John Selby Spence was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician.

Born near Snow Hill, Maryland

Snow Hill, Maryland

Snow Hill is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Worcester County.-History:...

, Spence attended the common schools and graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

 at Philadelphia in 1809 and practiced in Worcester County, Maryland

Worcester County, Maryland

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. Spence served as a member of both the Maryland House of Delegates

Maryland House of Delegates

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

 and as a member of the Maryland State Senate

Maryland State Senate

The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...

. In 1822, Spence was elected to the Eighteenth Congress, and served from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825. He was again elected as an Anti-Jacksonian in 1830 to the Twenty-second Congress, and served from March 4, 1831 to March 3, 1833.

In 1836, Spence was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian (later Whig

Whig Party (United States)

The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

) to the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Robert H. Goldsborough. He was reelected in 1837, and served from December 31, 1836 until his death near Berlin, Maryland

Berlin, Maryland

Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,491 at the 2000 census.-History:The town of Berlin had its start around the 1790s, part of the Burley Plantation, a land grant dating back to 1677...

, in 1840. He is interred in the Episcopal Churchyard.