Alice (Whitbred) Spencer (abt. 1578 - bef. 1646)

Born about 1578 in Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Gerard Spencer — married 10 Nov 1600 in Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England

Descendants

Died before 1646 before about age 68 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joan Jakubowski [send private message], Peter Spencer [send private message], Michael Spencer [send private message], Julie Waters [send private message], Edward Nelson [send private message], Stephen Schauer [send private message], Stephanie Ross [send private message], and Peter D Beattie [send private message]

Ancestral Note

Alice was a 2nd great-grand aunt of Samuel Whitbread I. She is probably the most often cited member of any Whitbread on the Internet. She married Gerard (or Gerat) Spencer on 10th November 1600 at Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire.^[1] Four of their sons emigrated to New England around 1631 and many present-day Americans can trace their ancestry back to these Spencers. Much of the information on Alice’s ancestry given on the internet is incorrect. The information given by Torrey (1956) appears to be accurate and the relevant part of his work is correctly cited on the internet page of Steve Lawson. Note: The previous assumption that Alice’s mother Eleanor was born Radcliffe or Hervey is incorrect. Her maiden name was in fact Hill.

Biography

Alice Whitbred was born in about 1578, in Ion, Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England^[2] There is no baptism in Upper Gravenhurst parish register

The alleged marriage to John Clarke looks highly dubious. If it had taken place before 1600 as stated, Alice would have married Gerrard Spencer as Clarke, not Whitbred.

She married Gerard (or Gerat) Spencer on 10th November 1600 at Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, .^[3][4][2]

Jarrard SPENCER and Alice Whitbred had the following children:

1. William SPENCER was baptized on October 11, 1601 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[5] He died after May 4, 1640 in Hartford, Connecticut.
2. Elizabeth SPENCER was baptized on October 31, 1602 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[6]
3. John Spencer was baptized on January 22, 1603/4 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[7]
4. Henry SPENCER was baptized on 11 Aug 1605 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[8] He died young before 20 Oct 1607 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.
5. Sgt. Thomas SPENCER was baptized on March 29, 1607 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[9] He died September 11, 1687 in Hartford, Connecticut.
6. Richard SPENCER was baptized on 11 Dec 1608 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[10] He died young before 6 May 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[11]
7. Infant SPENCER was born before 24 Mar 1609/10 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. He died before 24 Mar 1609/10 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[12]
8. MICHAEL SPENCER was baptized on May 5, 1611 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.^[13] He died about 1653 in Lynn, Massachusetts.
9. Ensign Gerard SPENCER was baptized on 25 Apr 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire,^[14] and died on 29 Jun 1685 in East Haddam, Middlesex Co CT.

William, Thomas, Michael and Garrard (not John), migrated to New England about 1632.

Research Notes

The death/burial in Stotfold on 20 Nov 1628 or on May 20, 1646 don't appear in the parish Register. So neither of the very precise burial dates quoted can be substantiated. Less charitable souls than I might say they're fictitious.

I have changed her birth from 7 Oct 1571, which doesn't appear in the parish register and is only a week after her elder sister Elizabeth(s baptism, to 1578 to match the date in the biography

Sources

1. ↑ Upper Gravenhurst Parish Register 1567-1812. Bedfordshire County Record Office 1936. https://archive.org/details/bedfordshirepari13bedf/page/15
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Torrey, Clarence Almon. “The Whitbread Family of Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England”, The American Genealogist (TAG) Vol. 32 (1956), p. 136. https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/american-genealogist-the/image/?pageName=136&volumeId=11885
3. ↑ Upper Gravenhurst Parish Register 1567-1812. Bedfordshire County Record Office 1936. https://archive.org/details/bedfordshirepari13bedf/page/15
4. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines, The American Genealogist (TAG) Volume 27 (1951): The Four Spencer Brothers, Their Ancestors and Descendants, p. 84. https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/american-genealogist-the/image/?volumeId=11884&pageName=84&rId=134762556
5. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812". Bedfordshire County Record Office 1948; https://archive.org/details/bedfordshirepari38bedf/page/n12
6. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
7. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
8. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
9. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
10. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
11. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
12. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812" https://archive.org/details/bedfordshirepari38bedf/page/38
13. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"
14. ↑ "The Parish Register of Stotfold 1599-1812"

See also:

• The Whitbread Family of Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England, pg 129.

• WHITBREAD Family Mysteries

• Clarence Almon Torrey, "The Whitbread Family of Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England," in The American Genealogist, 32: 129ff.

• Kathy Alvis Patterson Family History, compiled by Kathy Patterson.

• Lechner Family History, compiled by Michael Lechner, with my father Ted Harrold Lechner. Lechner Family History.

• Geni Alice Whitbread, born ca 1578 in Ion, Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire.

• Geni. Alice Whitebread (Whitbred), bonr 7OCt1578 in Stotfold, Bedfordsire. Lots of info and references here.

• Thomas WHITBRED of Upper Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, Prepared by Steven Whitebread, 30th May 2011,[1]

• WikiTree profile Whitebread-25 created through the import of Rankin-Ridgdill Family Tree.ged on Oct 4, 2011 by Elizabeth Rankin. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Elizabeth and others.

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