Hobart Spencer Jr. Was Most Likely the Husband of Betsey Hazen
Flora S. Clark reported that Betsey Hazen was the third wife of Hobart Spencer, and that mistake has been repeated in multiple published family histories.
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Introduction
Flora S. Clark’s Descendants of John Spencer, Samuel Spencer & Timothy Spencer, Sons of Gerard Spencer of Haddam, Ct., which she compiled in 1963, stated that Hobart Spencer, born 1742 in East Haddam, Millington, Connecticut, and died 1806 in Canaan, Essex, Vermont, married first Eunice Barnes, married second Martha Farmer, and married third Betsey Hazen. Clark listed the children of Hobart and Eunice as Anne, Israel Brainard, Eunice, Esther, Nehemiah, and Virtue. Twins Hobart and Huldah are missing.1
The missing Hobart Jr., not his father, married Betsey Hazen.
Background
The children of Hobart Spencer and Eunice, his first wife, were recorded in the Town Records of Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire. It was probably written in 1836, as that is the date of the entry on the previous page. Eunice gave birth in East Haddam, Connecticut, to Anna on 3 December 1763, Israel Brainard on 28 September 1765, and Eunice on 6 August 1767. Then, around 1769, the family moved to Campton, where Esther was born on 17 September 1769, Nehemiah was born on 20 September 1771, twins Hobart and Huldah were born on 2 February 1773, and Virtue was born on 30 March 1775.2
Since Eunice Barnes passed away before her father, who died in 1778, her children stood to inherit her portion of the estate. Clark referenced a court order dated 3 April 1780 appointing Joseph Spencer of Lebanon as guardian to Israel Brainard Spencer, Eunice Spencer, Esther Spencer, and Nehemiah Spencer, “all minors of the town of Campton, N.H., heirs to the estate of said Samuel Barnes, late of East Haddam.” Clark missed a similar court order also dated 3 April 1780, where Joseph Spencer was appointed the guardian of Hobart Spencer, Huldah Spencer, and Virtue Spencer.3
The marriage record for Betsey Hazen and Hobart Spencer only names the bride and groom and the fact that they were married on 8 May 1795 in Plymouth, Grafton, New Hampshire, by Rev. Nathan Ward. Six months later, Betsey and Hobart had a child in Rumney, Grafton, New Hampshire.4
Findings
Hobart Spencer Jr. Lived to Adulthood
In 1804, Hobart Spencer of Orange Gore, Orange, Vermont, sold land to “my son Hobart Spencer of Topsham in the County of Orange…” Hobart Spencer was not a common name in the area around Campton. It was most likely Hobart Sr. or Hobart Jr., the many times the name appears in the deed records in the communities in northern New Hampshire and Vermont. So it appears, Hobart Jr. lived to attain the age of marriage.5
Hobart Spencer Sr. Married Martha Farmer
Finally, a combination of two deeds proved that Hobart Sr. had never married Betsey Hazen.
On 5 April 1804, Hobart Spencer and his son, Benjamin Spencer, both of Newbury, Orange, Vermont, and his son, Hobart Spencer Jr., of Topsham, Orange, Vermont, granted a mortgage on a land with a grist mill and saw mill to David Barnett of Topsham. In 1808, the Widow Martha Spencer and her son, Benjamin Spencer, both of Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont, executed a Quit Claim on the same land.6
Hobart Sr. had married Martha Farmer on 14 December 1778 in Litchfield, Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Since Hobart Sr. was alive in November 1804 when he sold land to his son, Hobart Jr., and there was a widow named Martha in January 1808, who was living with Benjamin Spencer, the son of Hobart Spencer Sr. and Martha Farmer, it makes sense that the Widow Martha is most likely Hobart Sr.’s wife, Martha Farmer. Since Hobart Sr. was still married in 1808, he could not have married Eunice Barnes in 1795.7
Conclusion:
Hobart Spencer Jr. was most likely the man who married Betsey Hazen and not his father, Hobart Spencer Sr., because:
Hobart Spencer Jr. was close in age to Betsey Hazen; Hobart Spencer Sr. was about thirty-six years her senior.
Hobart Spencer Jr. was alive in 1804, as evidenced by a deed to him from his father, so he would have been alive in 1795 and able to marry Betsey Hazen.
Hobart Spencer Sr. married Martha Farmer in 1778 and had a widow named Martha in 1808, meaning he was not free to marry Betsey Hazen in 1795.
Hobart Spencer Sr. and Hobart Spencer Jr. were the only two Hobart Spencers in the area at the time.
Flora S. Clark, Descendants of John Spencer, Samuel Spencer & Timothy Spencer, Sons of Gerard Spencer of Haddam, Ct. (Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1963), handwritten p. 65; FamilySearch. Also, Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire, Town Records, 1777–1825, unpaginated, entry for Hobart Spencer and Eunice, his wife; FamilySearch.
Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire, Town Records, 1777–1825, unpaginated, entry for Hobart Spencer and Eunice, his wife; FamilySearch.
Colchester, New London, Connecticut, Probate Records, vol. 4, 1772–1784, 407–408, administrators for the estate of Samuel Barnes present inventory of the estate and the distributions, 23 June 1778; FamilySearch. Also, Flora S. Clark, Descendants of John Spencer, Samuel Spencer & Timothy Spencer, Sons of Gerard Spencer of Haddam, Ct. (Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1963), handwritten p. 65; FamilySearch. And, Colchester, New London, Connecticut, Probate Packets, Smith, S–Spencer, alphabetical, Estate of Spencer: Esther, Eunice, Israel Brainard, Nehemiah, Joseph Spencer bound as guardian to Israel Brainard Spencer, Eunice Spencer, Esther Spencer, and Nehemiah Spencer, 3 April 1780; FamilySearch. And Colchester, New London, Connecticut, Probate Packets, Smith, S–Spencer, alphabetical, Estate of Spencer: Hobart, Huldah, Virtue, Joseph Spencer bound as guardian to Hobart Spencer, Huldah Spencer, and Virtue Spencer, 3 April 1780; FamilySearch. As Anna Spencer was married, she did not need a guardian.
New Hampshire Marriage Index Cards, Spencer to Sohlangk, arranged by groom’s surname, alphabetically by the 1st and 3rd letters, Hobart Spencer and Betsey Hazen, 8 May 1795; FamilySearch. Also, Rumney, Grafton, New Hampshire, Town Records, 1767–1848, 223, birth of Clarisy daughter to Hobart Spencer and Betsy his wife, 17 November 1795; FamilySearch.
Grafton County, New Hampshire, Records of Deeds, vol. 39, 1804–1805, 110, deed from Hobart Spencer of Orange Gore, Orange, Vermont, to his son Hobart Spencer of Topsham, Orange, Vermont, 14 November 1804; FamilySearch.
Topsham, Orange, Vermont, Book of Records for Deeds, vol. 4, 1805–1811, 3–4, Hobart and Ben Spencer of Newbury, Orange, Vermont, and Hobart Spencer Jr. of Topsham, Orange, Vermont, sell land in Corinth, Orange, Vermont, to David Barnett granting him a mortgage to be paid in four years or the sale to be null and void, 5 April 1804; viewing restricted to a FamilySearch or affiliated library, FamilySearch. Also, Corinth, Orange, Vermont, Town Records, Deeds, vol. 4, 1803-1812, 246, widow Martha Spencer and Benjamin Spencer both of Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont executed a Quit Claim on the mortgage given to David Barnett of Topsham, Orange, Vermont on the land in Topsham and Corinth, Orange, Vermont, 28 January 1808; FamilySearch.
Litchfield, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, Town Records, vol. 1, 1734–1816, 525, Records of Marriages by the Rev. Saml. Cotton, Hobart Spencer and Martha Farmer, 14 December 1778; FamilySearch. Also, Topsham, Orange, Vermont, Book of Records for Deeds, vol. 4, 1805–1811, 3–4, Hobart and Ben Spencer of Newbury, Orange, Vermont, and Hobart Spencer Jr. of Topsham, Orange, Vermont, sell land in Corinth, Orange, Vermont, to David Barnett granting him a mortgage to be paid in four years or the sale to be null and void, 5 April 1804; viewing restricted to a FamilySearch or affiliated library, FamilySearch. And Corinth, Orange, Vermont, Town Records, Deeds, vol. 4, 1803-1812, 246, widow Martha Spencer and Benjamin Spencer both of Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont executed a Quit Claim on the mortgage given to David Barnett of Topsham, Orange, Vermont on the land in Topsham and Corinth, Orange, Vermont, 28 January 1808; FamilySearch.
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