Holbook line: Gerard Spencer 1614-1689 Immigrant

Gerard Spencer is a well-documented ancestor  If I wrote a post that told of everything that is known about him, it would be too much information for most of my readers. . So I will summarize, with the warning that although I have checked some of the sources used, my information comes primarily from the Rootsweb's WorldConnect Project, Armstrong Tipping Ukrainec Kristalovich Research owned by Keith Armstrong, information found on the WikiTree page for him, and Find A Grave.  These sites use references I frequently use,  and as mentioned, I've checked some of them myself.  Robert Charles Anderson has written several pages about him in "The Great Migration".  This is a condensed version of what the above mentioned researchers have found. 

Gerard (also Jared and various other spellings) was born April 25, 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England.  This was a small town, perhaps a village then, that had existed since at least Saxon times, because at least one Saxon burial was found when the church,St Mary the Virgin which was  built about 1150, was remodeled. The baptismal font dates from about 1450, so our ancestor would likely have been baptized there.  There are pictures on the Wikipedia site, if you care to look at them 

Gerard's parents were Gerard Spencer and Alice Whitbread (also Whitebread and other spellings), who were also from the same area.  Gerard had at least three brothers, and one sister.  They must have been close because they all immigrated to New England. Gerard was here by 1634, when he was granted land at Cambridge.  He may have come in the Winthrop Fleet but if so, there seems to be no record of that, nor of any events touching him during the years from 1630-1634. He was in Lynn by 1636, where he is said to have married Hannah Hills (controversial because whatever documentation there may have been at one time seems to have been destroyed).  He would have been 22 at this time.  We're not sure what he did to earn a living during those early years, but in March 1638/39 he was "granted the ferry at Linn for 2 years", and apparently kept that position for several years.  He was made a freeman on March 9,1636/37 which implies that he was a member of the church.  Gerard was settling down.  He was a member of the training band and was chosen Ensign at Lynn in 1656.

We don't know whether it was for religious, economic, or family reasons (or maybe just an itch to move on) but in 1660 he was in Hartford, Connecticut where he was given permission to stay until he could settle at the new town of Haddam, which took a couple of years.  He helped found Haddam and lived there the rest of his days.  He was made a freeman of Connecticut in 1672, and was chosen Ensign of his training band there in 1675. Starting in 1674, he served what may well be consecutive terms as Deputy to the Connecticut General Court, until October of 1683, so he was well respected. He accumulated several tracts of land in Haddam (the portion that became East Haddam) so likely was a farmer with perhaps more land than some of his neighbors.  His first wife died and he remarried to Rebecca Porter Clark, but had no known children by his second wife.

Gerard died in June of 1685 and his inventory was taken June 29. Besides the sums and land he had granted his children, there was another 124 pounds and 12 shillings, of which 100 pounds was real estate. 

Now, here's the question:  Was this man really our ancestor?  Most of these sources I've looked at don't include Elizabeth as being his daughter, but there are also sources that do report daughter Elizabeth.  She is not mentioned in his will, but there is another daughter also not mentioned who has since been proven to be a daughter.  If her birth date of 1646 is correct, then she could easily fit within this family. There are any number of reasons she may have been omitted from her father's will, and there are some reasons she may not show up in town birth records.  We do know that Elizabeth Spencer married Joseph Stannard, who was also a founder of Haddam, so the opportunity was there.  I'm leaving it up to you do decide.

The line of descent is:

Gerard Spencer-possibly Hannah Hills
Elizabeth Spencer-Joseph Stannard
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants