Sir Robert Spencer, Knt., of Spencercombe

Sir Robert Spencer of Spencer-Combe and Eleanor Beaufort were married about 1470. Sir Robert was reputed at that time to be the wealthiest individual in England. The Spencer family had been Knightly sheep grazers for many generations.

Robert and Eleanor had two children together:

1. Catherine Spencer (1477–1542), who married Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland.
2. Margaret Spencer (c 1472) who married Thomas Carey.

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Douglas Richardson believes that Robert Spencer's parents were John Spencer, Esq. and Joan/Jone [unknown].

Here is his comment from the GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives:

The following two Chancery lawsuits prove that Sir Robert Spencer was the son and heir of John Spencer, esquire, by his wife, Joan.

C 1/160/2: Robert Spenser, knight, son and heir of John Spenser, esquire. v. Robert Cotes, feoffee to uses.: A moiety of the manor of Brompton Ralph and the advowson of the church.: Somerset. Date: 1486–93, or 1504–1515.

C 1/480/13: Thomas, son and heir of William Cary and of Alice, his wife, daughter of Baldwin Folford, knight. v. John Fuleford, esquire.: Detention of deeds relating to the manor of Ashbury, Devon, and half the manor of Brompton Ralph, Somerset, claimed by complainant in right of Margaret, his wife, daughter and heir of Robert Spencer, knight, son and heir of John Spencer and of Joan, his wife. Date: 1518-1529

The above Chancery lawsuits indicate that Sir Robert Spencer's family held land interests in Ashbury, Devon and Brompton Ralph, Somerset, but not at Spencercombe, Devon. The evidence such as it is unclear where Sir Robert Spencer actually resided. There are various records generated by Sir Robert and his wife, Eleanor, during their marriage, but none indicate a residence for Sir Robert Spencer. Until now, all that is known, is that Sir Robert Spencer was living at Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire at the time he made his will, which will was proved 12 April 1510 (P.C.C. 27 Bennett).

More at link:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-MEDIEVAL/2013-07/...

See also this site, which mostly uses Richardson as a source:

https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p513.htm#...

WikiTree and ThePeerage.com don't show known parents for Robert Spencer--see notes and sources at links.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Spencer-190

http://www.thepeerage.com/p1046.htm#i10453 (this site references Alison Weir's Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy and Burke's Peerage 107th ed.)

Origins

The origins of Spencer are unclear. The Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d.1640), quoting his source "Vincent upon Brooke and Mills", suggested he was lord of the manor of Spencer Combe in the parish of Crediton, Devon, which his ancestor Richard Spencer had inherited by marriage to Alice Hody, daughter of William Hody of Combe Lancells, whose own family had inherited it from the Lancells family.[2] However Risdon's contemporary Sir William Pole (d.1635) makes no mention of Sir Robert at Spencer Combe, and states that the estate descended via the heiress Jone Spencer to the Giffard family.[3] His origin at Spencer Combe is however traditional, and is given thus in most published pedigrees and rolls of arms.[4]

The American genealogist Douglas Richardson[5] suggests that Sir Robert Spencer was in fact the son and heir of John Spencer, Esquire, MP for Dorset, of Frampton in Dorset, Ashbury in Devon and Brompton Ralph in Somerset, by his wife Jone.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spencer_of_Spencer_Combe

Individual Record FamilySearch™ Ancestral File v4.19

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Robert SPENCER (AFN: 921V-VL) Pedigree

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Event(s)

Birth:   Abt 1430   

 Spencercombe, Devonshire, England   

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Marriage(s)

Spouse:  Elbeanor BEAUFORT (AFN: 921S-JL)  Family  

Marriage:  1465  

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About Ancestral File

Ancestral File is a collection of genealogical information taken from Pedigree Charts and Family Group Records submitted to the Family History Department since 1978 

Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset married before 1436, Lady Eleanor Beauchamp, widow of Thomas, 8th Lord Ros, daughter of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Thomas, Lord Berkeley. Eleanor was an older half-sister of Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick and Anne Neville, Countess of Warwick.

Their unlicensed marriage was later pardoned on 7 March 1438, and they had the following children:

Eleanor – married first James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde and second Sir Robert Spencer.

Elizabeth (d. before 1472) – married Sir Henry Fitz Lewis.

Henry Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1436–1464)

Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Stafford (bef. 1439–1474) – married first Humphrey, Earl of Stafford and second Sir Richard Darell.

Edmund Beaufort, styled 3rd Duke of Somerset (c. 1439– 4 May 1471)

Anne Beaufort (c. 1453 – c. 1496) – married William Paston, Esq.

John Beaufort, styled Marquess of Dorset (c. 1455– 4 May 1471)

Joan Beaufort (d. 11 August 1518) – married first Sir Robert St. Lawrence and second Sir Richard Fry.

Thomas Beaufort (c. 1455–c. 1463)