Genealogy Report: Descendants of Gregory ^ Spicer, (1)
Descendants of Gregory ^ Spicer, (1)
1.GREGORY ^8 SPICER, (1)(^7SPYCER, SPICER READ6FILE, SPICER5STORIES, SPICER4WRITINGS, SPICER GENEALOGY3SOURCES, EXPLANATION OF DATES AND OTHER2DEFINITIONS, SPICER/SPYCER1TIDBITS) was born Abt. 1596 in England, and died in Virginia.He married UNKNOWN Abt. 1623 in Virginia.
Notes for GREGORY ^ SPICER, (1):
1618 - Gregory Spicer was among many white European indentured servants.
1619 - that the first Negro indentured servants came to Jamestown Virginia. John Rolfe wrote in his diary, "About the last of August came in a dutch man of warre that sold us twenty negars."
1629 - Denbigh, best known of the Warwick Plantations was so named and was the seat of Capt. Mathews, who in 1626 is recorded as having taken up land in the Blunt Point area, calling his plantation "Mathew's Manor". He served as governor of Virginia from 1657-1660. A portion of the Denbigh plantation is now the Newport News City Farm.
a] Note; I am having a hard time determining whether the Mathews Plantaion was originally called Mathews Manor and then called Denbigh or whether Mathews Manor was located on Denbigh; Denbigh still exsists in Newport News, VA.
b]The National Register of Historic Placesadded the Denbigh Plantation Site [also known as Mathews Manor] to it's register in 1970 - Site - #70000873. Address Restricted, Newport News (Independent City)
Historic Significance:Event
Area of Significance:Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture
Period of Significance:1600-1649
Owner:Private
Historic Function:Domestic
Historic Sub-function:Single Dwelling
Current Function:Domestic, Landscape
Current Sub-function:Park, Single Dwelling
Captain Samuel Mathews had two land grants in Virginia; Flowerdew Hundred lying on the south side of James River (which he later gave up in a land dispute) and another at Blunt Point on the north side at the mouth of Warwick River where he located his plantation, "Denbigh," described in 1648 as a "miniature village." By 1625 he was named to the Council; he was commissioned to build the fort at Old Point in 1629 and was authorized "sole trade in the Bay a year" in 1626 as partial payment. This became a lucrative business in furs. He was shrewd and industrious, establishing a large plantation with forty slaves trained as artisans. William Cole (William) bought, 1671, the "Bolthrupe" plantation of 1350 acres lying on the Warwick River between "Denbigh," the Mathews plantation, and "Windmill Point," the seat of the Carys. In addition, on 20 April 1685 Cole acquired 1433 acres laying largely in Warwick County but partly in Elizabeth City, "commonly called Newport News according to the most ancient and lawful bounds."
1631 - Monthly court first established in the Warwick River area. The following commissioners were named: Capt. Samuel Mathews, Capt. Richard Stephens, Capt. Thomas Flint, John Brewer, Zachariah Cripps and Thomas Ceeley
1638 - First slave markets in English America are being run.
1651: The first Indian Reservation was created near Richmond, Virginia for the remnants of Pocahontas' people.
Gregorie SPYCER
Sex:M
Christening:14 Nov 1594
Billinghay, Lincoln, England
Parents:
Father:Gregorie SPYCER
Mother:
International Genealogical IndexBritish Isles shows 2 possible matches for this Gregory Spicer.
1.Gregorie SPYCERInternational Genealogical Index BI
Gender: M Christening: 14 Nov 1594 Billinghay, Lincoln, England
2. Gregory SPICERInternational Genealogical Index BI
Gender: M Birth: 1596 England
Also note that the Index also shows a Gregory Spicer who may be the parent of this Gregory Spicer Event(s):Misc:24 Sep 1564 Bradwell-Near-The-Sea, Essex, EnglandMarriage:Spouse:Helen TAILOR
See all International Genealogical Index /British Isles matches(8)
John Le Spycer
Birth: ABT 1040 in Normandy, France
Death: in Devonshire, England; One of three Spicer brothers who went to England with William the Conqueror
William Le Spycer
Another of the brothersho went to England with William the Conqueror, is likely our ancestor
Among other early records of the family in England are those of Simon Le Spicere of Cambridgeshire in the year 1273; Stephen le Spicer of Kent in 1294; William le Spicere of Oxford and William Speciar of Lincolnshire in the thirteenth century; Sacre le Spicer and Amphelsia le Spicer, during the same period; Edmund le Spicer of Kent in 1307; Richard Le Spycer of Somersetshire in the time of King Edward the Third; John Spicer of Dover in 1377; Adam and Giliaum Spyser of York in 1379; Richard Spicer, M.P. for Canterbury in 1392; John Spicer of Kent in 1414; John Spycer of Kent in 1533, who had a son named Henry; and William Spycer of Kent in 1549, who was the father of Edmund, who had a son named William and possibly other children.
"Among the Spicer's who came to America at an early date was Gregory Spicer, who is listen as living in
Jamestown, Virginia in 1618, but it is not known whether he came with Captain Christopher Newport.
There is no record of any relatives or a wife of Gregory, though it is known that he had issue: Edward
Spicer, born in Virginia, in 1623. Edward had three sons, Peter, William and Henry. We have a record of
Peter moving to New England in1666, but no account of the other two. Peter Spicer married Mary Busecot
in 1670 and they had Edward, Peter, William, Ruth, Samuel, Jabez, Abigail, Hanna, Jane, Mary and Sarah." - Title: "History of the Descendants of Peter Spicer, A Landholder in New London, Connecticut, as early as 1666, and others of the name"compiled by Susan Spicer Meech & Susan Billings Meech, 1911.
Among those of the name who emigrated at early dates to America but who left few records of themselves and their families were Gregory Spicer of Jamestown, Va., in 1618; Richard Spicer of Virginia in 1634; William, Edward, and Henry Spicer of Virginia in 1635; and Stephen Spicer, who came from Devonshire, England, to the Barbados sometime before the year 1663. [It is likely that the William, Edward and Henry mentioned above are our grandfather Edward and his brothers; Our Edward had 3 sons, Peter, William and Henry]
Gregory Spicer came to the New World in 1618 aboard the ship TRYALL. He came to America as a servant (probably an indentured slave) for the Captain Samuel Mathews Plantation in Virginia.Gregory Spicer is the only passenger listed on the Tryall during that year who landed in Virginia. It is said that a William Spicer, captain of the Moonlight was the first to voyage to America and upon his return to England he told all of his uncles and cousins that England held nothing more for them but he knew of a place they could go. The Spicer's began leaving England often bonding themselves out to servitude in exchange for passage.
Why did the Spicer's feel England no longer held anything for them? For hundreds of years after the time they first went to England with William the Conqueror the Spicer's were known to be important men. They were land holders and close to royalty, even being awarded the Family Crest. When and how did they lose this power? Perhaps this was the reason the Spicer's wanted out of England. However it happenedGregory ended up a servant on a Virginian plantation in a far off land.Between 1618 and 1623, 20 males, the youngest being 6 the oldest 24, sailed on the Tryall to the Mathew's Plantation in Virginiaall listed as Mathew servants.
I am not certain exactly when Gregory Spicer was actually born in but I estimate it was somewhere between 1594 -1596 his name appears in Ships to AmericaTryall, 1618 as this;
"Passengers from the Port of London on the Tryall to Virginia, 1618:
Spicer, Gregory . . .[age] 22 in Virginia Muster (census), February 4, 1624."
And on a Virginia Muster roll list of all ship passengers he was listed as this;
"Spicer, Gregory. . . . . . . . 22 (Mathew servant) Arrived on the Tryall in 1618."
It is my understanding that the age is listed as how old he was when he was on the Tryall which would place his birth year at 1696 but because I don't know the month he was born, nor the month the Muster was taken, and both the Georgian and Edwardian calendars were being used the date could be off a year.
A Gregory Spicer is recorded to have owned 140 acres in Voluntown,[Virginia?] lot 108date unknown at this time. I have not been able to verify if this is our Gregory.
* Note of interest; One Spicer who may have been a grandfather was reported to have been burned at the stake as a witch in the 1300's or 1400's. This execution was played out in front of his wife and 7 children.
Capt. Matthew's Plant., James' Citty.
CAPT. SAMWELL MATTHEWS, came in the SOUTHMPTON, 1622[He actually came back to Virginia in 1622]
MR. DAVID SANDS, Minister, came in the BONAVENTURE, 1620.
Servants
ROBERT MATHEWS, aged 24 years
ROGER WILLIAMS.......20"
SAMUELL DAVIES.......18"
HENRY JONES..........25"came in the SOUTHAMPTON, 1622.
AARON CONAWAY........20"
JOHN THOMAS..........18"
MICHAELL LAPWORTH....16"
WILLIAM LUSAM........27"
WILLIAM FEILD........23"in the CHARLES, 1621.
PEETER MONTACUE......21"
ROBERT FERNALL, 31 in the LONDON MERCHANT, 1619.
WALTER COOP [COOPER], 33, in the JONATHAN, 1619.
WILLIAM WALTERS, 27, in the BONA NOVA, 1618.
NICHOLAS CHAPMAN, 31, in the JONATHAN, 1619.
GREGORY SPICER, 22, in the TRIALL, 1618.
NICHOLAS PEIRSE, 23, in the FALCON, 1619.
ROBERT PENN, 22, in the ABIGAILE, 1620.
WILLIAM DALBY, 28, in the FURTHERANCE, 1622.
THOMAS HOPSON, 12, in the BONA NOVA, 1619.
234
ABRAHM WOOD, 10, in the MARGARETT AND JOHN, 1620.
WILLIAM KINGSLEY, 24........ in the MARMADUKE, 1623.
THOMAS BRIDGES, 12 .........
ARTHUR GOLDSMITH, 26, came in the DIANA, 1618.
More About GREGORY ^ SPICER, (1):
Additional Info (1): A Gregory Spycer was born November 14, 1594 in Billinghay, Lincoln, England
Additional Info (2): A Gregory Spicer owned 140 acres in Voluntown, lot 108
Additional Info (2) cont: but according to their web site Voluntown Connecticut was'nt established until 1721
Additional Info (3): In Exeter, Devonshire, England there is a Spicer Road named for the family
Additional Info (4): name may have been Edward Gregory Spicer
Additional Info (4) b: name may have been Gregory Edward Spicer
Additional Info (5): Gregory Spicer was an indentured servant to Capt. Samuel Mathews
Additional Info (5)b: Capt. Mathews owned theDenbigh Plantation was located near "James Cittie"
Additional Info (5)c: Mathews Manor was the name of the home located on theDenbigh Plantation
Additional Info (6): The court records of Jamestown and James City County were destroyed in Richmond during the Civil War, as also were those of Warwick County.
Additional Info (7): A portion of the Denbigh Plantation is now the Newport News City Farm
Additional Info (8): Mathews Manor of the Denbigh plantation is currently being excavated as a archeological site
Additional Info (9): Bet. 1618 - 1623, Was called "THE GREAT MIGRATION:" Jamestown grows from 400 to 4, 500
Additional Info (10): August 1619, The first 20 Negros are purchased as indentured servants from a passing Dutch ship
Burial: Virginia
Immigration: 1618, Left Port of London, England for Virginia
Name, Variation of [1]: May have originallybeen spelledGregorie Spycer
Nationality: English/French
Occupation: 1618, Indentured Servant on theDenbigh Plantation, owned by Capt. Samuel Mathews
Source (1): 1967, The Chronology and Genealogy of the Spicer Family by Sterling LeRoy Spicer
Source (2): American Plantations and Colonies; Virginia Muster 1623
Source (3): Larry A. Spicer
Source (5): American Plantations and Colonies; Passanger aboard the TRYALL
More About UNKNOWN:
Additional Info (1): Probably a servant on the on the Denbigh Plantation
Additional Info (2): The Denbigh Plantation was also owned by Captain Samuel Mathews
Child of GREGORY SPICER and UNKNOWN is:
2. | i. | EDWARD ^9 SPICER, (2), b. 1623, Jamestown, Virginia probably on the Denbigh Plantation, Warwick County, Virginia; d. probably Virginia. |