Sir John Spencer II, Knight ¹

  General Notes:

Sir John Spencer, Kt, of Wormleighton & Althorp was the son of Sir William Spencer, Kt, of Wormleighton & Althorp, Northants and Susan (Knightley). He married Katherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson, of Hengrove, Suffolk.

To this union eleven children were born; Sir John Spencer, Kt, Thomas Spencer, of Caverdon, Warwicks, Sir William Spencer, of Yarnton, Oxon, Sir Richard Spencer, of Offley, Herts, Elizabeth, Anne, Alice, Margaret, and Katherine (?).

Sir John Spencer held the office of High Sheriff of Northamptonshire circa 1552. He held the office of Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1553. He held the office of Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1571. He was appointed a commissioner by Elizabeth I, "To enquire about such persons as acted contrary to "An Act For The Uniformity of Common Prayer, Srevice in the Church, and Administration of the Sacraments".

Sir John and Dame Katherine's youngest son died soon after his baptism and four of their sons headed their own dynasties. Their estates of Althorp and Wormleighton were given to their eldest son, William. The three lesser estates, Claverdon, Yarnton, and Offley were given to the younger sons. Their eldest three daughters, Elizabeth, Anne, and Alice were brought to light in the popular Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser's work.

Sir John was always an active man. He was a breeder of cattle and the fosterer of the Spencer family's sheep-based wealth. He lived in Althorp, Brington, Northamptonshire, England.

John married Katherine Kitson. (Katherine Kitson was born in 1524 in St Edmundsbury Borough, Suffolk, England, died on 8 Nov 1586 in Great Brington, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England and was buried in St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard, Great Brington, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England.)