Tag Archives: Son of John and Susannah

2nd Generation (John & Audrey)

John (b.4-20-1666–d.1743) and Audrey (née Greene) Spencer (12-27-1667–d.4-17-1733)

John Spencer (b.4-20-1666–d.1743) was the first child of John and Susannah (née Griffin) Spencer. Naming the first son after the father was very common at that time in history. [John had seven brothers and one sister who all grew to adulthood (which was quite unusual at that time considering the primitive medical practices)]. John moved with his family to East Greenwich in 1677, where he spent the remainder of his life.

John was a cordwainer (a shoemaker) by trade. He was also an influential figure in the public affairs of East Greenwich for many years. He represented the town in the General Assembly several different times between 1699 to 1729.  He was a Justice of the Peace in 1704. He was also a speaker of the House of Deputies from 1712 to 1749.

Actual quote of above with colonial language from RootsWeb.com: “John was a cordwainer by trade. Removing to East Greenwich with his father in 1677, he spent the remainder of his life there, and was an influential figure in public affairs for many years. In 1699-1700-04-05-09-14-24-26-29 he represented the town in the General Assembly. In 1704 he was justice of the peace. In 1712-19 he was speaker of the House of Deputies.”

John married Audrey Green (born 1667) in 1692 in Kent, East Greenwich, Rhode Island.  Audrey Mae (born 1912) was named after her great (7 times) grandmother, Audrey (née Green) Spencer.  With this marriage, the Green (aka Greene) name came into Edith Anna’s, John Edward’s (“Ed’s”) and Audrey Mae’s family line.

Audrey Green’s Ancestry Line:

Audrey Green descends from the same John Green that General Nathanael Green descends from!  (In David McCullough’s book 1776, he writes that George Washington said if he were ever killed or captured, he wanted General Nathanael Green to take his place in the Continental army! “General Nathaneal Greene would be the most qualified person to lead the Continental Army”.)   Audrey Green descends from John Green who in 1635 sailed from England to Salem, Massachusetts.  John Green came to Rhode Island a few years later, following Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island.  (Unlike other early colonials, Roger Williams did not just take the land from the Native Americans. Roger Williams bought the land from the Indians. This fact makes Rhode Islanders very proud of him as their founder.)

 

mcpartlands-the-hist-of-e-g-re-john-greenesalem-r-williams

Martha McPartland’s book “The History of East Greenwich” page 252

John Green married Joan Tattersall.  “He was one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence; founded Warwick in 1643 and was commissioner to England in 1644.”  The three Spencer children,  Audrey Mae, John Edward (“Ed”) and Edith Anna descend from John and Joan (née Tattersall) Greene’s son, John Greene, Jr. whereas Nathanael descends from their other son, James Greene.

Audrey Mae’s parents made her very proud of that fact that she was named after her great (7 times) grandmother, Audrey Greene.  Audrey Mae often repeated this fact many times to her children.  Also, she was very proud that she descended from the same ancestors, ,John and Joan (née Tattersall) Greene, that General Nathanael Greene descended from.  There were only two Generals, both New Englanders, that stayed with George Washington from the beginning to the end of the American Revolution and General Nathanael Greene was one of them!

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