Thomas Spencer ¹

  General Notes:

Thomas, Cambridge MA; freeman, May 14, 1634; removed in 1637 to Hartford, CT, where he was one of the original proprietors; his home lot in 1639 was on the east side of Main Street, near what is now the junction of Main and Windsor Streets; he served in the Pequot War; chimney-viewer, 1650; constable, north side, 1658; surveyor of highways, 1672; he was sergeant of the trainband in 1650, and received in 1671 a grant for 60 acres, "for his good service in the country".

The progenitor of the Suffield's Spencer family is memorialized on a large family monument.


Hartford, Connecticut Probate Records, 1639-1700

Name:Sergt Thomas Spencer
Location:Hartford
Date of Will:Sep 1686
Page:262
Full Text:Died 11 September, 1687. Invt. œ139-19-00. Taken by Caleb Standly and Aaron Cooke. Will dated 9 September, 1686.I Sergt. Thomas Spencer of Hartford, being very aged, do declare this my last Will & Testament: I give to my Eldest son Obadiah Spencer my Houseing and Lands in Hartford, all my Lands east side and west side of the Connecticut River within the bounds of the Town of Hartford, to be to him and to his Heirs forever, immediately after my decease, he paying such legacies as I shall appoint by this Will. I give to my son Thomas œ15, of which he hath œ5, and Obadiah shall pay him œ10 more. I give to my son Samuel (he having received a good portion from his Uncle) my wearing apparrell. I give to my son Jarred my shop and Tools & œ12, all of which are in his hands. The rest of my moveable Estate I give to my five daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, Hanna, Mary and Martha, to be equally divided to them by their brother Jarrad. I do make my son Obadiah Spencer my Executor. I desire Capt. Allyn, Lieut. Caleb Standly and my Cousin Samuel Spencer to be Overseers.Witness: John Allyn, Hanna Allyn.Thomas X Spencer.Court Record, Page 134--26 October, 1687: Will aproved.

Sergeant Thomas Spencer, Hartford Founder‹ Back to The Founders
Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

THOMAS1 SPENCER, SGT., HARTFORD FOUNDER (GERARDA) was baptized 29 Mar 1607 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England, and died 11 Sep 1687 in Hartford, CT. He married (1) ANN DERIFALL bef. 1639. She was born 1610 in England, and died bef. Sep 1645 in Hartford, CT. He married (2) SARAH BEARDING 11 Sep 1645 in Hartford, CT, daughter of HARTFORD FOUNDER NATHANIEL BEARDING. She was born abt. 1624 in England, and died bef. 1674 in Hartford, CT.

Sgt. Thomas Spencer was one of four brothers who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony: Thomas arriving in 1633 and first living in Cambridge; William arriving in 1631 and first living in Cambridge, who also removed to Hartford; Jared (or Gerard) arriving in 1634, first living in Cambridge, then removing to Lynn in 1636, then to Hartford in 1660, and finally to Haddam, CT; and Michael arriving in 1634, first living in Cambridge, then removing to Lynn about 1637 where he remained until his death.

Thomas Spencer was made freeman in Cambridge 14 May 1634, and removed to Hartford in 1636, and served in the Pequot War in 1637. In the Hartford land inventory in February 1639/40, he held 13 parcels: his home lot in 1639 was on the East side of Main Street, he had one acre and two roods in the West Field, three roods in the Soldier's Field, four acres in the North Meadow, one acre and two roods on the east side of the Great River, another one acre and one rood on the east side of the Great River, four acres on the east side of the Great River which he bought of his brother William, three acres and two roods in the Cow Pasture, five acres and 20 perches also in the cow pasture, five acres in the Little Oxpasture, and another four acres and two roods in the Little Oxpasture. He later acquired two additional acres in the Little Oxpasture on 24 February 1653, 4 acres on the east side of the Great River on the same day, and received in 1671 a grant of 60 acres for his service in the Pequot War.

He served on the petit jury in 1650, 1651, 1652, 1655, 1659, 1661, and 1662, was the sergeant of the train band in 1650, was chimney viewer in the same year, was appointed constable on 4 March 1657/58, and was surveyor of highways in 1672. His will, dated 9 September 1686 was proved 26 October 1687.

Genealogy: "The American Genealogist", Vol. 27, article "The Four Spencer Brothers, Their Ancestors and Descendants", by Donald Lines Jacobus (Having Mr. Jacobus as author, this genealogy is highly reliable, but does not extend very far in terms of descendants.)

  Noted events in his life were:

• Immigration: Origin: Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England, 1633, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA.

• Occupation: Turner and joiner, 1639, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. ²

Thomas married Anna Dorryfall after Nov 1634. (Anna Dorryfall was born in 1611 in Stotfold, Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority, Bedfordshire, England and died on 11 Sep 1645 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA.)

Thomas next married Sarah Bearding, daughter of Nathaniel Bearding and Abigail Graves, on 11 Sep 1645 in Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. (Sarah Bearding was born in 1624 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA and died on 11 Sep 1685 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA.)