William Spencer Sr (abt. 1729 - bef. 1794)

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Spencer — married 1757 in Virginia

Descendants

Died before Sep 1794 before about age 65 in Montgomery, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Elliott [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Spencer Name Study.

William Spencer married Mary Unknown, before 1756 in Virginia

He and his wife had three children:^[1]

1. Frances,^[1] b. c. 1756
2. Dolly. m. French,^[1] b. 1758 in Bedford Co., VA
3. William,^[1] b. 1761 in Prince Edward Co., VA

In Sept 1794, William's will was probated. He left his estate to his wife and and three children.^[1]

Research Notes

From the probate, one can see that the daughter was married. The minimum age for a bride in most lands was 12. Assuming that this daughter was the youngest and giving a year apart for the two prior children would put the dauhgter's birth prior to 1794, the second son before 1793, and the first son before 1792. The marriage of William would then have been before 1791 and his minimum age at the time 14 placing his birth before 1777.

There was a grant by a WIlliam Spencer and wife Sarah to James Canter on 4 Apr 1791. If this is the same William as this profile, it would mean that his wife's name was Sarah not Mary but one cannot be certain.^[2]

There was a grant by Levi Spencer to William Spencer on 2 Aug 1794, which date is shortly before the probate of the William Spencer who is the subject of this profile.^[3]

Original versions of this merged profile gave the following info, if sources can be ascertained:

1. "He was born about 1729 in Henrico Co, Virginia.
2. Probably either a son or identical to WIlliam or Nicholas and Mary Spencer of Henrico Co VA."
3. Wife's maiden name is given as Newbill on FamilySearch - is there any truth to this? The profiles in question are and were conflated messes with little to no sourcing, and as such should be taken with a grain of salt.
4. There is a child Levi who is given to this couple on Wikitree - is there any truth to this as well?
5. Another part of this profile listed dates as about 1730 and about 1782. Could this indicate a bad merge due to his probate date of September 1794 (12 years later)?

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Summers, Lewis Preston. "Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800", Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company,1929, Part. I, Hathitrust.org, p. 945
2. ↑ Summers, Lewis Preston. "Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800", Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company,1929, Part. I, Hathitrust.org, p. 922
3. ↑ Summers, Lewis Preston. "Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800", Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company,1929, Part. I, Hathitrust.org, p. 925

Early Spencers of Virginia, compiled by Henry Rigby - pages 138-146 - https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/24210-early-spencers-of-virginia

See also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 14 August 2020, 15:29), entry for William B Spencer(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:9XTP-S3F); contributed by various users.