Person:Thomas Spencer (12)

Thomas and Patience were the parents of William, Margaret, Mary, Susanna, Humphrey, Elizabeth, Moses. Thomas arrived at Piscataqua, Maine in July 1630 on the barque Warwick, returned to England in 1633, then returned to the colonies on the Pied Cow in 1634. Thomas was a planter, lumberman, and tavernkeeper. Thomas and Patience lived first at Strawbery Bank (Portsmouth), then on 6 Mar 1636/7 were called residents of 'Piscataqua' (Kittery Point), and finally of Newichawannock (South Berwick). They were of Saco in 1654. Thomas was disenfranchised [lost his right to vote] for entertaining Quakers in 1659. Evidence that Thomas and Patience may have been Quakers is seen in the courts 7 July 1663 when they were presented for "neglecting to come to the publique meeteing on the Lords day to heare the word preached for about the space of 3 Moenths". They were presented again for the same offense on 6 July 1675. In a long list of "those persons yt entertayned the Quakers, with the answers given in by them respectively" we find: "That Thomas Spencer pay as a fine to ye country for his entertayning the Quakers the somme of five pounds, & be disfranchised".(Source: CHADBOURNE FAMILY ASSOCIATION) There is no gravestone remaining to mark the resting place of Thomas. According to historian John Frost, "The Old Fields Cemetery" of South Berwick originated as Thomas and Patience Spencer's burial plot. Frost believes that two of the three old plots near the woods on the riverbank, in what now appears to be an unmarked grave, hold the remains of Thomas and Patience and other early settlers of South Berwick.

See Thomas' grave marker at FindAGrave

1. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial 101956658.

   Maintained by: Yvonne Gowen
   Originally Created by: Michael Duffy
   Record added: Dec 09, 2012