Ensign Gerard Spencer^[1]

1614 - 1685  (71 years)

• Name	Ensign Gerard Spencer
  Born	25 Apr 1614	Stotfold, Bedford, England
  Christened	25 Apr 1614	Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England
  Gender	Male
  _UID	CAEE77F4A5E33B47BAFD68172B8D6FDE686F
  Died	26 Jun 1685	Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut
  Buried	3 Sep 1685	Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut
  Person ID	I4380	Crandall Pember Legacy
  Last Modified	7 Jun 2021

  
  

  Father	Gerard Spencer,   b. 20 May 1576, Edworth, Bedfordshire, England ,   d. Bef May 1646, Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England  (Age < 69 years)
  Mother	Alice Whitbread,   b. Abt 1578, Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England
  Married	10 Nov 1600	Upper, Gravenhurst, Bedford, England
  _UID	C0847021EDEC914EA38D272959C6665DEFBA
  Family ID	F1342	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Hannah Hills,   b. 1618, Of, Haddem, Middlesex, Connecticut ,   d. 22 Oct 1692, Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut  (Age 74 years)
  Married	17 Dec 1636	Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts
  _UID	B10BB3BDE7742F4EB15A089F232F5064BCE2
  Children	1. Sarah Spencer,   b. 27 Jul 1644, Lynn, Essex Co., Mass. ,   d. 1707, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts  (Age 62 years)
  Last Modified	25 Aug 2021 16:45:14
  Family ID	F1828	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Hannah Pratt
  Married	1638
  _UID	BBCFD899F8458148A92DF3E33FFF8FEA6434
  Last Modified	25 Aug 2021 16:45:14
  Family ID	F2113	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 3	Rebecca Porter,   c. 16 Sep 1630, Felstead, Essex, ENGLAND
  _UID	A5A9788CB55E124B870636C015E6C34548F7
  Last Modified	25 Aug 2021 16:45:14
  Family ID	F2114	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  !The book, "John Pember, The History of the Pember Family in America." by Mrs. Celeste Pember Hazen. P. 26, 27. contains the full family of Ste p hen and Sarah (Spencer) Bachus. Mary is listed as one of the children. ************************************************************** Gerard Spencer, Ens. (2) was christened on Apr 25 1614 in St. Mary's, Be d fordshire, Stotfold, England. He died on Jun 23 1685 in Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT . H e was named a freeman in Lynn, MA March 9, 1637. He was granted the use and operatio n o f the ferry service, Lynn, MA Mar 1639. He was elected to Haddam CT about 1660 when his son J o hn is named a proprietor of Haddam. Haddam CT land deed from Stephen Backus to Danie l B rainerd, "given by Stephen Backus with my Sarah of Norwich, CT to Daniel Brainerd of Hadda m , once acre that fell to us by portion of the estate of our father, Gerard Spencer. He was nam e d freeman of CT, and elected to Ensign of militia circa 1672. He was elected to Representati v e to Ct General Court circa 1674-1675. From Virkus, Vol 1, The abridged compendium of American Genea l ogy pg 991, Came from England with his brother William, and Rev. Thomas Hooker, to N e wton, MA, 1633; a founder of Hartford, CT. 1636; ensign Train band, Lynn, MA, 1656, and re p . Gen. Ct ., 1674, served in King Phillips Wars. From NE Marriages prior to 1700; Torrey ( ? ) m: 1st Hannah (?) ca 1637. m: 2nd wife Rebecca (Porter) Clark, widow of John aft 1677, resid e d Haddam, CT. Source: From a letter by Jack T. Spencer (address, etc, elsewhere) stat e s the Gerard did not go to Hartford until many years after he settled at Lynn. He did not go to Har t ford with THOMAS, for that matter neither did WILLIAM. (He is correctly a statement in a artic l e entitled BUTLER-SPENCER CONNECTION, which appeared on page 1, vol 17 Feb 1993 ) I n Love's History of Hartford, THOMAS was at Hartford early in 1637 and WILLIA M i n 1638. The latter date agrees with the General Court Records where WILLIAM does not appe a r as Secretary subsequent to 1638. He also states that GERARD does not appear in the Ha r tford land records until 1661 and then only for a brief period (until 1663). During this sh o rt interval he was awaiting approval for a charter at Haddam. Source: From Colonial Families of th e U nited States. Emigrated to America, 1638, from Stotfold, England; settled in Cambridge, MA; remo v ed to Hartford, CT. Was Captain of train band and served as member of the General Court of C t , 1674, '74, '79, '79', '80, '83. Served in King Philip's Wr. He was the son of Gerard, b. 157 6 , who was on of Michael, who was the son of John, d. 1558, who was descended from the Spencer s o f Southmylls (established by investigations of Rev. John Holding, M.A. Canterbury, Vi c ar of Stotfold), who were descend from Robert De Le Spencer, Steward to William the Conquero r , 1066. Source: From "Early Settlers of New York State" by Janet Wethy Foley, V1 and V 2 , orignally published serially: vol 1 1934 - vol 9 1942. Available thur Genealogy Publishing C o ., Baltimore, MD Gerard came in 1632 with Rev. Thomas Hooker, and was one of the first settler s o f Haddam, CT. Some of the information on Gerard's children taken from: Mrs Louise M. Birnba u mer 33 West Calvert St. Lincoln, NB SLC LDS Film #0496485 Oct 1969 Source: NEHGR Oct 1941, # 9 5, pp: 350-351 Baptized at St. Mary's Parish, Stotfold, co. Bedford, Eng., 25 A p ril 1614, immigrated to New England in 1630, lived at Cambriddge until 1637, moved to Lynn, then c e to Hartford in 1660, and finally settled in 1662 at Haddam, where he died between 17 Se p t 1683, the date of his will, and 1685, the year of its proving, an ensign in the Lynn militi a i n 1636, a freeman in 1637, a deputy from Haddam in the General Court from 1674 to 1680. Source: A Spe n cer Genealogy. The Descent from Gerard of Haddam, Conn. Harold L. Spencer, 1977, FHL 92 9 .273 sp332, pp 18-19, 26-27, 37-38, 113-114. Will dated 17 September 1683, proved 3 Sep t ember 1685. Gerard settled in Lynn, Mass., later came to Hartford and thence to Hadd a m, Conn. There are several good accounts of him and his family in print, but some of them o m it the daughter Sarah, proved by an undated deed in Haddam Deeds (1:49) given by "Steuen Baca s w ith my weif Sarah of Norwich" to Danial Brainerd of Haddam of one acre "that fell us by po r tionof the estat of our father Garrard Spencer. The second marriage is suggested for Gerard beca u se there was, by elimination, no other adult Spencer in CT of proper age to be thw wido w C lark's husband(and unencumbered with a wife know to be living)except his brother Thomas, w h o was an older man and resident at a greater distance from Saybrook. Nevertheless, she ma y h ave been a third wife of Sergt. Thomas Spencer. All that the records disclose is that she died un d er the name of Spencer, and the loss of the early New London probate records where her estate w a s settled may leave it forever a matter of conjecture who her Spencer husband was. Gerard's wi l l does not even name all his children, and lack of reference to a wife may be explained in eith e r of two ways. A second wife may have been provided for by prenuptial agree- ment, or such a marria g e may have occurred after the will was made. Since the publication of Goodwin's Genealogic a l Notes in 1856, the early wife of Gerard who was the mother of his children has always been name d a s Hannah. The present compiler follows these authorities, though confessing that he has not se e n an original or quoted contemporary record so naming her. Still, such a record may exist. The b i rth dates as signed to the children below are mostly guesses. Gerard was at Cambridge, MS in 1631 w h ere he owned land on the south side of the river. Soon after 1631 hemoved to Lynn, MS wher e , in 1635, he was a journeyman; he was granted the ferry in 1638-1640 by a General Court i n B oston. He was appointed administrator of his brother Micahels estate in 1653; was chos e n Ensign in the Train Band, 1656, and in 1659 was on the Grand Jury. At this time Gerard and h i s son John were amoung the 28 purchasers of land which eventually became Haddam, CT, o n t he CT River. Our Spencer heritage in America could be considered to have it's origin he r e in this small village where Gerard raised his family, and lived out his life, and left many descenda n ts of whom some yet remain in the Haddam area. Married first Hannah (?), who died before her husband made his will in 1 6 83 and perhaps much earlier, perhaps married second, aft 1677, Rebecca (Porter) Clark, bap . a t Felsted, co.Essex, England, 16 Sep 1630, deid 9 Jan 16822/3 (recorded at Saybrook, daught e r of John and Anne (White) Porter of Windsor and widow of John Clark of Saybrook. Gerard settled in Lynn, MA, later came to Hartford and then to Haddam, C T . There are several good accounts of him and his family in print,but some of them omit the d a ughter Sarah, proved by an undated deed in Haddam Deeds (1:49) given by "Steuten Backus with m y w ief Sarah of Norwich" to Daniel Brainerd of Haddam of one acre "that fell to us by po r tion of the estat of our fther Garrard Spencer." The second marriage is suggest for Gerard because there was, by eliminat i on, no other adult Spencer in CT of proper age to be the widow Clark's husband (and unencum b ered with a wife know to be living) execpt his brother Thomas, who was an older man and r e sident of a greater distance from Saybrook. Nevertheless, she may have been a third wife o f S gt Thomas Spencer. All that the records disclose is that she died under the mane of Spencer, a n d the loss of the early New London probate records where her estate was settled may leave it forev e r a matter of conjecture who her Spencer husband was. Gerard's will does not even name all of h i s children, and lack of reference to a whife may be explained in either of two ways. A second wi f e may have been provided for by prenuptial agreement, or such a marriage may have occur e d after the will was made. Since the publication of Goodwin's Genealogyical Notes in 1856, the ear l y wife of Gerard who was mother of his children has always be named as Hannah. The present co m pilier follows those authorities, though confessing that he has not seen an orginal or quot e d contemporary record so naming her. Still such a record may exist. The birth dates assigned to t h e children below are mostly guesses. He was married to Hannah Hills (daughter of William Hills) on Dec 17 16 3 6 in Lynn, Essex Co., MA. Hannah Hills was born about 1616 in , England. She died on Oct 22 16 9 2. It appears she died before her husband made his will in 1683, and perhaps much earlie r . Source: Mrs Flora Clark's Manuscript "Gerard-1, Thomas-2 SFA Gerard Spencer, Ens. and Hann a h Hills had the following children: +80 i. John Spencer. +81 ii. Mehitabel Spencer. +82 iii. Hannah Spencer. +83 iv. Marah Alice Spencer. +84 v. Sarah Spencer. +85 vi. Elizabeth Spencer. +86 vii. Thomas Lawrence (?) Spencer Sr.. +87 viii. Samuel Spencer. +88 ix. Timothy Spencer. +89 x. Ruth Spencer. +90 xi. William Spencer. +91 xii. Nathaniel Spencer. +92 xiii. Rebecca Spencer. He was married to Rebecca (Porter) Clark (daughter of John Porter). Rebe c ca (Porter) Clark was christened on Sep 16 1630 in Folstod, England. She died on Jan 9 168 3 . She was the widow of John Clark. 84. Sarah Spencer was born on Jul 27 1644 in Lynn, Essex Co., MA. She di e d after 1707 in Canterbury, Windham Co., CT. She was married to Stephan Backus (son of William Backus) in Dec 166 6 i n Norwich, Middlesex Co., CT. Stephan Backus was born about 1642. He died in 1695 in Canterbu r y, Windham Co., CT. Sarah Spencer and Stephan Backus had the following children: 214 i. Sarah Backus. ---------------------------- Mary Bachus who married Thomas Hyde is listed as a chil d i n this family in the book "John Pember, The History of the Pember Fa mil y in America." by Mrs. Celeste Pember Hazen. P. 26, 27 ------------------------------ Another source does not list Mary Backus who married Thomas Hyde as a da u ghter of Stephen but of Stephen's brother William Jr and Elizabeth Prat t . THE BACKUS FAMILIES of EARLY NEW ENGLAND by RENO WARBURTON BACKUS 1966 Author: Reno W. Backus Call Number:CS71.B12 The children of William Backus, Jr.and Elizabeth Pratt. 9. Mary3, b. at Norwich ca. 1677, d. there Mar. 27, 1752; m. at Norwic h , Dec., 1697, Thomas Hyde, who was b. at Norwich, July, 1672, d. ther e Ap r. 9, 1755, son of Samuel and Jane (Lee) Hyde of West Farms (Frankli n). ------------------------------

  
  

• Sources

  [S323] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (TM) (July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996).