Spencer (surname)
Encyclopedia
The origin of the surname Spencer (also Spence
, Spender
, Spens, and Spenser
) can be traced directly to Robert d'Abbetot who is listed as Robert le Dispenser, a tenant-in-chief of several counties, in the Domesday Book
of 1086. Robert was possibly one of the Norman
knights who fought alongside (or accompanied) William the Conqueror in the defeat of King Harold II of England
at the Battle of Hastings
in 1066. There is little doubt that both Robert and his brother Urse came to England at about the time of the Battle of Hastings. They were both beneficiaries of William over the years, and were given titles and substantial land and property—suggesting repayment for some earlier deeds. It is likely that Robert's first acknowledgment was his official appointment as Royal "Dispencier" sometimes expressed more grandly as "Royal Steward", "King's Steward" or "Lord Steward". As dispenser of provisions to the King and his household Robert was known and recorded as Robert le Despencer or, in its Latinised form, Robertus Dispensator. There is also the possibility that Robert held this official position before arriving in England.
Robert's adopted surname was usually written as Despenser or Dispenser—notably in works such as the Domesday Book of 1086 and the Scottish Ragman Rolls
of 1291 & 1296. From 1066 until the 13th century the occupational name attributed to Robert d'Abbetot existed with numerous spelling and other variations. Eventually both the "le" and "de" that frequently preceded the name were omitted. In 1392 the popular "s" in the centre of the name was discarded and replaced with the "c" seen in the present-day form—Spencer.
The surname Spencer has gained in popularity over time. In the 19th century it also become popular as a given name—especially in the United States of America.
dispencier to its current form, the name Spencer has been presented and spelled in many ways—especially through the period of its early evolution in the medieval period from c.1100 to 1350 AD. The following (in alphabetical order) is a selection of the many orthographic variants:
Despencer, de Expansa (derived from expence), De Spencer, de Spendure, de Spens, de la Despense, De la Spence, de la Spense, del Spens, Despenser, DeSpenser, Dispencer, Dispenser, Despensator, Dispensator, la Spens, le Despencer, le Despendur, le Despencer, le Despenser, le dispencer, le Espencer, le Espenser, le Spencer, le Spendur, Spendure, le Spenser, le Spensier, Spence, Spences, Spen, Spender, Spens, Spensar, Spense, Spenser, Spensers, Spensor, Spincer, also the rare patronymic
Spencers, and the aphetic (derived) Spender.
Within a few generations the le ("the") usually placed before Despenser was omitted. The name variant Spens first appears in the British Isles
as Simon del Spens, dated 1300, in the "Charters of Gisburn Priory", Yorkshire, during the reign of Edward I
. Spence, another form of Spens, means both "the place where provisions are kept" and the "clerk of the kitchen". This form of the name was popular in both the north of England and in Scotland
. In Fife
the word referred to "a spare room beside the kitchen", and in England to a "yard, enclosure or buttery
"—simply an abbreviation of despencer referring to the household store. The family de Spens in Fife
trace their ancestry back to 1170 and the "Baron de Spens d'Estignols" who settled in France in 1450 . and "the Count de Spens, who ranked among the first of the Swedish nobility and was generalissimo of the Swedish forces". As a north country word for 'pantry', spence was used by Poet Laureate
Alfred Lord Tennyson in the sense of a refectory
: "Bluff Harry broke into the spence and turn'd the cowls adrift" (The Talking Oak, l.47.).
The surnames Stewart and Stuart
denote essentially the same occupation but have a completely different word derivation. They originate from the pre-7th century English words stigweard—a compound of stig meaning household—and weard, a guardian.
have been able to track changes in the name Spencer over time—in different dialects and languages—as well as trace its derivation from a common ancestry.
The name Spencer can be traced through its Latin
and French roots
to its Middle English
and modern form.
. Celt
s, Anglo-Saxon
s, Scandinavia
ns and Normans all originally used single names, but as the population increased, it became necessary to identify people further—giving rise to names like John the butcher
, Henry of Sutton, Roger son of Richard and William the short, which naturally evolved into John Butcher, Henry Sutton, Roger Richardson and William Short. Although a few hereditary patrilineal surnames (those passed from father to son and daughter) appear to have existed in the British Isles
before the Norman Conquest, the now traditional use of binomial
s (two names, a given name
and a surname
) appears to have gathered momentum at this time—particularly after the introduction of records for personal taxation, known in England as the Poll Tax
, first levied in 1275. The poll tax was the historical means by which local communities recorded the registering, categorizing, and polling of citizens, free-subjects and other voters.
The meaning of a surname generally derives from one of the following four sources: location (toponym) such as a specific place (e.g. London, York) or feature of the place or landscape (e.g. Hill, Townsend); a relationship (e.g. Richardson); a nickname (e.g. Grey, Wellbeloved); or an occupation or office (e.g. Sawyer, Skinner). The surname Spencer relates to occupation and office.
Robert d'Abbetot Robert was named after his place of origin, the present-day Normandy village of St-Jean-d'Abbetot. In the historical literature his name, and that of the village, are spelled and presented in many ways including d'Abitot, d'Abetot, Dabitote, d'Abbetot, d'Arbitot and d'Albeto: the "d" is sometimes capitalised or anglicised to "of". For consistency the contemporary spelling of the town name has been adopted here. The word is derived from the Norse apel, apal - apple combined with topt derived, in turn, from the Latin tost and tostum - farm, hence Apple Farm. was the son of Almericus d'Abbetot whose Viking
ancestry has been traced back to Tancred of Hauteville
(980–1041).A rather fanciful ancestry takes the male line back much beyond Tancred to Olaf http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jamesdow/s018/f035100.htm Almericus is known to have held the position of mayor in the town of Saint-Jean-d'Abbetot in Normandy. Robert, like William's other close knights, was granted titles, lands and a high position in William's court. In addition to his position as steward he also was given land grants in county Bedford. He held his office for the period c.1088–1098.
Robert's last name of d'Abbetot had no meaning in England so it was likely changed to Robert le Despenser (many spelling variants of this name exist including Robert the Dispensor, Robert Despensator, Robert Dispenser, and Robert fitzThurstin.) which reflected his new official position and occupation. He seems to have maintained his popularity with William because in the Domesday Book
of 1086, Robert Despenser was listed as a land tenant-in-chief in Gloucestershire
, Leicestershire
, Lincolnshire
, Oxfordshire
, and Warwickshire, as well as holding lands in Worcestershire
obtained from the Bishop of Worcester.
Robert is assumed to have died shortly after restoring some estates to Westminster Abbey
but he appears to have had no legitimate male children, as his heir was his brother Urse. He may have had a daughter, as some of his lands were inherited by the Marmion family, but it is also possible that a daughter of Urse married into the Marmion family. Robert's office as the king's steward may also have gone to Urse, as it was later held by Urse's heirs. A later steward, Thurstin, might have been an illegitimate son of Robert.
(c. 1040–1108), became a medieval Sheriff of Worcester and royal official. He did not take up the name Despenser. In Normandy the brothers lived in the town of Saint Jean d'Abbetot as tenants on lands of feudal lords in the Tancarville
family in the Pays de Caux
region on the lower Seine
.
Ralph Fitz Gerald (Chamberlain of Tankerville) was the elder brother of Aumary d'Abetot. Their father was Gerold (husband of Helisendis) Sire de Tankerville with the hereditary office of chamberlain to the Dukes of Normandy. His younger son, Aumary, inherited the fiefs of Abetot and had two sons, Urso and Robert "Despencer" who gave the name to the noble families of Le Despencer and Spenser that trace their descent from his niece. In 1073 Urse was one of the king's council. He rendered great service in the suppression of the rebellion of the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk and had a reputation as a spoiler and devastator of the Church. Urse's son Roger d'Abetot, having killed a servant of Henry I
, was banished and his confiscated estates given by the king—together with the hand of his sister Emmeline d'Abetot—to Walter de Beauchamp of Bedford.
However, within 2–3 years of 1066 both brothers were established in England—Urse as Sheriff of Worcestershire, supervising the construction of Worcester Castle
. The Domesday survey showed Urse's lands mostly in the West Midlands while Robert's extended to the North Sea. Robert remained a benefactor to the Priory of St. Barbe-en-Auge in Normandy, which had been founded by the Tancarville lords.
Lands held by the d'Abbetots in Worcester are recorded in Hemming's Cartulary
. The d'Abbetot family settled mostly in Worcester where they were lords of Hindlip (Hind Leap), 20 miles (32.2 km) from Worcester, for 200 years holding the manor for a knight's fee, that is, the service of an armed knight in the event of war. A church has stood on the site since the 11th century. Two villages have taken the D'Abbetot family name. Redmarley D'Abitot lies on the extreme south-west border of Worcestershire in Gloucestershire. Here the D'Abitot's owned property in the parish in the 16th century, and lived at Down House although the last member of the family is believed to have died in the 18th century. The other village is Croome D'Abitot, which lies 7–8 miles south-east of Worcester. Many of the descendants of Robert Despenser and Urse achieved notoriety of various kinds and the Dispenser line has been traced for at least 10 generations.
and were closely related to the d'Abbetots by marriage. Similarly, Urse's son Roger had a sister, Emmeline, who married Walter de Beauchamp from another influential family of the time. Walter succeeded to Urse's lands after the exiling of Roger around 1110. Tradition has it that the Derbyshire D'Abitots sprang either from Robert d'Abitot or a junior branch of the Worcester d'Abitots, although it is more likely to trace directly from Urse.
, the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and badges, arose from the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets. The process of creating coats of arms (these are often called "family crests" but in the heraldic traditions of England
and Scotland
an individual, rather than a family, had a coat of arms) began in the eight and 9th centuries. Eventually a formal system of rules developed into increasingly complex forms of heraldry that allowed the use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages in a form of civic heraldry. In more recent times coats of arms have evolved from their military origins to denote educational institutes, and other establishments, apparently leading to the modern logo
and corporate livery.
The secretum
or private seal of Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich
(A.D. 1370–1406) is shown here.
Arms of Hugh le Despencer.
Nevertheless, the genetic similarity of people with identical surnames has been shown to be quite high, especially those with rarer surnames. It might seem an almost insurmountable task to determine the true lineage of contemporary Spencers when such an "occupational" name probably has many founders. Nevertheless, modern genetics now has the capacity to discriminate relationships at an increasingly detailed resolution both in terms of close recent ancestry and deep ancestry. Many people are now using gene testing laboratories as part of a surname DNA project to resolve not only who their close relations are around the world, but also the migration patterns of their ancestors over the 50,000 years since modern man left Africa.
In America many Spencers have been traced back genetically to four Spencer brothers: William Spencer 1601–1640, Thomas Spencer 1607–1687, Michael Spencer 1611–1653, and Gerard Spencer 1614–1685.
The English aristocrat
ic Spencer family has resided at their ancestral home at Althorp
, Northamptonshire
, since the early 16th century. The Estate now covers 14000 acres (56.7 km²) in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire
and Norfolk
. From pre-Tudor
times the Spencers had been farmers, coming to prominence in Warwickshire in the 15th century when John Spencer
became feoffee
of Wormleighton
in 1469, and a tenant at Althorp in 1486. His nephew, another John, used the gains from trade in livestock and commodities to buy both properties. He was knighted in 1504 and died in 1522. John's descendants expanded the family holdings through business dealings and marriage into the peerage. The family is related through marriage to the Churchills of Blenheim Palace
, a line which included the Dukes of Marlborough and Winston Churchill
. From the Althorp line came the Earls of Sunderland
, the later Dukes of Marlborough, and the Earls Spencer
. The family captured international attention when Lady Diana Frances Spencer
married Prince Charles
on 29 July 1981, and her death in a car crash
in Paris
on 31 August 1997.
In North America early settlement of Spencers date to Thomas Spencer in Virginia in 1623; William Spencer Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1630; Thomas Spencer, Maine 1630. Col. Nicholas Spencer
arrived in Virginia in the 1650s and subsequently served as Acting Governor
. An account of Spencers in America has been published by Ancestry.com.
Spencers arriving in Australia with the convicts of the First Fleet
in 1788 were Daniel Spencer from Dorchester, John Spencer, and Mary Spence from Wigan. With the Third Fleet
in 1791 came John Spencer from Lancaster and Thomas Spencer from London.
Statistics for popularity, numbers and distribution of Spencers are presented in the tables below:
DNA lineages
History
Peerage
Spence (surname)
Spence is a surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Basil Spence, British architect* Brent Spence, American Congressman, attorney, and banker* Catherine Helen Spence, Australian suffragette...
, Spender
Spender
Spender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
, Spens, and Spenser
Spenser
Spenser is an alternative spelling of the British surname Spencer. It may refer to:Geographical places with the name Spenser:* Spenser Ecological District in New Zealand* Spenser Mountains, a range in the northern part of South Island, New Zealand...
) can be traced directly to Robert d'Abbetot who is listed as Robert le Dispenser, a tenant-in-chief of several counties, in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086. Robert was possibly one of the Norman
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
knights who fought alongside (or accompanied) William the Conqueror in the defeat of King Harold II of England
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
in 1066. There is little doubt that both Robert and his brother Urse came to England at about the time of the Battle of Hastings. They were both beneficiaries of William over the years, and were given titles and substantial land and property—suggesting repayment for some earlier deeds. It is likely that Robert's first acknowledgment was his official appointment as Royal "Dispencier" sometimes expressed more grandly as "Royal Steward", "King's Steward" or "Lord Steward". As dispenser of provisions to the King and his household Robert was known and recorded as Robert le Despencer or, in its Latinised form, Robertus Dispensator. There is also the possibility that Robert held this official position before arriving in England.
Robert's adopted surname was usually written as Despenser or Dispenser—notably in works such as the Domesday Book of 1086 and the Scottish Ragman Rolls
Ragman Rolls
Ragman Rolls refers to the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favor of Baliol in November 1292; and again in 1296...
of 1291 & 1296. From 1066 until the 13th century the occupational name attributed to Robert d'Abbetot existed with numerous spelling and other variations. Eventually both the "le" and "de" that frequently preceded the name were omitted. In 1392 the popular "s" in the centre of the name was discarded and replaced with the "c" seen in the present-day form—Spencer.
The surname Spencer has gained in popularity over time. In the 19th century it also become popular as a given name—especially in the United States of America.
English
In its transition from the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
dispencier to its current form, the name Spencer has been presented and spelled in many ways—especially through the period of its early evolution in the medieval period from c.1100 to 1350 AD. The following (in alphabetical order) is a selection of the many orthographic variants:
Despencer, de Expansa (derived from expence), De Spencer, de Spendure, de Spens, de la Despense, De la Spence, de la Spense, del Spens, Despenser, DeSpenser, Dispencer, Dispenser, Despensator, Dispensator, la Spens, le Despencer, le Despendur, le Despencer, le Despenser, le dispencer, le Espencer, le Espenser, le Spencer, le Spendur, Spendure, le Spenser, le Spensier, Spence, Spences, Spen, Spender, Spens, Spensar, Spense, Spenser, Spensers, Spensor, Spincer, also the rare patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
Spencers, and the aphetic (derived) Spender.
Within a few generations the le ("the") usually placed before Despenser was omitted. The name variant Spens first appears in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
as Simon del Spens, dated 1300, in the "Charters of Gisburn Priory", Yorkshire, during the reign of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. Spence, another form of Spens, means both "the place where provisions are kept" and the "clerk of the kitchen". This form of the name was popular in both the north of England and in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
the word referred to "a spare room beside the kitchen", and in England to a "yard, enclosure or buttery
Buttery (room)
A buttery was a domestic room in a large medieval house. Along with the pantry, it was generally part of the offices pertaining to the kitchen. Reached from the screens passage at the low end of the Great Hall the buttery was traditionally the place from which the yeoman of the buttery served beer...
"—simply an abbreviation of despencer referring to the household store. The family de Spens in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
trace their ancestry back to 1170 and the "Baron de Spens d'Estignols" who settled in France in 1450 . and "the Count de Spens, who ranked among the first of the Swedish nobility and was generalissimo of the Swedish forces". As a north country word for 'pantry', spence was used by Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
Alfred Lord Tennyson in the sense of a refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
: "Bluff Harry broke into the spence and turn'd the cowls adrift" (The Talking Oak, l.47.).
The surnames Stewart and Stuart
Stuart (name)
Stuart is a masculine given name as well as a surname. It is the French form of the surname Stewart. The French form of the surname was brought to Scotland from France by Mary Stuart, in the 16th century. The surname Stewart is an occupational name for the administrative official of an estate...
denote essentially the same occupation but have a completely different word derivation. They originate from the pre-7th century English words stigweard—a compound of stig meaning household—and weard, a guardian.
Other countries and cultures
Foreign Equivalents:- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Speiser - a steward. This is a derivative of the Middle High GermanMiddle High GermanMiddle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
spise, meaning food or supplies via the Old High GermanOld High GermanThe term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
—in turn derived from Late LatinLate LatinLate Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of Late Antiquity. The English dictionary definition of Late Latin dates this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD extending in Spain to the 7th. This somewhat ambiguously defined period fits between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin...
expe(n)sa (pecunia), or "(money) expended".
- Jewish (Ashkenazic): Speiser - occupational name for a grocer, from a later semantic development of "Speiser".
- GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Economos - the anglicised surname derived from the Greek oikonomou ("oi" in Greek pronounced as a long E.) Oikon (English = ēcon) means house in classical Greek. This surname has the same occupational derivation as Spencer but, like the surnames Stewart and Stuart, has a different etymology. The original meaning of oikonomou was a home owner but it evolved to mean estate manager, somebody who was responsible for all resources on the estate, a steward. Oikonomou was a medieval Eastern Roman title for somebody who was in charge of a project or institution; it is still used by the Greek Orthodox church. Over time the meaning of Oikonomou has evolved from "manager of resources" to "manager of money, a treasurer."
Etymology
PhilologistsPhilology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
have been able to track changes in the name Spencer over time—in different dialects and languages—as well as trace its derivation from a common ancestry.
The name Spencer can be traced through its Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and French roots
Root (linguistics)
The root word is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family , which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents....
to its Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
and modern form.
- Medieval LatinMedieval LatinMedieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
- dispensa, dispensator and dispensarius - steward. - Old FrenchOld FrenchOld French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
--
-
- a. despense - larder
- b. espenser, -ier - dispenser of money, provisions etc.; someone working at, or in charge of, the butteryButtery (room)A buttery was a domestic room in a large medieval house. Along with the pantry, it was generally part of the offices pertaining to the kitchen. Reached from the screens passage at the low end of the Great Hall the buttery was traditionally the place from which the yeoman of the buttery served beer...
; a household steward - c. despendour - steward.
-
-
- Anglo-FrenchOld NormanOld Norman, also called Old Northern French or Old Norman French, was one of many langues d'oïl dialects. It was spoken throughout the region of what is now called Normandy and spread into England, Southern Italy, Sicily, and the Levant. It is the ancestor of modern Norman, including the insular...
- despenser, -ier. - Middle EnglishMiddle EnglishMiddle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
- spens(e) and spence - larder; dispensour - steward. With the agent suffix –er this becomes spenser - butler or steward.
Derivation
In England, up to about the time of the Norman Conquest when communities were small, each person was identifiable by a single name, usually a personal name or nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
. Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s, Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
s, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
ns and Normans all originally used single names, but as the population increased, it became necessary to identify people further—giving rise to names like John the butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
, Henry of Sutton, Roger son of Richard and William the short, which naturally evolved into John Butcher, Henry Sutton, Roger Richardson and William Short. Although a few hereditary patrilineal surnames (those passed from father to son and daughter) appear to have existed in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
before the Norman Conquest, the now traditional use of binomial
Binomial
In algebra, a binomial is a polynomial with two terms —the sum of two monomials—often bound by parenthesis or brackets when operated upon...
s (two names, a given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
and a surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
) appears to have gathered momentum at this time—particularly after the introduction of records for personal taxation, known in England as the Poll Tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
, first levied in 1275. The poll tax was the historical means by which local communities recorded the registering, categorizing, and polling of citizens, free-subjects and other voters.
The meaning of a surname generally derives from one of the following four sources: location (toponym) such as a specific place (e.g. London, York) or feature of the place or landscape (e.g. Hill, Townsend); a relationship (e.g. Richardson); a nickname (e.g. Grey, Wellbeloved); or an occupation or office (e.g. Sawyer, Skinner). The surname Spencer relates to occupation and office.
Robert Despenser
Robert d'Abbetot Robert was named after his place of origin, the present-day Normandy village of St-Jean-d'Abbetot. In the historical literature his name, and that of the village, are spelled and presented in many ways including d'Abitot, d'Abetot, Dabitote, d'Abbetot, d'Arbitot and d'Albeto: the "d" is sometimes capitalised or anglicised to "of". For consistency the contemporary spelling of the town name has been adopted here. The word is derived from the Norse apel, apal - apple combined with topt derived, in turn, from the Latin tost and tostum - farm, hence Apple Farm. was the son of Almericus d'Abbetot whose Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
ancestry has been traced back to Tancred of Hauteville
Tancred of Hauteville
Tancred of Hauteville was an 11th-century Norman petty lord about whom little is known. His historical importance comes entirely from the accomplishments of his sons and later descendants...
(980–1041).A rather fanciful ancestry takes the male line back much beyond Tancred to Olaf http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jamesdow/s018/f035100.htm Almericus is known to have held the position of mayor in the town of Saint-Jean-d'Abbetot in Normandy. Robert, like William's other close knights, was granted titles, lands and a high position in William's court. In addition to his position as steward he also was given land grants in county Bedford. He held his office for the period c.1088–1098.
Robert's last name of d'Abbetot had no meaning in England so it was likely changed to Robert le Despenser (many spelling variants of this name exist including Robert the Dispensor, Robert Despensator, Robert Dispenser, and Robert fitzThurstin.) which reflected his new official position and occupation. He seems to have maintained his popularity with William because in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, Robert Despenser was listed as a land tenant-in-chief in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and Warwickshire, as well as holding lands in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
obtained from the Bishop of Worcester.
Robert is assumed to have died shortly after restoring some estates to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
but he appears to have had no legitimate male children, as his heir was his brother Urse. He may have had a daughter, as some of his lands were inherited by the Marmion family, but it is also possible that a daughter of Urse married into the Marmion family. Robert's office as the king's steward may also have gone to Urse, as it was later held by Urse's heirs. A later steward, Thurstin, might have been an illegitimate son of Robert.
Robert's brother Urse d'Abbetot
Robert Despenser's brother, Urse d'AbbetotUrse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot was a Norman as well as a medieval Sheriff of Worcestershire and royal official under Kings William I, William II and Henry I...
(c. 1040–1108), became a medieval Sheriff of Worcester and royal official. He did not take up the name Despenser. In Normandy the brothers lived in the town of Saint Jean d'Abbetot as tenants on lands of feudal lords in the Tancarville
Tancarville
Tancarville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Upper Normandy region of northern France.-Geography:Tancarville is a farming village surrounded by woodland, by the banks of the river Seine in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre and near the junction of the D39, D982 and D910...
family in the Pays de Caux
Pays de Caux
The Pays de Caux is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French département of Seine Maritime in Haute-Normandie. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs on the English Channel coast - its coastline is known as the Côte d'Albâtre...
region on the lower Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
.
Ralph Fitz Gerald (Chamberlain of Tankerville) was the elder brother of Aumary d'Abetot. Their father was Gerold (husband of Helisendis) Sire de Tankerville with the hereditary office of chamberlain to the Dukes of Normandy. His younger son, Aumary, inherited the fiefs of Abetot and had two sons, Urso and Robert "Despencer" who gave the name to the noble families of Le Despencer and Spenser that trace their descent from his niece. In 1073 Urse was one of the king's council. He rendered great service in the suppression of the rebellion of the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk and had a reputation as a spoiler and devastator of the Church. Urse's son Roger d'Abetot, having killed a servant of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, was banished and his confiscated estates given by the king—together with the hand of his sister Emmeline d'Abetot—to Walter de Beauchamp of Bedford.
However, within 2–3 years of 1066 both brothers were established in England—Urse as Sheriff of Worcestershire, supervising the construction of Worcester Castle
Worcester Castle
Worcester Castle was a Norman fortification built between 1068 and 1069 in Worcester, England by Urse d'Abetot on behalf of William the Conqueror. The castle had a motte-and-bailey design and was located on the south side of the old Anglo-Saxon city, cutting into the grounds of Worcester Cathedral...
. The Domesday survey showed Urse's lands mostly in the West Midlands while Robert's extended to the North Sea. Robert remained a benefactor to the Priory of St. Barbe-en-Auge in Normandy, which had been founded by the Tancarville lords.
Lands held by the d'Abbetots in Worcester are recorded in Hemming's Cartulary
Hemming's Cartulary
Hemming's Cartulary is a manuscript cartulary, or collection of charters and other land records, collected by a monk named Hemming around the time of the Norman Conquest of England. The manuscript comprises two separate cartularies that were made at different times and later bound together. The...
. The d'Abbetot family settled mostly in Worcester where they were lords of Hindlip (Hind Leap), 20 miles (32.2 km) from Worcester, for 200 years holding the manor for a knight's fee, that is, the service of an armed knight in the event of war. A church has stood on the site since the 11th century. Two villages have taken the D'Abbetot family name. Redmarley D'Abitot lies on the extreme south-west border of Worcestershire in Gloucestershire. Here the D'Abitot's owned property in the parish in the 16th century, and lived at Down House although the last member of the family is believed to have died in the 18th century. The other village is Croome D'Abitot, which lies 7–8 miles south-east of Worcester. Many of the descendants of Robert Despenser and Urse achieved notoriety of various kinds and the Dispenser line has been traced for at least 10 generations.
Associated families
The Norman family of de Ferrers, through Henry de Ferrers, had received the largest grants of land and manors in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and were closely related to the d'Abbetots by marriage. Similarly, Urse's son Roger had a sister, Emmeline, who married Walter de Beauchamp from another influential family of the time. Walter succeeded to Urse's lands after the exiling of Roger around 1110. Tradition has it that the Derbyshire D'Abitots sprang either from Robert d'Abitot or a junior branch of the Worcester d'Abitots, although it is more likely to trace directly from Urse.
Heraldry
HeraldryHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and badges, arose from the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets. The process of creating coats of arms (these are often called "family crests" but in the heraldic traditions of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
an individual, rather than a family, had a coat of arms) began in the eight and 9th centuries. Eventually a formal system of rules developed into increasingly complex forms of heraldry that allowed the use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages in a form of civic heraldry. In more recent times coats of arms have evolved from their military origins to denote educational institutes, and other establishments, apparently leading to the modern logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
and corporate livery.
The secretum
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
or private seal of Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
(A.D. 1370–1406) is shown here.
Arms of Hugh le Despencer.
Hereditary names and genetic lineages
The possession of the surname Spencer does not necessarily indicate a hereditary relationship to Robert Despenser. Irregularities can occur with non-paternity and it is possible that consecutive but unrelated people in the same occupation may well have adopted the same name resulting in the foundation of many different Spencer genetic lineages. It is known, for example, that in London in the 13th and 14th centuries trade apprentices would take on the names of their masters. Nevertheless, also in London, surnames of all kinds had become hereditary in the patrician class by the 12th century.Nevertheless, the genetic similarity of people with identical surnames has been shown to be quite high, especially those with rarer surnames. It might seem an almost insurmountable task to determine the true lineage of contemporary Spencers when such an "occupational" name probably has many founders. Nevertheless, modern genetics now has the capacity to discriminate relationships at an increasingly detailed resolution both in terms of close recent ancestry and deep ancestry. Many people are now using gene testing laboratories as part of a surname DNA project to resolve not only who their close relations are around the world, but also the migration patterns of their ancestors over the 50,000 years since modern man left Africa.
In America many Spencers have been traced back genetically to four Spencer brothers: William Spencer 1601–1640, Thomas Spencer 1607–1687, Michael Spencer 1611–1653, and Gerard Spencer 1614–1685.
The Spencer aristocracy
The English aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
ic Spencer family has resided at their ancestral home at Althorp
Althorp
Althorp is a country estate of about and a stately home in Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-west of the county town of Northampton. The late Diana, Princess of Wales is buried in the estate.-History:...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, since the early 16th century. The Estate now covers 14000 acres (56.7 km²) in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
and Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. From pre-Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
times the Spencers had been farmers, coming to prominence in Warwickshire in the 15th century when John Spencer
John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer
John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer was a British peer and politician.Spencer was born in 1734, at his family home, Althorp. He was the son of Hon. John Spencer and Georgiana Carolina Carteret , and a grandson of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland...
became feoffee
Feoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
of Wormleighton
Wormleighton
Wormleighton is a village in the county of Warwickshire, England.Although founded in the 15th century, it was abandoned after the English Civil War when the Spencer family home Wormleighton Manor was burned down in 1645. The village, however, refounded in the 19th century...
in 1469, and a tenant at Althorp in 1486. His nephew, another John, used the gains from trade in livestock and commodities to buy both properties. He was knighted in 1504 and died in 1522. John's descendants expanded the family holdings through business dealings and marriage into the peerage. The family is related through marriage to the Churchills of Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
, a line which included the Dukes of Marlborough and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. From the Althorp line came the Earls of Sunderland
Earl of Sunderland
Earl of Sunderland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1627 in favour of Emanuel Scrope, 12th Baron Scrope of Bolton. The earldom became extinct on his death in 1630 while the barony became either extinct or dormant...
, the later Dukes of Marlborough, and the Earls Spencer
Earl Spencer
Earl Spencer is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created on 1 November 1765, along with the title Viscount Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire, for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer, a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
. The family captured international attention when Lady Diana Frances Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
married Prince Charles
Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer
The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Frances Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom. Their marriage was widely billed as a "fairytale wedding" and the "wedding of the century". It was watched by an estimated global TV...
on 29 July 1981, and her death in a car crash
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 31 August 1997.
Notable Spencers
- The following is a small selection of notable Spencers.
13th Century
- Hugh le Despenser IHugh le Despenser ISir Hugh le Despenser was a wealthy landowner in the East Midlands of England, and served as High Sheriff of Berkshire.He was probably the son of a Thomas Despencer, and brother to both Thomas, who died before October 1218, and Rohaise, who married Stephen de Segrave. It is said that he married a...
(died 1238) was a wealthy land owner in the East Midlands of England, as well as High Sheriff of Berkshire. - Sir Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerHugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerSir Hugh was an important ally of Simon de Montfort during the reign of Henry III. He served briefly as Justiciar of England in 1260 and as Constable of the Tower of London....
(1223–1265) son of Hugh le Despenser I was an important ally of Simon de MontfortSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
during the reign of Henry III. He served briefly as Justiciar of England (Chief Justice) in 1260 and as Constable of the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and the castles of Shrewsbury, Bruges, and Balsover. - Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of WinchesterHugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of WinchesterHugh le Despenser , sometimes referred to as "the Elder Despenser", was for a time the chief adviser to King Edward II of England....
(1262–1326) the elder Despenser, was for a time the chief adviser to King Edward II of England. - Hugh Despenser the Younger (1286–1326) became Royal Chamberlain in 1318 and the favourite of Edward II of EnglandEdward II of EnglandEdward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
but developed a reputation for greed and, after falling out with the Barons, was accused of treason. He was forced into exile in 1321 with his father, who later fled to Bordeaux. Hugh was captured and sentenced to public execution by hanging (for thievery), and drawing and quartering (for treason).
14th Century
- Edward le DespenserEdward le DespenserEdward le Despenser was the third eldest son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger by his wife Eleanor de Clare.His father is famous for being the favourite of Edward II of England, and consequently being executed for it...
(1310–1342) was the third eldest son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger by his wife Eleanor de ClareEleanor de ClareEleanor de Clare was the wife of the powerful Hugh Despenser the younger. She was born in 1292 at Caerphilly in Glamorgan, Wales. She was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and 7th Earl of Gloucester, and Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile; thus...
. - Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, KG was the son of another Edward le Despenser and Anne, the sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of Glamorgan in 1349.Le Despencer went with Edward the Black Prince to France, and was present at the Battle of Poitiers...
, KG (also called Despenser) (c. 24 March 1335 or 1336 – 11 November 1375) was the son of Edward le DespenserEdward le DespenserEdward le Despenser was the third eldest son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger by his wife Eleanor de Clare.His father is famous for being the favourite of Edward II of England, and consequently being executed for it...
(1310–1342) and Anne, the sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of GlamorganLord of GlamorganThe Lordship of Glamorgan was one of the most powerful and wealthy of the Welsh Marcher Lordships. Established by the conquest of Glamorgan from its last Welsh ruler the Anglo-Norman lord of Glamorgan like all Marcher lords ruled his lands directly by his own law, thus they could amongst other...
in 1349. - Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of GloucesterThomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of GloucesterThomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester KG was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375.-Royal intrigues:...
(22 September 1373 – 13 January 1400, Bristol) was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375. - Richard le Despenser, 4th Baron BurghershRichard le Despenser, 4th Baron BurghershRichard le Despenser, 4th Baron Burghersh was the son and heir of Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester , by Constance...
(1396–1414) was the son and heir of Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of GloucesterThomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of GloucesterThomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester KG was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375.-Royal intrigues:...
(1373–1400)
16th Century
- Edmund SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
(c. 1552 – 13 January 1599) was an English poet best known for The Faerie QueeneThe Faerie QueeneThe Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
, an epic poem celebrating—through fantastical allegory—the Tudor dynastyTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy.
17th Century
- Col. Nicholas SpencerNicholas SpencerCol. Nicholas Spencer was a London merchant who emigrated to Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses...
(1633–1689) was an English merchant born at CopleCopleCople is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. The name Cople is derived from the phrase Cock Pool, a place where chickens were kept, that was mentioned in the Domesday Book.- History :...
, BedfordshireBedfordshireBedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, who emigrated to the Colony of Virginia, where he served as land agent for his cousin Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron ColepeperThomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron ColepeperThomas Colpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.-Biography:...
. A planter with extensive landholdings, Spencer later served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, as Secretary and President of the Council of the Virginia Colony, and as Acting GovernorActing governorAn acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...
. With his friend John WashingtonJohn WashingtonJohn Washington was an English Virginia planter and politician. He was the immigrant ancestor and great-grandfather of George Washington, first president of the United States of America.-Early life and family:...
, Col. Spencer patented the Mount VernonMount VernonThe name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
estate land grant.
19th Century
- Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer KCMG (23 June 1860 – 14 July 1929) was a British-Australian biologist and anthropologist.
- Herbert SpencerHerbert SpencerHerbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era....
(27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, prominent classical liberal political theorist, and sociological theorist of the Victorian eraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
20th Century
- Elizabeth Spencer (soprano)Elizabeth Spencer (soprano)Elizabeth Spencer was an American singer during the later 19th century and early 20th century.She is primarily remembered as a recording artist for Thomas Alva Edison...
was a recording artist for Thomas Alva Edison. - Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, (Diana Frances; née Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was the first wife of Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Their sons, Princes WilliamPrince William of WalesPrince William, Duke of Cambridge KG , is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and third eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and HarryPrince Harry of WalesPrince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.
Popularity, numbers and distribution
There is strong evidence that despite population movement in the 19th Century most people stayed relatively near to their place of birth. The greatest density of Spencers in present-day England is in Nottinghamshire, followed by Derbyshire (see below). Derby and Notts were closely connected at the time of Domesday, and up until the time of Elizabeth I had the same Sheriff. The d'Abbetot family had holdings in Croome, Hindlip and Redmarley as well as Clopton and Acton Beauchamp.In North America early settlement of Spencers date to Thomas Spencer in Virginia in 1623; William Spencer Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1630; Thomas Spencer, Maine 1630. Col. Nicholas Spencer
Nicholas Spencer
Col. Nicholas Spencer was a London merchant who emigrated to Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses...
arrived in Virginia in the 1650s and subsequently served as Acting Governor
Acting governor
An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...
. An account of Spencers in America has been published by Ancestry.com.
Spencers arriving in Australia with the convicts of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in 1788 were Daniel Spencer from Dorchester, John Spencer, and Mary Spence from Wigan. With the Third Fleet
Third Fleet (Australia)
The Third Fleet consisted of 11 ships which set sail from United Kingdom in February, March and April 1791 bound for the Sydney penal settlement, with over 2000 convicts. The passengers consisted of convicts, military personnel and notable people sent to fill high positions in the colony...
in 1791 came John Spencer from Lancaster and Thomas Spencer from London.
Statistics for popularity, numbers and distribution of Spencers are presented in the tables below:
| When born | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Since 1900 | 8,616 | |
| In the 19th century | 14,486 | |
| In the 18th century | 5,602 | |
| US | 46,082 | 828th |
| In the 17th century | 2,968 | |
| In the 16th century | 1,522 | |
| Before 1500 | 1,601 | |
| Unknown birth date | 6,778 | |
| 1990 US Census | 142,500 | |
| Country | Total | Rank | Frequency | FPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK (current) | 33,799 | 140 | 0.074 | 736 |
| UK (1881) | 27,341 | 118 | 0.091 | 913 |
| Change since 1881 | ||||
| US | 173,180 | 163 | 0.057 | 570 |
| Australia | 6,985 | 182 | 0.043 | 43 |
| Top cities | Region | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nottingham | E Midlands | UK |
| 2. Birmingham | W Midlands | UK |
| 3. Leicester | E Midlands | UK |
| 4. Liverpool | North West | UK |
| 5. Sheffield | Yorks & Humber | UK |
| Country | FPM |
|---|---|
| 1. United Kingdom | 799 |
| 2. Australia | 742 |
| 3. US | 490 |
| 4. New Zealand | 398 |
| 5. Canada | 379 |
| Country | Number | Popularity |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 35,891 | |
| US | 153,108 | 189th |
| Given name | ||
| US | 46,082 | 828th |
| 1. John | 2. David | 3. Robert | 4. James |
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See also
- AnthroponymyAnthroponymyAnthroponomastics , a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms (Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch...
- Given nameGiven nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
- NomenclatureNomenclatureNomenclature is a term that applies to either a list of names or terms, or to the system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming - which is the assigning of a word or phrase to a particular object or property...
- OnomasticsOnomasticsOnomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" , from "ὄνομα" "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of...
- SpencerSpencer-Names:*Spencer , a surname**List of people with surname Spencer*Spencer , a given name -Australia:*Spencer, New South Wales, on the Central Coast...
- Spencer's (disambiguation)
- Spence (surname)Spence (surname)Spence is a surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Basil Spence, British architect* Brent Spence, American Congressman, attorney, and banker* Catherine Helen Spence, Australian suffragette...
- SpenserSpenserSpenser is an alternative spelling of the British surname Spencer. It may refer to:Geographical places with the name Spenser:* Spenser Ecological District in New Zealand* Spenser Mountains, a range in the northern part of South Island, New Zealand...
- Spens (disambiguation)
- SurnameSurnameA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
External links
Genealogy- Spencer Historical & Genealogical Society web site. (Society based in America.)
- Spencer Genealogy Forum
DNA lineages
History
Peerage