Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Helen Whyston

Female Bef 1549 - Aft 1576  (> 29 years)


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  • Name Helen Whyston 
    Born Bef 1549  Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died Aft 1576  of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2172  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family Gerard Spencer,   b. Abt 1543, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. From 8 Jul 1576 to 20 May 1577, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 33 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. 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:
      "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 WH1STON 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."