| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. 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]."
2. From various Worldconnect databases as of 21 Sep 2007: Will of Barnabas Derifield of Braintree, MA proved 1680 helps confirm that Thomas Spencer's 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 Occupation: Inventory shows only agricultural activity at a subsistence level. Church Membership: Admitted to Boston church as member #155, which would be before 6 August 1633, but probably not much before [BChR 16]; on 24 May 1640 "our brother Barnabas Dorryfall" was recommended to Braintree church [BChR 29]. Freeman: 25 May 1636 [MBCR 1:372]. Education: Signed will by mark. Inventory includes books worth five shillings. Estate: On 30 November 1635 the town of Boston ordered that "such as have allotments for habitations allotted unto them shall build thereon before the first of the first month next called March," and on 21 March 1635/6 "Barnabie Dorryfall" was included in a list of twenty-five who had failed to comply and therefore forfeited the allotment [BTR 5,9]. On 1 July 1637 Samuel Wilbore was granted land "at the side of Barnabie Dorryfall's houseplot and garden" [BTR 19], and on 1 June 1638 Wilbore was authorized to sell this land, it being described as "adjoining to that was Barnaby Derryfall's" [BTR 34]. On 2 July 1639 the town of Boston granted land at Mount Wollaston (Braintree) to William Needham, describing it as "over against Barnaby Dorryfall's land, beyond Mr. William Coddington's brook" [BTR 41]. In 1655 Edward Baker and Daniel Salmon were involved in a dispute with the undertakers of the ironworks at Lynn. The undertakers had acquired large tracts of land at Braintree, also for the production of iron, and in payment of debt some of this land was transferred to Baker and Salmon, including thirty acres which "the said undertakers bought and sometimes was the land of Barnaby Derreford" [SLR 2:266-70]. (Pope misinterpreted this instrument as implying that Dorryfall was a proprietor of Lynn in 1655.) 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.) Comments: Savage suggested that Dorryfall came to New England in 1633 on the Mary and Jane along with William Coddington: Dorryfall is admitted to Boston church just before Coddington's wife, who was brought over on this ship; Ann Dorryfall, who came in the following year and was admitted to Boston church as Coddington's servant, was thought (correctly) to be Barnaby's sister; and Barnaby removed to Braintree at about the same time as Coddington. This all seems very likely, and would suggest an origin for both Barnaby and Ann Dorryfall in the neighborhood of Boston, Lincolnshire. Barnaby's year of birth is estimated on the assumption that he was a young, single man, when he came to New England, perhaps a servant of William Coddington. He could have joined the church at age sixteen, but he could not become a freeman until age twenty-one, which may explain the delay of that event until 1636. Jacobus suggests that Anne Dorryfall was born about 1610 [TAG 27:162], but based on the suggested ages of her sons, her status as a servant in 1634, and her admission to church in the same year, her birth year may be closer to 1618."
3. "The American Genealogist," Vol. 27 "The Four Spencer Brothers: Their Ancestors and Descendants," compiled by Donald Lines Jacobus, M. A., pp. 162-63:
"Sergt. Thomas1 Spencer, baptized at Stotfold, Beds, England, 29 Mar. 1607, died at Hartford, Conn., 11 Sept. 1687; will 9 Sept. 1637; married first, Ann Derifield, born about 1610; married second, at Hartford, 11 Sept. 1645, Sarah Bearding, who died before 1674, daughter of Nathaniel Bearding.
The will of Barnabas Derifield of Braintree, Mass., proved in 1680, gave all his estate to his kinsman Samuel Spencer, who was to pay to his brothers Obadiah and Thomas Spencer 40s. each. Since these were the three sons of Sergt. Thomas by his unidentified first wife, and since the will of Sergt. Thomas cuts off his son Samuel with little, "he having received a good portion from his Uncle," it follows that the first wife was sister of Barnabas Derifield. Full details of this connection will appear in an article by Mrs. W. C. Clark in New England Hist. and Gen. Register (July 1951).
The will of Sergt. Thomas Spencer made his "cousin" Samuel Spencer [his nephew, No. 10] an overseer.
Children by first wife:
i. Obadiah2, b. ca. 1639; d. May 1712.
ii. Thomas, b. ca. 1641; d. 23 July 1689.
iii. Samuel, b. ca. 1643; d. 8 Jan. 1726/7.
Children by second wife:
iv. Sarah, b ca. 1646; d. 24 Oct. 1712; m. Thomas Huxley, who d. at Suffield, 21 July 1721.
v. Elizabeth, bp. 26 Mar. 1648; m. Samuel Andrews, bp. at Hartford, 21 Oct. 1645, d. there Jan. 1711/12, son of William and Elizabeth.
vi. Jared (Gerard), b. ca. 1650-1; d. 1712.
vii. Hannah, b. 15 Apr. 1653; m. (1) George Sexton, Jr.; m. (2) 29 Nov. 1698, Daniel Brainerd, Sr.
viii. Mary, b. 18 May 1655; d. at Westfield, Mass., 4 Nov. 1690; m. 7 Oct. 1675, Thomas Root, who d. 16 Aug. 1709, son of John.
ix. Martha, b. 19 Mar. 1658; m. Andrew Benton, bp. at Milford, 12 Aug. 1653, d. at Hartford, 5 Feb. 1703/4."
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, pp.159-160:
"Another possible "time marker" for Thomas was his marriage to Ann Derifall. Ann was a maid servant in the family of William Coddington, a powerful figure in the MBC (Massachusetts Bay Company) both in England and in New England. Ann did not reach New England until 1634 and probably first lived with her brother Barnabas Derifall at Braintree (just south of Boston). The Coddingtons had a home in Braintree, hence the likely Derifall-Coddington connection. Coddington proved to be a strong dissident in the Puritan church and a supporter of Anne Hutchinson. As a result of the split, Coddington removed to Rhode Island in 1638. This event seems to tie in well for the probable marriage date of Thomas Spencer and Ann Derifall because their first child was born about 1639." [KP note: The birth of the first child is not documented in 1639 and other writers purport an earlier date for that birth.]
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. 105-106:
"Since the achievement of "Freemanship" was so important a designation, how was such a distinction attained in the Puritan society? First of all, Freemanship was entirely dependent upon membership in the Church, which in turn was dependent on a "Confession of Faith". This latter step constituted an important hurdle to overcome before attaining the desired goal. In its essentials, the Confession required each candidate to recount step by step how he or she had arrived at a "saving grace".
Fortunately, the MBC maintained full records of the names and dates of those persons who attained the status of Freemen in the various communities under the jurisdiction of the General Court. These dates give important clues as to the presence of individuals in each community. It does not necessarily indicate time of arrival, because "Confession of Faith" often required months and even years to be attained.
In the following tabulation for attainment of "Freeman", we will list only the names of the Spencer siblings or individuals possibly related in future generations as collateral families. The other names are included because they were prominent in the affairs of the MBC.
16 May 1631 - a total of 18, including William Spencer, Timothy Tomlyns (husband of Elizabeth Spencer).
1 April 1633 - a total of 78, including Rev. Thomas Hooker, Thomas Spencer, James Parker
4 March 1634 - many, including Mr. William Andrews Robert Parker.
6 March 1635 - many, including Joseph Andrews
6 May 1635 - many, including Robert Andrews, George Phelpes.
26 May 1636 - many, including Barnaby Deryfall (Derifield) brother to Ann Deryfall first wife of Sgt. Thomas1 Spencer. Also Mr. William Coddington for whom Ann Deryfall worked as a maid servant.
9 March 1637 - Gerrett (Gerard1) Spencer.
17 May 1637 - John Hanchet.
March, 1638 - Michael Spencer
3 May 1638 - Thomas Sweetman, whose daughter Rebecca married Michael Spencer, son of Michael. Michael's son owned the land on which the famous Harvard yard is now located.
13 March 1638 - Mr. Joseph Peck, Mr. Robert Peck.
13 May 1640 - William Andrews. There were two Freemen in Cambridge bearing this name, one being a ship captain.
2 June 1641 - William Parker."
6. The periodical "Connecticut Nutmegger," by Jack T. Spencer, CSG, "The Families Linked to Sgt. Thomas Spencer, a Co-Founder of Hartford," vol. 29, pp. 14-27:
"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.
II. THE FAMILY OF SGT. THOMAS1 SPENCER
The Family of THOMAS1 SPENCER (1607- 1687) and two wives: 1) ANN DERIFALL (1610- ) and SARAH BEARDING (d. before 1674). Ann was a sister of Barnabas Derifall of Braintree, MA. Sarah was the daughter of Nathan Bearding of Hartford. Ann married Thomas ca. 1638; Sarah married Thomas on 11 Sept. 1645 at Hartford. Thomas d. 1 Sept. 1687 at Hartford.
Children by Ann Derifall:
OBADIAH2 SPENCER (Thomas1, GerardA, MichaelB, JohnC-D, RobertE, JohnF, RobertH, ThomasI, HenryJ), b. ca. 1639 at Hartford, CT. Took Freeman's Oath at Hartford 20 May 1658. m. MARY DISBOROUGH, dau. of Nicholas Disborough. Mary d. before 1709. They had 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. Esther was the dau. of William1 and Abigail (Graves) Andrews of Hartford, CT. d. 23 July 1698 at Suffield, CT.
SPENCER2 (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 at Hartford, CT. m. THOMAS HUXLEY at Suffield, C. He d. 21 July 1721 at Suffield. A dau. Elizabeth Huxley m. James King, who was. b. 14 Mar 1675 at Ipswich, MA. James d. 15 July 1757 at Suffield. He had a large landed estate. d. 24 Oct. 1712.
ELIZABETH2 SPENCER (Thomas1) b. bp. 26 Mar 1648 at Hanford, CT. m. SAMUEL2 ANDREWS of Hartford, brother of Esther2 Andrews who m. Thomas2 SPENCER. Samuel Andrews was the son of William1 Andrews and Abigail (Graves) Andrews of Hartford. Samuel d. Jan 1712 at Hartford. d. ?
GERARD2 SPENCER (Thomas1). b. ca 1651 at Hartford, CT. m. HANNAH PRATT (1658-1692) on 22 Dec 1680. She was 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). He was the son of Andrew Barton Sr., Andrew Jr. d at Hartford, 5 Feb 1704.
All of the children of Sgt. Thowas1 Spencer was born at Hartford, CT, between 1639 and 1658. When the last child was born in 1658, Sgt. Thomas was 51 years of age. ANN DERIFALL, who was mother of the first three children, was born about 1610 in England. The year of birth probably is quite accurate since Ann was listed as age 24 on the passenger list of the "Elizabeth" which sailed from Ipswich, co. Essex, the last of April 1634 (Tepper). The exact year of Ann's death is unknown, although it probably can be set down as 1645 judging by the approximate date of Sarah Bearding's first child in 1646. Ann Derifall was only about 35 years of at the time of her death.
Our interest in the Spencer ancestral line, ultimately will focus on the second son of THOMAS1 SPENCER, that is, THOMAS2 SPENCER, who was born in Hartford about 1641 and died in Suffield, CT. in 1689. THOMAS2 married ESTHER2 ANDREWS of Hartford.
III. THE RELATIVES OF ANN DERIFALL AND HER ASSOCIATION WITH WILLIAM CODDINGTON OF RHODE ISLAND
A careful search of the IGI (International Genealogical Index, 1990) offers no useful clue to the immediate relatives of Ann Derifall in England. The fact that Ann Derifall sailed from Ipswich in eastern England in 1634 has inclined historians to believe that she was perhaps a native of East Anglia. Indeed, there were Derifalls who lived in Little Baddow, co. Essex, which was the residence of Rev. THOMAS HOOKER when he left for New England in 1633. Of interest is the fact that BARNABAS DERIFALL came to New England in that same year, although there is no evidence that he was a member of the BRAINTREE COMPANY sponsored by Rev. Hooker.
The discovery of the connection between the DERIFALLS and the SPENCERS in Connecticut can be credited to Mrs. William C. Clark who published a genealogical study in 1951 in the NEHGS Register. This report proved that Barnabas Derifall of Braintree, Massachusetts, was a brother of Ann Derifall. In the will of Barnabas Derifall prepared in 1680, he named three Spencer brothers (OBADIAH2, THOMAS2, SAMUEL2) as beneficiaries of his estate. These clearly were the same names as the sons of Ann Derifall and Thomas Spencer.
Savage states that Barnabas "Doryfall" came to Boston in the "Mary and Jane," probably on the same ship with WILLIAM CODDINGTON and his second wife, MARY MOSLEY. Not only did Barnabas Derifall have this contact with Coddington, but the latter also owned property at Braintree where Barnabas was an original proprietor.
William Coddington originally was a native of Boston, Lincolnshire, a city often associated with the names of the earliest Pilgrim fathers. Coddington was a powerful figure in the contingent of Puritan leaders who came to America in the very first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630.
Besides the Derifalls who lived in co. Essex (Little Baddow), there also were families with this surname who lived in London in the area of St. Bride, Fleet Street. The time scale (IGI) was the late 1500's and early 1600's. There were Coddingtons in the same district in this period. We do know also, that William Coddington was in London in 1632, but was postponing his return to New England until 1633 because his new wife was expecting a child. Mary Mosley was a native of the Chelmsford area in co. Essex.
Thus, we have more than one possible scenario for the contact between Barnabas Derifall and William Coddington. Perhaps they had first made contact in London prior to the departure for New England in the "Mary and Jane" in 1633 or they became acquainted later during the actual voyage. However, as we now note above, the Derifalls at Little Baddow in co. Essex could have made their first Puritan connections with the Rev. Thomas Hooker rather than William Coddington.
ANN DERIFALL did not come to New England until 1634 and it is recorded that she became a maid servant to the family of William Coddington, an association not too surprising when we note the close contacts her brother Barnabas must have enjoyed with the Coddington family. Barnabas lived the entire remainder of his life at Braintree until his death in 1680. He became a member of the Boston church in 1633 (year of his arrival) and was elected to Freeman in 1636. His lands were located chiefly in what is now West Quincy, Massachusetts. Barnabas Derifall had no children.
As a final note in the history of William Coddington, he retained his properties at Braintree until 1638, at which time he removed to Rhode Island along with the followers of Anne Hutchinson as a result of religious differences with John Winthrop and other Puritan leaders in Boston and Cambridge. This date of 1638 for Coddington's departure coincides well with the marriage of Ann Derifall to Thomas Spencer and with the sale of his property in Cambridge and his departure for Hartford. The Pequot War of 1637 had become history and Thomas joined other veterans of that war in occupying lots on Sentinel Hill in Hartford. A new life had begun for Sgt. Thomas Spencer and Ann Derifall. William Coddington, too, had begun a new life in Rhode bland which eventually would lead him to be Governor of that new colony for several terms.
IV. UNRAVELING THE SPENCER-ANDREWS-GRAVES-BEARDlNG CONNECTIONS
The second wife of Sgt. Thomas Spencer was SARAH2 BEARDING (BARDING) of Hartford, Connecticut. Since Sarah's father; NATHANIEL BEARDING, also appears in the records as the husband of ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS-BEARDING, some writers have overlooked the fact that Sarah Bearding had no blood relationship to Abigail her stepmother.
We shall present one chart of the ANDREWS-GRAVES-BEARDING-SPENCER connections so that the reader can understand more clearly exactly what happened among the various intermarriages.
The first list on the left shows the children descended from WILLIAM 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…
[The author has a chart titled "Interrelations of the Andrews-Graves-Bearding-Spencer Families in Cambridge and Hartford." The relationships can be simply reduced down to the following: (1) Nathaniel1 Bearding's second wife was Abigail Graves, who married as William1 Andrews as his second wife. (2) Nathaniel1 Bearding and Abigail Graves had a daughter Sarah Bearding who married Thomas1 Spencer as his second wife. (3) William1 Andrews and Abigail had a daughter Esther2 Andrews who married Thomas1 Spencer's son Thomas2 Spencer, whose mother was Ann Derifall, the first wife of Thomas1 Spencer.]
THE CHRONOLOGY OF FAMILY INTERRELATIONSHIPS
1634. WILLIAM1 ANDREWS is first mentioned in the history of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wife #1 was Mary Britton. One child was born about 1632 (John), one in 1634 (Abigail), one in 1636 (Elizabeth), and one in 1638 (Thomas).
1637. WILLIAM1 ANDREWS and his first wife emigrated to Hartford, Connecticut.
1638. William Andrews has a son, THOMAS1 ANDREWS, born in Hartford. This was the last of the four children born to wife number one.
1638-1641. Somewhere in this interval, the first wife of William Andrews dies at Hartford.
1641. William Andrews marries ABIGAIL GRAVES at Hartford (IGI records). The first child, ESTHER2 ANDREWS, is born to William's second wife.
1645. The second child, SAMUEL2 ANDREWS, is born to William Andrews and Abigail (Graves) Andrew. This year also saw the marriage of THOMAS2 SPENCER and SARAH BEARDING, daughter of NATHANIEL BEARDING.
1659. WILLIAM1 ANDREWS dies at Hartford.
1660(?). ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS marries NATHANIEL BEARDING of Hartford.
From this chronological arrangement, we can see clearly that ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS was a stepmother to SARAH BEARDING and that no genetic relationship existed.
When SAMUEL2 ANDREWS married ELIZABETH2 SPENCER, these individuals had no genetic connections despite the fact that Abigail Graves was the mother of Samuel2 Andrews and the step-grandmother Elizabeth2 Spencer. Likewise, when Esther2 Andrews and Thomas2 Spencer were married, no genetic connection existed since Thomas2 Spencer was the son of Ann Derifall and Esther was the daughter of Abigail (Graves) Andrews.
We have gone into considerable detail to explain these relationships since a cursory examination of the lineage might lead one to some mistaken conclusions. Perhaps the key which finally clarified the relationships was the discovery in the IGI records of the marriage of Wlliam1 Andrews to Abigail Graves in Hartford in 1641.
V. THE EARLY HISTORY OF WILLIAM1 ANDREWS OF CAMBRIDGE AND HARTFORD
Besides the unusual familial relationships among the ANDREWS-GRAVES-BEARDING-SPENCER coalition, there have been some mystifying genealogical questions about the ancestors and immediate relatives of Williarn1 Andrews. There was a large number of immigrants with the surname of ANDREWS who came to New England in the "Great Migration" of the 1630's. Their probably were nearly a half dozen "William Andrews" settling in various towns under the control Massachusetts Bay Company including Newe Towne (Cambridge), Charlestown, Lynn, and Salem. New Haven also was the location for at least one Andrews. The William Andrews of Cambridge, of course, is the main focus of our interest because he was the parent of ESTHER2 Andrews who married THOMAS1 SPENCER. Some historians, however, have confused the William1 Andrews of Cambridge with other men holding the same Christian name.
In order to settle this question, a careful study was made of at least four important records on the history of Cambridge and Hartford. This list included "History of Cambridge" by L.R. Paige; the so-called "Proprietors Records of Cambridge" beginning in 1630; the "History of Hartford" by Love; and finally the many references found in the International Genealogical Index (1991 edition).
These combined references confirm that WILLIAM1 ANDREWS was one of the earliest settlers at Cambridge and that he was the only William Andrews there up to the end of 1637. In September of 1637. William Andrews sold all of his property to Samuel Shepherd and moved on to Hartford, Connecticut. Love confirms that William Andrews was at Hartford in 1637.
Why has so much confusion prevailed in the literature regarding the two wives of William1 Andrews of Cambridge and Hartford? We believe most of the fault can be attributed to the erroneous statements Pope in "The Pioneers of Massachusetts" published in Boston in 1900. Pope had a correct date (25 Sept 1637) for William's sale of his property in Cambridge. However, Pope's statements regarding the death of "wife Mary d. Jan 19. 1640" and a second marriage to Reanna James of Watertown seem to have no connection whatever to our own William Andrews of Cambridge and Hartford. Apparently Pope followed the trail of some other William Andrews, of whom there were several in the Massachusetts Bay area.
The Paige "History of Cambridge" mentions WILLIAM1 ANDREWS in only three places in the early part of the book. William was in a list of inhabitants in 1634 and again on a list of 1635. On 23 November 1635, William is identified as a "Selectman" and appointed to the position of Constable. There the story ends except for the sale of his property in September of 1637.
One of the better histories of the descendants of William1 Andrews of Cambridge is to be found in "Colonial Ancestors," edited by Edward Little. Here, however, the identification of William's history at Cambridge adopts Pope's version which as we have seen is quite erroneous.
There are literally hundreds of William Andrews to be found in England in the early 1600's (IGI), but one entry was found in Lincoln of Lincolnshire where a William Andrews had married a MARY BRITTON on 16 May 1631. St. Botolph (IGI-C0003). Since the first child of William1 Andrews was born about 1632, the chronological fit is almost perfect. Although William1 Andrews was first mentioned in the Cambridge History in 1634 there is a strong likelihood that he was there earlier and that his first child (John2) was born in Newe Towne about 1632. Incidentally, co. Lincolnshire was the scene of much early activity by the Puritans, including the imprisonment of several leaders in the city of Boston before the Pilgrim fathers fled to Holland.
Since William1 Andrews was in the direct line of the Suffield (CT) Spencer and the Spencer pioneers of the Western Reserve of Ohio (Portage County), it is important to highlight the details of his life in Hartford (subsequent to his Cambridge experiences). As we have noted, William and his first wife emigrated from Newe Towne (Cambridge) Hartford in 1637. Although they appear not to have been in the original Hooker group which went to Hartford in 1635 and 1636. William was still considered an original proprietor and a founding father of the city. This is evidenced by the proprietor list of 3 Jan 1640 which gave the names of those inhabitants who had a right to undivided lands (Love). William Andrews had an allocation of 30 acres, while Thomas1 Spencer was listed with 14 acres. It seems that NATHANIEL BEARDING was not rated as a "standard" proprietor because his name was on a list for only 6 acres and was included with those individuals granted lots "at the town's courtesy, with liberty to fetch wood and keep swine or cows by proportion on the common."
During his lifetime in Hartford, William Andrews appears not to have been among the primary leaders of the community. It seems clear, however, that he had been well educated for his time judging by his appointment as one of the first teachers in the town in 1643. He was a member of a jury in 1644 and in 1651 was appointed to the post of Town Clerk. We are reminded of William1 Spencer who held a similar post in Newe Towne as well as Hartford (albeit the latter post was very brief). William Andrews remained as Town Clerk until the time of his death in 1659.
In his will dated 1 April 1659, William1 Andrews seems to have left more authority in the hands of his wife, ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS, than was customary for the time (in contrast perhaps to the will of William1 Spencer who died in 1640). Essentially, Abigail Andrews was to remain in control of all the property in Hartford. In case of her remarriage, however, most of the property was to pass to their children. Abigail was to retain the power of Executrix. Based on these limitations, it seems clear that Abigail did not transfer much wealth to her second husband, Nathaniel1 Bearding, due to the restrictions imposed in the will of her first husband.
V. THE BEARDING CONNECTION IN HARTFORD
As to the history of the BEARDINGS (BARDING, BERDEN) in England, there are not many useful clues. Every county in England reported in the IGI (International Genealogical Index) was surveyed for possible leads. In no instance was there found the surname of "Bearding" or "Barding." There were, however, numerous records of BERDEN in many of the northern, central, and southern counties of England. This leads to the conclusion that the Nathaniel1 Bearding (Barding) of Hartford probably originated with the surname of BERDEN in England.
As for the NATHANIEL1 BEARDING of Hartford, his origin remains largely obscured. There is no indication of his being an early resident of Cambridge in the company of Hooker, but he does appear on the list of Hartford settlers in 1640 and Savage even lists him at Hartford in 1636. Nothing seems to be known of his lineage in England. A still more mysterious aspect of Nathaniel is that there is no known official record of a marriage prior to that with ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS. We are certain, however, that his daughter, SARAH2 BEARDING, was by Nathaniel's first wife rather than his second wife (see the chronological chart). Nathaniel Bearding died at Hartford on 14 Sept 1674.
The will of Nathaniel Bearding, dated 7 Jan 1673, is preserved in Manwaring's Probate Records. The principal beneficiaries included his widow, Abigail (Graves) Andrews-Bearding, and Thomas1 Spencer (the elder, a son-in-law). Nathaniel provided for all of his daughter's six children (wife of Thomas1 Spencer). Nathaniel also named SAMUEL2 ANDREWS as a legatee, a child by his wife's first marriage to William1 Andrews. Nathaniel was mindful also of the fact that Samuel was married to ELIZABETH2 SPENCER, one of Nathaniel's granddaughters.
Nathaniel had an omission in his will. He did not name ESTHER2 ANDREWS. There also was one rather unusual inclusion, the name of which was the name of JOHN2 ANDREWS, a son by the first wife of William1 Andrews. John2 Andrews was not a blood relative to either Nathaniel or Abigail, but undoubtedly he must have been raised by Abigail Graves after she married William Andrews in 1641 in Hartford.
Although ESTHER2 (ANDREWS) SPENCER was not under the will of Nathaniel Bearding, she was named in her mother's nuncupative will when Abigail died in 1683. Abigail also named Esther's brother, SAMUEL2 ANDREWS, as a beneficiary.
VI. THE RELATIVES OF ABIGAIL GRAVES IN CAMBRIDGE AND HARTFORD
The early records of Newe Towne (Cambridge) and New Haven indicated that there were other immigrants with the GRAVES surname, but their relationship to ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS remained unknown until a will of ANN GRAVE was published by H.F. Waters in 1907. ANN GRAVE of England was a resident of "St. Bultolph without Aldgate" London. Three of the beneficiaries in her will made in 1675 were "GEORGE GRAVE the elder of Hartford in Connecticut in New England and JOHN GRAVE of Guilford in the County of New Haven in New England and to their own natural sister also in New England..." The evidence seems very clear that ANN GRAVE of London had been married to a sibling of ABIGAIL, GEORGE, and JOHN GRAVE.
There were several immigrants with the GRAVES surname in the early 1630's in New England, but with a positive identification of GEORGE GRAVES and JOHN GRAVES as siblings of ABIGAIL (GRAVES) ANDREWS, we can review the historical literature on these two individuals.
The first mention of GEORGE GRAVES is found in Paige's "History of Cambridge" where his property is mentioned as located almost on the boundary between Newe Towne (Cambridge) and Charlestowne in 1633. Actually, George's property was within the limits of Newe Towne, but he is never mentioned again in Paige's voluminous history. Love in his "History of Hartford" identifies GEORGE GRAVES as one of the founders in 1636, which would place him among the main Thomas Hooker group which arrived that year. Also, George Graves may well have brought his sister Abigail from Newe Towne since she did not marry WILLIAM1 ANDREWS until 1641 (IGI record). In the record of "Land Distributions in Hartford" for the ensuring years, there were at least 30 references to DEACON GEORGE GRAVES and at least two references to his son, "MARSHALL" GEORGE2 GRAVES.
"Deacon" George Graves was married twice. The IGI (B0142) lists a marriage of George Grave and "Anne Kyne" on 21 Sept. 1623, co. Herts, "Much Haddam." The second marriage was to Sarah Ventres (Kenneth Graves) who was the mother-in-law of Deacon's son George. It seems probable that George-2 and John-2 were born in England, based on the fact that Deacon George first appears in the Charlestowne records in 1634. Mary-2, born 1635, therefore would seem to have born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
What of Abigail Grave's brother, John-1 Grave? It seems clear that his permanent residence was at Guilford, New Haven, but we do not know if he had an earlier residence at Charlestowne, possibly with his brother George and sister Abigail. New Haven was not settled until 1638, so there is a possibility that John-1 Graves is revealed in the 1670 Census of Connecticut. There also an Edward Graves in Hartford in 1669 who does not appear related to the descendants of Deacon George Graves.
As to the origin of this particular Graves family in England, there seem to be few clues excepting for two references, one being the marriage mentioned above in co. Hertfordshire. The second reference is found in Cussand's History of Hertfordshire (Mary K. Talcott in the Register). In 1621, co. Herts, Burroughs of Hartford, there was a mention of "George Graue" (sic) in the list of freeholders of that community.
VII. RETROSPECT
We have now reviewed considerable detail the known histories of the spouses and close relatives of St. Thomas-1 Spencer (1607-1687) of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut. As one of the original five Spencer siblings who were among on the very early pioneers of New England and as the ancestor of perhaps hundreds and even thousands of modern-day Spencer descendants in the U.S., we would like to know as much as possible about those relatives who surrounded Sgt. Thomas during his lifetime. The foregoing pages have documented all of the presently known historical facts, especially regarding the Andrews, Derifall (Derifield), Graves, and Bearding (Berden) families.
In our next segment, we shall examine the colorful life of Sgt. Thomas Spencer and his achievements in war and in peace. Although perhaps not as well educated or as brilliant as his older brother, William-1 Spencer (1601-1640), yet Sgt. Thomas lived twice as long and had three times as many children. Thus, Thomas-1 achieved his immortality as surely as William-1 achieved his, but by a rather different and perhaps a more enduring route.
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
Abt 1610 - Bef 1645 (~ 34 years)