Spooner Family - Ourfolk
William Spooner 1 Jan 1621-1 Jan 1622 - 8 Mar 1683-8 Mar 1684
William was born on 1 Jan 1621-1 Jan 1622 in Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands and died on 8 Mar 1683-8 Mar 1684 (age: 62) in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA .
He was the son of John Spooner (1594 - 6 JUL 1628) and Ann Peck (Spooner) (ABT 1598 - ABT 1650).
William was married to Elizabeth Partridge (Spooner) on ABT 1642 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
Elizabeth was born on ABT 1622 in England and died on 28 AUG 1648 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA .
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William was married to Hannah Pratt (Spooner) on 18 Mar 1651-18 Mar 1652 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA.
Hannah was born on ABT 1630 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA and died on ABT 1684 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA .
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- - -
| Parents | Grand Parents | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⌈ James Spooner (B: ABT 1565) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⌈ John Spooner (1594 - 6 JUL 1628) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⌊ Unknown (Spooner) (B: ABT 1565) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Spooner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⌊ Ann Peck (Spooner) (ABT 1598 - ABT 1650) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources:
S1 Records of William Spooner of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and HisDescendents
The first of the name on this side of the ocean, 27 March 1637, Williamwas apprenticed to John Holmes of New Plymouth in America. He wastransferred 1 July 1637 to John Coombs of Plymouth. From this it may beinferred that he was a minor. He settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts,where he was admitted freeman on 6 Jun 1654. He was appointed Surveyor ofhighways in 1654; he was a member of the Plymouth militia in 1643.William was ordered to pay the debts of his master, Mr. Coombs, and totake care of his children, August 1670 in a will dated 8 March, withinventory taken 14 March. He resided in Plymouth until about 1660, whenhe moved to Acushnet, Bristol county, Massachusetts, where he died in1684.
The earliest record that we have relating to William Spooner, is theassignment of articles indenturing him by John Holmes to John Coombs, asis seen in Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. XII, p. 19, as follows:
'Whereas, William Spooner of Colchester, in the County of Essex by thisIndenture, bearing date the twenty-seaventh day of March Anno Dmi., 1637,in the thirteenth year of his Magisty's Raigne, hath put himselfapprentice with John Holmes, of New Plymouth, in America, gent. from thefirst day of May next after the date of the said Indenture unto thendterme of six yeares thence ensuing with diuers other couenant both pts tobe pformed eich to other by the Indent it doth more plainly appear. Nowthe said John Holmes with the consent likeinge of the said WilliamSpooner hath the first day of July assigned and set ouer the said WilliamSpooner unto John Coombs of New Plymouth, aforesd gent. for all theresidue of his terme vnexpired to serue the sd John Coomes, and the sdJohn Coomes in then of his said terme shall giue the said William Spoonerone comely suit of apparell for holy days and one suit for working days,and twelve bushells of Indian Wheate, and a good seruiceable muskett,bandaliers and sord fitt for service.'
It thus appears that William Spooner began life in America as anapprentice to a Mr. John Coombs, a well-to-do citizen of New Plymouth.His age at the time of his indenture is unknown, but it is natural tosuppose that he was then in his minority.
William Spooner then, 'of Colchester, in the county of Essex, ' (Englandor Massachusetts), arrived in the New Plymouth settlement early in theyear 1637. Whence he came, whether with Ann Spooner from Leyden,whether direct from the mother country, or whether - which we think themost probable - from the little embryo town of Colchester, MassachusettsColony, is not known. Let this much be said, however, that consideringhis youth, (he probably was not more than sixteen or seventeen years oldat the time of his indenture), and considering also the fact that a Mr.Ann Spooner (doubtless from Leyden, Holland) was in Salem in 1637, it ismore than probable that william made the journey to America with AnnSpooner and Thomas Spooner, whom we suppose to have been his mother andbrother, and that, on their arrivalin this country, the family separated,Ann and Thomas settling tin Salem, and William seeking his fortune firstin the little Colchester settlement and subsequently in New Plymouth.
William Spooner's life after his apprenticeship to Mr. Coombs, we have,from the records, a tolerably well connected account. From the variousorders of the Court, we conclude that he was a faithful and competentsteward, entrusted with the administration of his master's estate and thecustody of his children. These were no common marks of confidence,especially amoung the early New England settlers, with whom sturdyself-reliance was one of the first and greatest of virtues.
In the list of August, 1643, William Spooner is mentioned as one 'of allthe males that are able to beare arms, from xvi years old to 60 yearswith in the several townships.' He was proponded to take up hisfreedom, June 7, 1653,' and was 'sworn and admitted June 6, 1654,' and atthe same time was appointed Surveyor of Highways. He also served on the'Grand Enquest' 1657 and 1666.
He continued to reside in Plymouth until about 1660, when he removed tothe new settlement at Acushnet in the Dartmouth purchase. Here he heldlands in his own name and an interest in the purchase, which wereconfirmed to him and to his heirs in their proprietory rights by hiswill. His lands and the grants made to his sons and grandson, weresituated near The-Head-of-the-River, somewhat to the north and east,thence to the south on the east side of the river Acushnet; a smallportion of the inheritance of his son, John, was the West or New Bedfordside of the Acushnet, and they held land on Sconticut Neck and atNasquatucket.
It is traditionally claimed, (and this claim seems to be well founded,)that William and his sons built the first mill within Dartmouth bounds,which was located in what is now Acushnet village.
William Spooner's educational advantages in the way of 'book learning,'etc., were certainly very limited. His will, in common with many of theinstruments executed by the early colonists, bears the 'mark' ofilliteracy.
Source: Records of William Spooner of Plymouth, Massachusetts & hisdescendants Thomas Spooner, 1883
The earliest record that we have relating to William Spooner, is theassignment of articles indenturing him by John Holmes to John Coombs, asis seen in Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. XII, p. 19, as follows:
'Whereas, William Spooner of Colchester, in the County of Essex by thisIndenture, bearing date the twenty-seaventh day of March Anno Dmi., 1637,in the thirteenth year of his Magisty's Raigne, hath put himselfapprentice with John Holmes, of New Plymouth, in America, gent. from thefirst day of May next after the date of the said Indenture unto thendterme of six yeares thence ensuing with diuers other couenant both pts tobe pformed eich to other by the Indent it doth more plainly appear. Nowthe said John Holmes with the consent likeinge of the said WilliamSpooner hath the first day of July assigned and set ouer the said WilliamSpooner unto John Coombs of New Plymouth, aforesd gent. for all theresidue of his terme vnexpired to serue the sd John Coomes, and the sdJohn Coomes in then of his said terme shall giue the said William Spoonerone comely suit of apparell for holy days and one suit for working days,and twelve bushells of Indian Wheate, and a good seruiceable muskett,bandaliers and sord fitt for service.'
It thus appears that William Spooner began life in America as anapprentice to a Mr. John Coombs, a well-to-do citizen of New Plymouth.His age at the time of his indenture is unknown, but it is natural tosuppose that he was then in his minority.
William Spooner then, 'of Colchester, in the county of Essex, ' (Englandor Massachusetts), arrived in the New Plymouth settlement early in theyear 1637. Whence he came, whether with Ann Spooner from Leyden,whether direct from the mother country, or whether - which we think themost probable - from the little embryo town of Colchester, MassachusettsColony, is not known. Let this much be said, however, that consideringhis youth, (he probably was not more than sixteen or seventeen years oldat the time of his indenture), and considering also the fact that a Mr.Ann Spooner (doubtless from Leyden, Holland) was in Salem in 1637, it ismore than probable that william made the journey to America with AnnSpooner and Thomas Spooner, whom we suppose to have been his mother andbrother, and that, on their arrivalin this country, the family separated,Ann and Thomas settling tin Salem, and William seeking his fortune firstin the little Colchester settlement and subsequently in New Plymouth.
William Spooner's life after his apprenticeship to Mr. Coombs, we have,from the records, a tolerably well connected account. From the variousorders of the Court, we conclude that he was a faithful and competentsteward, entrusted with the administration of his master's estate and thecustody of his children. These were no common marks of confidence,especially amoung the early New England settlers, with whom sturdyself-reliance was one of the first and greatest of virtues.
In the list of August, 1643, William Spooner is mentioned as one 'of allthe males that are able to beare arms, from xvi years old to 60 yearswith in the several townships.' He was proponded to take up hisfreedom, June 7, 1653,' and was 'sworn and admitted June 6, 1654,' and atthe same time was appointed Surveyor of Highways. He also served on the'Grand Enquest' 1657 and 1666.
He continued to reside in Plymouth until about 1660, when he removed tothe new settlement at Acushnet in the Dartmouth purchase. Here he heldlands in his own name and an interest in the purchase, which wereconfirmed to him and to his heirs in their proprietory rights by hiswill. His lands and the grants made to his sons and grandson, weresituated near The-Head-of-the-River, somewhat to the north and east,thence to the south on the east side of the river Acushnet; a smallportion of the inheritance of his son, John, was the West or New Bedfordside of the Acushnet, and they held land on Sconticut Neck and atNasquatucket.
It is traditionally claimed, (and this claim seems to be well founded,)that William and his sons built the first mill within Dartmouth bounds,which was located in what is now Acushnet village.
William Spooner's educational advantages in the way of 'book learning,'etc., were certainly very limited. His will, in common with many of theinstruments executed by the early colonists, bears the 'mark' ofilliteracy.
Source: Records of William Spooner of Plymouth, Massachusetts & hisdescendants Thomas Spooner, 1883
Hannah's arrival to America is not known. Her father, Joshua, is listedalone on the 'Anne' in 1621. It is presumed that Hannah followed sometimelater.
Last change (on this page): 15 OCT 2018