William Spooner (PGM) -- Is there historical evidence for a link to parents?

Question

Robert Charles Anderson (2015) found William Spooner's origins to be unknown. See Did Anderson include an entry in the Directory for William Spooner?

William Spooner was styled "of Colchester in the county of Essex" in his 1647 indenture. (See Records of the Colony of New Plymouth ... Hathi Trust.)

William's current profile includes various extractions. Many of these repeat time and again a notion that he was or may have been the son of John and Ann (Peck) Spooner, both originally of England, but residents of Leiden, Holland, when they married. 

Has anyone found historical evidence to support the link from William Spooner to parents? Wills (parens, aunts, uncles, siblings)? Court records? 

If not, should William Spooner be severed as the son of John Spooner and his wife, Ann Peck? 

Edited to add: Some profile updates have been made. Reference to the speculative parents is given in Research Notes.

Comments

Found this - A marriage certificate was issued to John Spooner, widower of Suzanne Bennett, ribbon-maker, England, dwelling in the house of Douver, and Ann Peck, spinster, England. Witnesses Samuel Lee and Elisabeth Spalding, Leyden Document 1030/B58/24 24-12- 16112

Answer 1

There is no solid evidence that William Spooner was the son of John Spooner and his wife, Ann Peck. Yes they should be severed. All indications are that William was indeed from Colchester, Essex, England, as his indenture states.

Comments

Other discussions of the historical account of his indenture could be discussing Colchester in Massachusetts. The only caveat being that Colchester was not a named place until the year following his indenture date.

Both John and Anne have birthplaces in England, but John and Anne married in Leiden. Anne even remarried in Leiden. Leiden was the migration place of origin for many who were early settlers in the Puritan great migration.

I don't know if anyone has yet to look for Anne Pouvel/Powell in Massachusetts records, as the earliest migration date that makes sense for her is after she was widowed by Spooner and remarried, she was in Leiden, and thus her migration is most reasonably after the Powell marriage 28 June 1631, in Leiden.

Answer 2

I think they need disconnecting.

Ann

Answer 3

A memorial plaque that includes the name of John Spooner lists 1628 as his death date under the quote:

During the Pilgrim Fathers' Leiden exile, more than thirty family members died. Many were buried in the Pieterskerk along with their Leiden neighbors. "But now we are all, in all places, strangers and pilgrims, travelers and sojourners..." Robert Cushman, Pilgrim Leader, 1622.

Having said that, however, in the list of the dead, immediately following John Spooner - 1628, is John & Jane Spooner's child - 1630, which begs the question whether a) John is the same John who died in 1628; b) &  c) Jane and Anne might be one and the same person, [Note: as is cited on her profile, I believe, but also on John's on FamilySearch: Jane Peck and John Spooner were apparent co-workers, in a Leiden brewery, circa 1609-1620; and later betrothed, citing Pilgrim Homes in Leiden] & whether Anne might have attempted the trip to Plymouth, but only to return to Leiden (maybe because her husband died, en route if the FindAGrave plaque connotes death in travel?), and later marrying Powell...

Thus, we have some squishy, soft evidence that a John Spooner died en route to Plymouth or at the very least in the Leiden community, depending upon how the "during the Pilgrim Fathers' Leiden exile" plaque is interpreted, but nevertheless, was buried at Leiden.

The list of the dead also includes two Peck children (Anne's maiden name), who died in 1619.

Noting that this FindAGrave memorial has the same death date as that used on John Spooner's profile. Death location is not actually specified, just burial at Pieterskerk in Leiden.

The FindAGrave memorial provides a short narrative, stating that Anne Peck was his wife (and elaborating upon her relationships); and, that a 20 Feb 1627 document stated he was about 40 years of age.

Other notations on John's FamilySearch profile (unless it's conflation) suggest that he was closer to a Norfolk birth; at least that was where he first married 5 Jun 1609 Susan Bennett by whom he had one child, Francis, also in Norfolk. 

Others also say that he then he left for Leiden.

A researcher at FamilySearch visited the Leyden City Archives and leaves John Spooner Notes and indicates that Susan was the 1st wife by whom Thomas was also born, and that Thomas accompanied step-brother William and their mother Anna to America in 1637... 

Not much to go in in terms of solid proofs, but the circumstantial evidence for John and Anna v. Jane Peck having married (proof exists on a Leiden marriage for John and Anna, and Anna's later remarriage, after John died) and now a line on under what circumstances the various attempts by the family to migrate occurred, leaves us in at least a position of Uncertain parents for William, but I do not think they should be detached, just yet.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/239310152/john-spooner: accessed 10 November 2022), memorial page for John Spooner (1587–6 Jul 1628), Find a Grave Memorial ID 239310152, citing Pieterskerk, Leiden, Leiden Municipality, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; Maintained by CMWJR (contributor 50059520) .

Comments

Thanks Porter, 

A couple of notes. 

(a) If there is evidence supporting John Spooner's death en route to Plymouth, I have not seen it. From his WikiTree profile, "John died in Leiden, Holland on July 6, 1628. His death certificate is on file in the [Leiden] Archive, though it is not available on their website, as it has not yet been translated,"  

(b) As to "Ann Spooner" being of Salem. The notes by Thomas Spooner (b. 1817) about this (1869) refer to "Felt, in his Annals of Salem ... about "Amy [Ann] ... admitted to Salem Church [1638]." Felt calls her "Amy Spooner''--for that account, see Joseph B. Felt, The Annals of Salem (Salem, W. & S. B. Ives, 1827), [552]-554 (Amy Spooner, Salem Church) at 554; digital images, Hathi Trust. 

This name appears "Amy Spooner" in the church records themselves. See[*] Thomas Barnard (pastor), compiler, Records of the First Church of Salem, Mass. [1629-1843] (manuscript, bound volume), image 210-211 at 211; digital images, Congressional Library and Archives, notes "copied from the original ..." and "the original manuscripts are owned by ... Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum," for "Thomas Spooner ..... Amy Spooner" in the list of those admitted to the church/Communicants, 1637. (Seems the list from 12 February 1637/8, continued.) 

If there are historical records about an Ann Spooner early of Salem, hope folks will identify and post a reference for the evidence. --Gene 

[*] The link will take you to the preface page for "Salem, Mass. First Church." In the section "Digital Materials," click on the link, "Browse images of this content." This brings up the digitized bound volume. Jump to "page" 211 for the entry "Amy Spooner."   

Answer 4

Given that possible father John Spooner is demonstrably noted to have married Susan Bennett first, then shows up in Leiden, where he next married Anne Peck and also where we died... if we leverage the marriage of this same John to Susan, that happened in Lessingham, Norfolk, England where they also had at least one son, Francis (died an infant).

This is going in the other direction, but this record suggests that John may have been born to Frauncis Spooner, christened 24 Sep 1587 in Lessingham, Norfolk. Notably, Again, Lessingham is where John and Susan Bennett married.

"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N538-G8Z : 21 March 2020), John Sponer, 1587.

Regarding who William's mother was, William's birthdate is the only key, and I'm not sure that that date is firm (i.e., we know when Anne became John's wife, but we don't have a date firm for Susan's death). Anyway, I thought this well-matched record on John Spooner's birth adds value, as the estimates on John's birth match as well as a location that he has been tied to and lastly, Susan and John have a documented child named Francis.

Now all we need are some real records that link William as a son of John :)

Meanwhile, I left a couple of matched (1643 and 1648) notes from Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England on William's page in the comments.

Comments

Hi Porter,

All interesting, but we still have no historical record by which we can place or closely associate our William Spooner (PGM) as a member of John's family.  

That doesn't mean that something won't be discovered in the future, but we know of nothing at this time.--Gene