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SPENCER, Thomas

SPENCER, Thomas

Male Abt 1596 - 1681  (85 years)

 Set As Default Person    

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name SPENCER, Thomas  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Birth Abt 1596  England Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Gender Male 
    Differentiator The Great Migration; Immigrant; One of the original settlers and immigrants in what is now South Berwick 
    Great Migration Yes, but no GM profile 
    Web Address https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Spencer-732 
    Immigration May 1630 
    Probably arrived on the Warwick which landed in May 1630. Was a lumberman and one of Mason’s employees. Was on the ship with Ambrose Gibbons and Roger Knight. Was joined by his wife Patience in 1631. Returned to England briefly in 1633./South Berwick, York, Maine, USA 
    Immigration 8 Jul 1634 
    Returned to America permanently on the Pied Cow, rumored to have brought the first cows to America./South Berwick, York, Maine, USA 
    Occupation planter, lumberman, and tavernkeeper 
    Residence 1640  Pascattaway, York, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Occupation 1654  South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Thomas operated the mill in South Berwick with his brother-in-law Humphrey Chadbourne. In 1654, Thomas gave half his ownership to his son-in-law Daniel Goodwin. 
    Residence Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    _ORIG 25 Aug 1676  South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Thomas was deposed on this day. He said he was 80 years old and had lived in America for 46 years (1630) 
    Death 15 Dec 1681  South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Burial South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Person ID I8466  My Genealogy | Laviolette Ancestry, Laviolette Ancestry
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

    Family 1 CHADBOURNE, Patience,   b. 8 Nov 1612, Tamworth, Staffordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Nov 1683, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years) 
    Marriage Bef 1629  Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Living
     2. SPENCER, Humphrey,   b. 1631, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 May 1696, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    +3. SPENCER, Margaret,   b. 1633, Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Dec 1681, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 48 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. SPENCER, Mary,   b. 1634, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Nov 1664 (Age 30 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. SPENCER, Elizabeth,   b. 1640, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 Dec 1700, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 60 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    +6. SPENCER, Moses,   b. 2 Jul 1642, Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1719, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. SPENCER, Martha,   b. 19 May 1657, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 5 Feb 1703, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 45 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. SPENCER, Joy,   b. 1662, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F6787  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Aug 2022 

    Family 2 CHADBOURNE, Patience,   b. 8 Nov 1612, Tamworth, Staffordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Nov 1683, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years) 
    Marriage Aft 1629 
    Children 
    +1. SPENCER, Margaret,   b. 1633, Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Dec 1681, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 48 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     2. SPENCER, Humphrey,   b. 1631, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 May 1696, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. SPENCER, Mary,   b. 1634, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Nov 1664 (Age 30 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. SPENCER, Elizabeth,   b. 1640, South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 Dec 1700, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 60 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    +5. SPENCER, Moses,   b. 2 Jul 1642, Berwick, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1719, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. SPENCER, Martha,   b. 19 May 1657, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 5 Feb 1703, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 45 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. SPENCER, Joy,   b. 1662, Kittery, York, Maine, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. Living
    Family ID F6788  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - Abt 1596 - England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - Bef 1629 - Berwick, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1640 - Pascattaway, York, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Thomas operated the mill in South Berwick with his brother-in-law Humphrey Chadbourne. In 1654, Thomas gave half his ownership to his son-in-law Daniel Goodwin. - 1654 - South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google Maps_ORIG - Thomas was deposed on this day. He said he was 80 years old and had lived in America for 46 years (1630) - 25 Aug 1676 - South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 15 Dec 1681 - South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - South Berwick, York, Maine, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
    Chadbourne / Spencer History 1
    Shapleigh & Chadbourne lines showing Quaker connections
    Immigrant
    Thomas Spencer Will 2
    Old Fields Cemetery - South Berwick, ME

    Documents
    Pioneeers of Maine and NH Spencer and Goodwin and Chadbournes    		Pioneeers of Maine and NH Spencer and Goodwin and Chadbournes
    The Maine Spencers    		The Maine Spencers
    York Deeds 5 Part I Folio 12    		York Deeds 5 Part I Folio 12

    Histories
    Patience Chadbourne and Thomas Spencer    		Patience Chadbourne and Thomas Spencer
    Founding-and-Early-History-of-South-Berwick-Maine    		Founding-and-Early-History-of-South-Berwick-Maine
    Disputed parents of Thomas Spencer    		Disputed parents of Thomas Spencer
    Thomas Spencer of Berwick, ME    		Thomas Spencer of Berwick, ME

    External Links
    WikiTree: Thomas Spencer (1596-1681)    		WikiTree: Thomas Spencer (1596-1681)
    Thomas married Patience Chadbourne, daughter of William Chadbourne, likely in England. The couple's first child is estimated to have been born around 1630. Thomas was part of a group of adventurers who sailed on the barque "Warwick" in 1630, aiming to establish a settlement, trade with Native Americans, and obtain lumber. They settled around the Piscataqua and Newichawannock rivers. Thomas's wife, Patience, probably joined him the following year.

    In 1633, Thomas returned to England and came back to the colonies on the "Pied Cow" in 1634, bringing supplies, more men, and materials for two mills. He initially settled at the falls of Asbenbedick and later inherited a large house and half of a mill at "Great Works" from his father-in-law.  Thomas was a planter and timber harvester, floating timber down the river and sawing it at his mill. He also became a tavern keeper. In 1652, he signed the official document submitting to Massachusetts' governance. However, in 1659, he was disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers, indicating possible Quaker sympathies. We are descended from this couple on both the Wright (Tucker) line and Laviolette (DeRochemont) line.

    Albums
    Founding Families of Kittery & The Berwicks    		Founding Families of Kittery & The Berwicks (13)
    While I was born in New Hampshire and have lived almost all of my adult in New Hampshire, I grew up just over the border, in Berwick, Maine. This is Jim and I met and dated throughout high school (Noble High School) and it's where we were later married at Our Lady of Peace. Berwick is where my grandparents purchased a farm after he was wounded in WWII and received a medical discharge from the Marines, and it is where they raised their nine children. It is where most of my family still lives and it is where Jim's parents live.

    For all these reasons, I was beyond excited to find that our ancestral roots go back to the very beginning of the European settlement of Berwick. The branches run through both my maternal and paternal lines and I will use this collection to provide all my research.
    Great Migration    		Great Migration (119)
    The "Great Migration," as defined by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), encompasses the English Puritan migration to New England from 1620 to 1640. This movement primarily involved English Puritans who relocated in family units, driven by a quest for religious freedom and the aspiration to establish a Puritan commonwealth. These migrants originated from various regions of England and settled in areas that now form Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, including the Plymouth Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

    An individual's inclusion in the Great Migration Study Project requires evidence of migration to New England within the specified period of 1620 to 1640. The project's objective is to compile biographical and genealogical profiles of all immigrants who arrived in New England during these two decades. The NEHGS has produced extensive volumes and directories, providing details about the lives of these immigrants. This collection presents research on many ancestors who were part of this significant historical migration.

    You may be shocked by how many there are. Even I was at first. However, most of these Great Migration ancestors are my 9th and 10th great-grandparents, and in some cases 11th and 12th, and with the number of great-grandparents doubling with each generation, the possibilities quickly become immense. We have a total of 1024 sets of 9th great-grandparents and 2048 sets of 10th great-grandparents. This makes finding so many Great Migration ancestors more understandable.
    Innkeepers & Tavern Owning Ancestors    		Innkeepers & Tavern Owning Ancestors (1)
    In colonial America, taverns, public houses, and inns were more than mere establishments for lodging and refreshment; they were vital social and economic centers that played a significant role in the fabric of early American society. The ancestors who owned and operated these venues were key figures in their communities, providing essential services and facilitating important social interactions.

    As the social hubs of their communities, these establishments offered a space for diverse groups - from local farmers to traveling merchants - to gather, exchange news, and engage in lively debates. They were the communal living rooms of the era, where relationships were formed and strengthened. In an age before widespread literacy and mass communication, taverns and inns served as crucial channels for the dissemination of news and information, including political and economic developments.

    Economically, taverns and public houses were cornerstones of colonial commerce. They functioned not only as places of rest and sustenance for travelers but also as venues for business transactions and trade negotiations. Politically, they played an understated yet critical role. In the turbulent times leading up to the American Revolution, these establishments often became hotbeds of political discussion and activity, laying the groundwork for the democratic ideals that would shape the nation.

  • Notes 
    • Thomas Spencer, born around 1596 in England. His exact parentage and siblings are uncertain, and DNA testing has disproven previous beliefs about his lineage.

      Thomas married Patience Chadbourne, daughter of William Chadbourne, likely in England. The couple's first child is estimated to have been born around 1630. Thomas was part of a group of adventurers who sailed on the barque "Warwick" in 1630, aiming to establish a settlement, trade with Native Americans, and obtain lumber. They settled around the Piscataqua and Newichawannock rivers. Thomas's wife, Patience, probably joined him the following year.

      In 1633, Thomas returned to England and came back to the colonies on the "Pied Cow" in 1634, bringing supplies, more men, and materials for two mills. He initially settled at the falls of Asbenbedick and later inherited a large house and half of a mill at "Great Works" from his father-in-law. In 1650, Thomas purchased a tract of land called Quamphegan from the Sagamore of Newichewanacke, Mr. Rowles, and sold it to Thomas Broughton of Massachusetts.

      Thomas was a planter and timber harvester, floating timber down the river and sawing it at his mill. He also became a tavern keeper. In 1652, he signed the official document submitting to Massachusetts' governance. However, in 1659, he was disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers, indicating possible Quaker sympathies.

      Thomas's brother-in-law, Humphrey Chadbourne, expressed concern for Patience in his will, suggesting she might need support. Thomas died on December 15, 1681, in Berwick, York, Massachusetts Bay Colony. His will, dated June 2, 1679, detailed the distribution of his estate, including his dwelling house and lands to his eldest son William, and other properties to his wife Patience for distribution among their children.

      ---------

      Thomas arrived at Piscataqua in July 1630 on the barque Warwick (TMS), returned to England in 1633, and returned to the colonies on the Pied Cow in 1634.

      Thomas was a planter, lumberman, and tavernkeeper. Pope's Pioneers of Maine & New Hampshire says that Thomas was a proprietor of Cambridge MA in 1633, a freeman in 1634 who removed to Kittery. Patience and Thomas lived first at Strawbery Bank (Portsmouth), then on 6 Mar 1636/7 were called residents of "Piscataqua" (Kittery Point), and finally of Newichawannock (S Berwick).

      Thomas was disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers in 1659 (LND, 652). Evidence that Thomas and Patience may have been Quakers is seen in the courts 7 July 1663 when they were presented for "neglecting to come to the publique meeteing on the Lords day to heare the word preached for about the space of 3 Moenths" (MPC II:139). They were presented again for the same offense on 6 July 1675 (ibid, II:306). In a long list of "those persons yt entertayned the Quakers, with the answers given in by them respectively" we find: "That Thomas Spencer pay as a fine to ye country for his entertayning the Quakers the somme of five pounds, & be disfranchised" (The Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol 4, part 1, p 407). Edward Wharton piloted a vessel that carried a group of Quakers up the coast, and seven people were fined varying sums and/or disenfranchised (lost the right to vote) by the Massachusetts Bay government, the only entity which could disenfranchise a freeman. Thomas Spencer obviously answered their questions in sympathy with the Quakers, defied the government, and was cast out as a result. Because we don't have copies of his answers to the Court's questions, we don't know how steadfastly he supported the Quakers, but he clearly satisfied the Court that he was in sympathy with them or they would not have taken action against him. They did not take action against James Rawlings, for instance, whom they found to be "more innocent and ingenious then the rest."

  • Sources 
    1. [S2221] Ancestry.com, North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2016;), Book Title: The Goodwins of Kittery, York County, Maine.
      North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000      		 North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000


    2. [S1662] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).

    3. [S2372] Ancestry.com, Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2016;).
      Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775      		 Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775


    4. [S2406] Ancestry.com, Fifty New England colonists and five Virginia families, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT; Date: 2004;).
      Fifty New England colonists and five Virginia families      		 Fifty New England colonists and five Virginia families


    5. [S1744] Noyes, Libby and Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, (Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society;), pags 651-652.

    6. [S2403] Ancestry.com, Maine, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800-1890, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;).

    7. [S2549] Ancestry.com, Maine Pioneers, 1623-60, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;).


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