History of the Spencer race in America Given by the oldest living descendant Elizabeth Carr Walker, born Jan. 9th 1806 Daughter of Henry Walker and Mary Gibson Spencer who married Mr. John Blackburn Carson, Nephew of Dr. Gideon Blackburn Winter of 1884 of Winter The writer of this history of the Spencer race has thought best before introducing the Spencers of America and England to their ancestors and descendants to present in order something of the history of New England. The middle States, and the Southern States. Up to the time when all these colonies united in resisting England and became the great and grand United States of America. We give this brief sketch of the struggles and privations of our forefathers, particularly for the benefit of the younger members of the Spencer descendants, who perhaps will by this means become more interested and better acquainted with the history of their ancestors, which has been up to this time, sadly neglected. The United States of America is bounded on the North by the great lakes and the British Possessions. South by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico. East by Atlantic and west by Pacific Ocean. The English, the nation which was destined to found the most permanent and glorious Empire in North America, began their discoveries in the year 1497. In June of that year, John Cabot sailing in the services of King Henry 7th discovered Newfoundland. Subsequent mariners, men of renown in ocean fame and above all Sir Walter Raleigh explored the Atlantic seaboard of America and claimed it for Sovereigns of England. But more than a century P2. had elapsed from Cabot’s discovery before England had planted her first permanent settlement in the New World. Two years before the English had settled in Virginia, the French established their earliest colony at Port Royal in Nova Scotia in 1605. The three oldest towns in America are Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spaniards. Jamestown, Virginia, 1607 by English. Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620 by English. At the time of these early settlements the inhabitants were the North American Indians. The country was not divided off and no English name had been given to it. It was occupied by the forests and hunting grounds and scattered wigwam villages of the Indians and wild animals of this vast and mighty wilderness. The first English name by which it was called was Virginia, named for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth in her reign. Afterwards in the reign of King James the country extending between North Carolina and Nova Scotia was divided into two portions and named North and South Virginia. Later in the same reign Capt John Smith made a map of the region of country now known as the eastern states and presented it to Prince Charles who named the country New England. The history of New England commences with the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers who were Englishmen belonging to a sect of Christians called Puritans. In the reign of the Roman Catholic Queen Mary of England their ancestors had been driven p3 to the continent where they had learned a more simple mode of worship than that practiced by the English Church. When, therefore, on the accession of Queen Elizabeth, they returned to their country, they refused to become members of the church of England, or submit to its usages. They would not use the Book of common prayer, nor wear the Surplice. They endured there, greater or less severity – for about fifty years and in 1608 a small congregation of them fled to Holland. Here they remained twelve years, at the end of which time they resolved to go to the new world, America. They left Holland in a small vessel called the Speedwell, and sailed for England. They remained in England a fortnight and then taking leave of their friends, set sail for America. The Speedwell proved unseaworthy and they came back. This vessel, with those of her company, whose courage failed them was dismissed, and the remainder crowded into the May Flower and on the 6th day of September 1620 the May Flower lost sight of English ground. The number of Pilgrims was one hundred and one (illegible note between lines, possibly “luck”); among them, we will mention Miles Standish, their military captain, made famous in the poems of Longfellow, and their pastor Elder Brewster. During the three months their little bark was tossed upon the Ocean the sound of praise was daily heard and “He who ruleth the raging of the sea heard their cry, and helped them” and because they honored him, He honored them, in making them the forefathers of a great, mighty and good people. P 4 On Monday the 21st day of December, these sea wearied pilgrims stepped ashore on “Forefather’s Rock” named for Plymouth Rock for Plymouth, the last place parted from in England. While on board ship, they drew up a body of laws which they resolved to obey. This first American constitution was draw up and signed on the lid of a pine chest belonging to Elder Brewster. This chest of Norway pine is preserved in the Athenaeum oat Hartford. It served in Elder Brewster’s family as a table and during the famine which followed they lived entirely on clams and over this box table when asking a blessing the good man would thank God, “who had given them the treasures hid in the sand.” Thus commenced in faith and hope this first New England Colony. It is well to be informed by what means colonists were enabled to emigrate to this country. Merchants residing chiefly in London and in the west of England near Wales formed into companies and obtained from the King grants to settle particular “Plantations”!!! in America with rights and privileges of government and commerce. These grants were called charters. The company furnished ships and sent out colonists who were to cultivate the ground and procure fish and furs. It was expected the profit on these articles would repay the company in England for sending them out. Gentlemen of family and fortune agreed themselves to go out to the New England Colonies, P 5 provided the charter should be carried to America and the government not managed by a council of the company in England, as was usually the case; this privilege was granted and many distinguished men embarked to cast their destines for “weal or woe” in the New World. The charters were very precious to these people. During the reign of King Charles 1st he often threatened to take away the charters of the New England colonies, but civil war in England prevented the execution. In May 1660 Charles 2nd (whose father had been beheaded by the Republicans) became King of England (a Stuart king): this was just after Cromwell’s administration. The King demanded that the colonies should submit to the laws passed in the English parliament of England. The people answered that these laws were not binding on them as they “were not represented there.” This struggle was at its height when Charles 2nd died and his brother, King James 2nd ascended the throne. King James the second determined to take away from the New England colonies their charters and make them a royal Province, and thus in sixty years from the landing of the Pilgrims, Sir Edmund Andrews “glittering in scarlet and golden lace” arrived at the town of Boston to enforce the King’s demands. It was at this time Henry Wadsworth hid the charter in the “old Oak tree.” Kim James 2nd was a Roman Catholic, persecution in England sent many wise and able men to the colonies. In April 1689 James 2nd was driven from the throne and the protestant sovereigns William and Mary were placed p 6 upon the throne of England. It was at this age that the belief in witchcraft resulted in Salem, a little town thirteen miles north of Boston, in the death of twenty people. Many were tortured. Such a belief strange and awful as it seems to us, was held, not only by the ignorant, but by the good great and wise Sir Matthew Hale, the Lord Chief Justice of England, the pious Richard Baxter, and the wise philosopher Robert Boyle all believed in it, and while we hear so much of the “Salem Witchcraft” it seems that people forget that many years before and many years after the “Salem witchcraft” more than one hundred and thirty thousand people were executed in England, Scotland, France, and Germany for witchcraft. The history of the colonies in the18th century is one of war. The first called Queen Ann’s war. (so called from the Sovereign then on the throne of England, Queen Ann’s war ended and from 1714 to 1744 the colonies enjoyed peace. The history of the Earl’s Spencer commenced farther back than Queen Ann’s war; we will mention this place in history. Robert Spencer Sunderland 2nd Earl and only son of Henry, the first Earl of Sunderland, who was raised to the peerage in 1643 for exertions in the royal cause. Robert Spencer Sunderland, 2nd Earl, was born in 1642, and after serving as ambassador to courts became secretary of state in 1679. p. 7 He had great talent. Burnet said, “he had a superior genius to all the men of business I ever knew.” At the dissolution of the last of the exclusion parliaments, he lost his office, but was restored in 1682. He had the entire confidence of James 2nd who was Duke of York, during the reign of his brother Charles 2nd.