| Notes |
- From Donald Lines Jacobus, "The Four Spencer Brothers -- Their Ancestors and Descendants" (citation details below):
Michael(1) Spencer, baptized at Stotfold, Beds, England, 5 May 1611, died at Lynn, Mass., in 1653; married Isabel ______, who died at Salem, Mass., 9 Oct 1674, having married second, Thomas Robbins, a carpenter, of Salem, born about 1618, living 1681. Robbins married second, 11 Mar 1674/5, Mary (Gould), widow of Richard Bishop.
Michael is the only one of the four brothers of whose family we lack a complete account. Administration on his estate was granted, 29 Nov 1653, to Gerard Spencer, who was also then living in Lynn, and Gerard was called his brother when he brought in the inventory. The estate was small and was ordered sold "for the bringing up of Michael's children." On 30 Nov 1654 we read that Thomas Robbins of Salem had some of the estate and, with the consent of Gerard Spencer, was to keep it, as Robbins had a child of the deceased to bring up, Michael, aged six years. This is almost certain evidence that Michael's widow had married Robbins, especially as in 1657 she is mentioned as having a young son.
It is possible that Isabel was not the first wife of Michael Spencer, and that he had more children than have been discovered. His proved son Michael settled in East Greenwich, R.I., where a John Spencer had earlier settled. That, and the fact that John named a son Michael, establishes a presumption that John was an older son of Michael of Lynn. There is, moreover, some direct evidence. The will of Michael(2) of East Greenwich in 1723 named his friend and kinsman Major Thomas Fry and Thomas Spencer overseers. The latter was a son of John(2), and obviously chosen because he was a relative. Major Thomas Fry was a prominent man, later Deputy-Governor. Michael Spencer witnessed a deed, 11 Mar 1688/9, which this Thomas Fry of East Greenwich had from his father, Thomas Fry, Sr. On 14 July 1710, Thomas Fry deeded to his "cousin" John Spencer, for love, 13 1/2 rods for a burial place. This was John(3) Spencer Jr., son of John(2). It thus appears that both Spencer families of East Greenwich, those of John and Michael, were related in some way to Thomas Fry.
The notion that John Spencer of East Greenwich was nephew of John Spencer of Newbury has already been considered and dismissed as false in the first chapter of our account. We conclude that John was son of Michael(1).
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Nielsen Hayden genealogy
Bef 1611 - Bef 1653 (< 42 years)
[1, 2, 3] 
Siblings