19 Dec 1635 at Stotfold. (So identified by Jacobus. Holding identifies Margaret as the daughter of Thomas who married a Spencer); d. 1631.
      -Katherine Spencer; b. 1573 at Stotfold, Beds. m. ___ Bland; d. Before 1645. (Katherine had daughters Sarah and Hannah Bland). It appears that Katherine was the first child baptized at Stotfold after the family had moved from Edworth. Some records indicate that GerardA was the first of the children born at Stotfold.
      -Gerard Spencer (the father of the Five Spencer Siblings who came to New England about 1630); bapt. 20 May 1576 at Stotfold; m. Alice Whitbread of Upper Gravenhurst, Beds, on 10 Nov 1600. Alice was born at Meppershall, Beds, ca 1580 She died in May of 1646. She belonged to a family of considerable prominence. Gerard moved from Stotfold sometime before his children emigrated to New England. Possibly Gerard moved to London, but this is not confirmed; d. before 1646.
      -RichardA Spencer; b. (bapt.) 9 July 1580 at Stotfold. m.?; Will dated 17 Mar 1645; codicil dated 29 May 1646; proved 6 June 1646.

      4. 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. 53-55, 57-60:
      "Holding published the Will of GerardB Spencer (superscripts added by present authors):
      "1576, July 8. Gerard[B] Spencer, Biggleswade, c. Bedford, yeoman. To be buried in the Church or Churchyeard of Biggleswade, afsd. To Richard[A] Spencer my son at 21. To Agnes[A] and JOHAN[A] Spencer, my daughters, and to the child of my wieff is now conceived with, &c., at 18. To Helen my wieff. To my goddaur JOANA my brother's daur. To my brother Michael[B] Spencer. To the poor of Biggleswade alsd. Helen my wife and brother Michael[B] Spencer to be executors."
      John Holding comments on the family of GerardB Spencer at some length:
      "GerardB Spencer married Ellen WHYSTON as appears in the Edworth register, on 30 July 1568. According to his mother's will he was 17 years of age in 1560, and apparently her youngest son, so that at the date of his death he would be only 34.
      Some of the entries which appear in the St. Albans register may possibly suggest the origin of Gerard's name, Garret being only another form for Gerard or GARRARD. Names were often spelled as pronounced.
      GerardB Spencer seems to have thriven in his undertakings, for he was able to bequeath L60 to his son and forty markes each of his daughters, which, at 13 shillings and four pence each, would be L53 6s. 8d. for the two; so that his personal estate would amount to something hike L135, which is equal to about L1,500 of our present money, not counting his "substance and gooddes for the most part in other men's handes, as ..."
      There are a number of entries in the Edworth register of the WHISTON family, and one alone shows the class to which they belonged; for we find the burial of "Edward, servant of JohnWHISTON, buried August 23, 1586". A Michael WHISTON was married to Alice WALLIS of Langford, 30 October, 1566, at Edworth; and there is the burial of Elizabeth, wife of William WHISTON, recorded on 29 April, 1560, who were doubtless the parents of Gerard's wife. The name of WARREN SQUIER occurs frequently in the register from 1555-1560."