Audrey Mae SpencerSpencer Historical CemeteryHenry Straight / William Spencer Family Cemetery
Vaughn Historical CemeterySpencers of East Greenwich, RI

Audrey Mae’s Lineage for Daughters of the American Revolution Membership:

Patriot John Spencer

Patriot: John Spencer (born 2-7-1760 and died 9-29-1849), “drafted at age seventeen.  He was a private in Captain Squire Millard’s Company. He served in the following campaigns:  Private in Colonel Waterman’s Regiment, R.I. Militia, ten days, April 1777; private in Michael Spencer’s Company, Col. Waterman’s Regiment at Tiverton, 31 days. October 1-31, 1777; private in Captain John Garzia’s Company, Col. Robert Elliot’s Regiment of Artillery, February 8, 1777; private in Capt. Michael Spencer’s Company, one month in 1778.”

Leaving father and the older brother home to run the farm, John went off to war.  However, in the fall of 1777, both father and older brother died of smallpox and were buried on their land in the Henry Straight Family Cemetery in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

John’s mother, Mary (nee Manchester) Spencer, wrote to Washington to have her surviving son come home to tend the farm.  George Washington said no as all men were needed in the Revolution. She then sold some of the land to pay a Samuel Davis to serve six months in her son’s place in Col. Greene’s Regiment.  (Unfortunately, Samuel Davis was killed in the American Revolution.)  Many years later, John’s son, Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer bought back the land.

John “was on the pension roll, August 27, 1833. Allen Fry gave deposition to help him in getting his pension.  The bill was dated October 14, 1833, witness was Isaac Sweet, and lawyers were J.J. Tillinghast and W.G. Bowen.”

John was buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery (East Greenwich No.9) on Middle Road (west of Partridge Run).

Patriot’s son: Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer (born 5-11-1798 and died 12-19-1889) was called Deacon because he was Deacon of the Frenchtown Baptist Church for fifty years.  (“Deacon”) Richard is buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery.

Patriot’s grandson: Richard Anthony Spencer (born 9-1-1817 and died 5-27-1845) died at age 27 in New York!  He is buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery.

Patriot’s great grand daughter: Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) Spencer (born 5-23-1844 and died 9-25-1913) was sibling-free and was buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery.

Anna Maria(pronounced Mar-eye-ah) Spencer

 

 

 

Patriot’s great, great grandson:  William J. B. Spencer (aka William Joseph Briggs Spencer) (born 4-11-1878 and died 1-12-1969) was named after Anna Maria’s (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) stepfather because Joseph Briggs gave her $50.00 to name her second son after him.

Patriot’s great, great, great granddaughter: Audrey Mae (nee Spencer) MacDonald (born 3-19-1912 and died 3-11-2007) joined the DAR in 1983 and was instrumental in bringing many of her descendents into the Daughters of the American Revolution membership.

 

Family Pride

Audrey’s desire to keep the Spencer heritage alive brought her to join the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She frequently spoke to her daughter Dawn about the heritage and eventually Dawn would become Regent of her local DAR chapter (Catherine Littlefield Greene chapter).  Deardra wrote one of her college term papers on the Spencer lineage.  Crystal compiled many papers. Spencer, Douglas and Vaughn all contribute to the Spencer genealogy.