The Spencer Family

The Spencer Family
Lynn, Mass to Connecticut
William and Thomas - founders of Hartford, Conn - 1630's
Gerard and son John - founders of Haddam, Conn - 1662

The Spencers migrated as adults, without their parents. There were four brothers and one sister that migrated: William, Thomas, Michael, Gerard, and their sister, Elizabeth (Spencer) Tomlin. There had been a total of nine children in their family, three had died young and five came to America. Their sibling John seems to be the only child of that family that did not migrate. Although it is possible that they all came together as early as 1631, there is no evidence to support that. "The Great Migration Begins", by Robert Charles Anderson, which lists all persons for whom there is documentation of being in New England by the end of 1633, only lists William and Thomas. Note also that most of the "experts" believe that the John Spencer found in New England contemporary with this family is not the brother John.

William. The earliest documentation available is for William (as deputy from Cambridge to the General Court in May, 1632 - no ships would have arrived in 1632 by then), showing arrival by the end of 1631. He was 30 years old then, and married Agnes Harris. The "Spencers of the Great Migration reports he returned to England to marry her about 1633 and then brought her back. He first settled in Cambridge, but was in Hartford, Connecticut by 1639. He was very active in the community and the Great Migration Begins shows many committees and positions he held in the community. He owned at least 11 parcels of land in Cambridge in 1635. He was the first to die, at a relatively young age of only 39, leaving three kids 1-7 years of age.

His widow, Agnes Harris, married, second,William Edwards in 1645, and he became the step-father to the Spencer children. By her second marriage, she became matriarch of the Edwards clan that includes Jonathan Edwards, the noted preacher of the Great Awakening, and Aaron Burr. Thus, descendants of William Spencer are half-cousins of their Edwards kin, by sharing Agnes Harris as their ancestral "mom." Agnes Harris is of royal descent. See Royal Descents of 500 Immigrants, by Roberts.

Thomas. The earliest documentation for Thomas puts him in the Colonies by the end of 1633, apparently arriving as a single man. He first settled in Cambridge, Mass and moved by 1636 to Hartford, Conn. This would place him among the earliest of Hartford settlers. He was referred to in his estate papers as "Sergeant Thomas Spencer". He had been a constable in Hartford. I'm not sure if the "Sergeant" refers to his position as "constable" or a military reference. He was a furniture maker and left his son, Jared, his shop and tools. He lived a full and long life and died at the age of 80 years old on Sep 11, 1687, in Hartford, Connecticut. He married first, Anne Dorryfall in 1634, and had three children by her. She died by 1645, leaving three small children. He then married Sarah Bearding in 1645 and they had six more children.

Michael. Not as much is known about Michael as the other brothers. He probably went to Cambridge first to be with brothers William and Thomas, but in short order had moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, where he died in 1653 at the relatively young age of 42. He married Isabel, last name unknown. His descendants seemd to have moved on to primarily Rhode Island, although one son of Michael followed Gerard to Haddam, Conn and daughter Susannah married Daniel Bacon of Salem, Mass.

Gerard. Gerard first settled in Cambridge until 1637. He moved to Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 and lived there until 1660, when he moved to Hartford, Connecticut. He then moved to Haddam, Connecticut in 1662, and lived there for 23 more years until his death in 1685. He was made a Freeman in 1637, Ensign of the Lynn Train Band in 1636, Deputy from Haddam to the General Court from 1674 to 1680. He died in 1685 in Haddam, Connecticut, at the age of 71. The identity of his wife, Hannah, is said by some to be Hills, but that is not proven. The Spencers of the Great Migration use that name, but only quote the IGI as a source. I consider this source unreliable. There is speculation by some that he married a second time to a Rebecca Porter, but that is uncertain, as well. (He would have had no children with Rebecca, this would have been a marriage late in life, after Hannah's death, if at all.)

Elizabeth. Elizabeth Spencer married Timothy Tomlins, probably in the 1630's in Massachusetts. Timothy had migrated to Massachusetts in 1632 and lived in Cambridge, but had moved to Lynn, Mass by 1634. He kept a "house of entertainment". He served in several positions on committees in the colony, including one to oversee the "powder and shot, and all other ammunition, committee to "consider the act of Mr. Endicott, in defacing the colors, committee to make a colony-wide tax assessment, committee to settle the boundary between Cambridge and Lynn, committee "to set out the nearest, cheapest, safest, and most convenient way between Lynn and Winnetsemet."

He seems to have gotten himself into some trouble in connection with some land dealings on Long Island, NY. (Long Island is just across Long Island Sound from Connecticut.) On Sep 28, 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 Hansard Knowles, clerk, and others, have lately entered and taken possession of some part of the Long Island" and called them intruders. The General Court seconded this warning, directly ordering that "Mr. Edward Tomlins and Timothy Tomlins, with John Poole, were admonished not to go to the Dutch because of scandal and offence."

Timothy and Elizabeth (Spencer) only had one child, Samuel, before Timothy died at a comparatively young age of 39 in 1646, in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Sources: For Thomas and William Spencer, and Timothy Tomlins, the prime source is: "The Great Migration Begins", by Robert Charles Anderson, 1995. For Michael and Gerard, I have relied on various sources, primarily the TAG articles in the 1950's on the Spencer family by Jacobus and Connecticut Families.

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