Lafferty Family | |||
 John SPENCER, son of Name filtered and N.N..Born 1640 at Lynn, Essex, MA, died 30 Aug 1684 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 43 or 44 years Per Robert Blankenship Source of the original grantees was John Spencer. He evidently came from Newport where he had been made a freeman in 1668. John may have been the son of Michael Spencer who was living in Cambridge, MA in 1634 and later in Lynn. Other researchers have that his father was William Spencer. Among John's possessions was a Spencer Coat of Arms which indicated that he was descended from Sir Robert Spencer of Northampton, England. Also in his inventory was a gentleman's small sword or "tucke" suggesting that he might have held the rank in England. The inventory also listed five Indian servants, presumably captives after the King Phillip War. There is not much doubt that John Spencer was a leader. He was first to sign the original grant, and was the first town clerk in East Greenwich (1677-1683) and was a conservator of the peace in 1678. Early town meetings were held in his home. Much credit is due this man for the early town records which he kept, even though his hand writing is like hierogloyphics to the untrained reader. John Spencer's original ninety acre farm granted to him in 1677 was on Kenyon Avenue. He evidently bought up grants in this vicinity because his land holdings in the area were quite extensive. His home stood on the ninety acre section assigned to him near Payne's Pond. The house which stood on the site of the owned by James McMahan today was torn down in 1914. Tradition has it that Peleg, son of John, built it in 1708 but is most likely that John had a home, perhaps a small one resembling the original Clement Weaver house on that site. Peleg may have added lean-tos and ells to the house bringing it to a much larger proportions. Pictures of the house show it to have been a sturdy two story home with a large center chimney almost identical with the pilastered chimney of the John Coggeshall house built in 1705. Married 1665 (18 or 19 years married) to:  Susannah GRIFFIN, daughter of Name filtered and Name filtered.Born 1644 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 12 Apr 1719 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 74 or 75 years Children: 1. Susannah SPENCERBorn 1 Dec 1681 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died ± 1725 at North Kingston, Washington, RI, approximately 44 years Date of marriage from Austin, Beaman's East and West Greenwich, RI marriages, and Clarence Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700. In the Genealogy of the Spencer Family...1956, it is stated that Susannah SPENCER married Richard BRIGGS, son of John and Frances, and had nine children. Married by John Spencer, Justice. Record from Jeff Alexander: jnr5@comcast.net 2. Thomas SPENCERBorn 22 Jul 1679 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 25 Apr 1752 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 72 years 3. John SPENCERBorn 20 Apr 1666 at Newport, Newport, RI, died 17 Apr 1743 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 76 years 4. Michael SPENCERBorn 28 May 1668 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 10 Oct 1748, 80 years 5. Benjamin SPENCERBorn 22 Jun 1670 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 1723 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 52 or 53 years 6. William SPENCERBorn 1 Jul 1672, died 25 Oct 1748, 76 years Per Robert Blankenship In 1703 William Spencer contributed 3 shillings to the building of a meeting house. 24 May 1709 he and 12 others bought 1824 acres of vacant land at Narrangansett near Devil Foots. He was a deputy in 1714, 24, 26, 27, 29, 34, and 35. He was justice of interior court of common pleas for Kings County. Estate partially appraised by Thomas Spenser. 10 children born in North Kingston. 7. Robert SPENCERBorn 6 Nov 1674 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 1748 at Exeter, Washington, RI, 73 or 74 years 8. Abner SPENCERBorn 4 Dec 1676 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 11 May 1759 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 82 years 9. Peleg SPENCERBorn 14 Dec 1683 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, died 13 Sep 1763 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI, 79 years | |||