William Raleigh Spencer

William Raleigh SPENCER (Thomas SPENCER3, Abraham SPENCER Sr2, Thomas SPENCER1) was born 02 APR 1759 in Halifax, Virginia, USA, and died 22 OCT 1839 in Sugar Tree, Decatur, Tennessee, USA.

family

From https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=tmbean&i...

He married Martha Elizabeth GARDNER 1790 in Williamson, Williamson Co., Tennessee, USA. She was born 1760 in North Carolina, USA, and died in Sugar Tree, Decatur, Tennessee, USA

Children of William Raleigh SPENCER and Martha Elizabeth GARDNER are:

1. Sarah Parker SPENCER was born 04 JUL 1814 in (Later: Williamson Co., Tennessee), Centerville, Hickman County, Tennessee, USA, and died 12 DEC 1872 in (Later: Williamson Co., Tennessee), Centerville, Hickman, Tennessee, USA.
2. Charles John SPENCER was born 28 JUL 1791 in Burke, North Carolina, USA, and died 10 AUG 1856 in Milledgeville, McNairy, Tennessee, USA.
3. Thomas Sharp SPENCER was born 05 AUG 1798 in Williamson, Tennessee, USA, and died 31 OCT 1877 in Hickman, Tennessee, USA.
4. Egen Hart SPENCER was born 02 MAY 1809 in Williamson, Tennessee, USA, and died 31 DEC 1891 in Franklin, Williamson Co., Tennessee, USA.
5. John LeGrand SPENCER was born 11 SEP 1817 in Williamson, Tennessee, USA, and died 09 JAN 1887 in Paragould, Greene, Arkansas, USA.
6. Edwin Lawson SPENCER.
7. William Raleigh SPENCER II was born 1803 in Williamson, Tennessee, USA, and died MAR 1860 in Humphreys, Tennessee, USA.
8. Elizabeth Tennessee SPENCER was born 1816.

notes

From page 300 of Historic Sumner County, Tennessee: With Genealogies of the Bledsoe, Gage and ... By Jay Guy Cisco

Thomas Sharp Spencer, called the "Chevalier Beyard of the Cumberland Valley," was a native of Virginia, and a bold, daring hunter .....in April, 1794, he was shot from ambush by Indians, at what is now called Spencer's Hill, in Van Buren County. The seat of justice of that county was so named in his honor. So, also, were Spencer's Creek and Spencer's Lick. After the death of Spencer, the body of land containing 640 acres, lying one mile south of Gallatin,and known to this day as "Spencer's Choice," passed to the ownership of his brother, William, and his sister, Elizabeth. The latter purchased her brother's interest, and then sold the entire tract to David Shelby, who, in 1798, built the stone residence still standing and occupied by A. P. Howisson, the present owner.

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William Spencer applied for his military pension in 1834 at the age of 74. According to his sworn Declaration, he was born February 2, 1761 in King William County, Virginia and possessed a record of his birth. He enlisted at the age of 15 or 16 in 1776. At the time, he resided in Prince Edwward County, Virginia. He served in under the command of James Sherbourne. They marched to Hampton, Norfolk, and Williamsburg. his regiment skirmished with the British in the Hamptons. After one year he was discharged by Captain Munford. He then enlisted in the 71st regiment of the Virginia Line in 1777 and served Captain Kelsoe commanded by Colonel Reed. They skirmished with the British in Norfolk and the battle of Stoney Brook under the command of General Anthony Wayne. After three years he was discharged by Major Richard James. Although there is no record of his additional service, he testified that he served a third time in the battle of Yorktown. After the war, he moved to Montgomery County, Virginia and then to Kentucky around 1799. At the time of his Declaration, he resided in Bullitt County (previously known as Nelson County, which was known as Jefferson County). His testimony was witness by his friend and neighbor, General Henry Crist, Colonel Henry C. McCartney, and Whitledge Overall

DNA testing

From https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/spencer/about/results

GROUP 3B

• Abraham Spencer m. Susannah SHARPE > Thomas b.c1776 > William Raleigh Spencer 1759-1839 > William R. Spencer b.c1803 NC, d.1860 TN > Thomas S. Spencer Sr., b.1843 IN, d.1910 TN, m. Ella BRANCH