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JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

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Janet
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JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by Janet » Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:53 am

My husband is descended from James Spence. This is his line:
James Spence and Nestichio Batt had:
Andrew Spence married Margaret and had:
Chloe Spence married James Whiteway and had:
Mary Ann Whiteway married Charles McDonald and had:
James Allen McDonald married Catherine Smith and had:
Harold married Freda and had:
Kenneth who married me, Janet.

I have a copy of James Spence will that he wrote on Nov 5, 1795 and the letters of administration dated May 31, 1806 giving his father the estate of James Spence.

Here is part A of the will which is the part that James Spence wrote or had written:
The square brackets with the question mark are words that I could not understand/translate.

WILL OF JAMES SPENCE TRANSCRIBED:
Will of James Spence from the Public Record Office; The National Archives

A
In the Name of God
The undersigned James Spence [ ? ] that by [ ? ] and bodily [ ? ] that my strength diminished [ ? ] that God may [ ? ] of my [ ? ] before my desolution [ ? ] and appoint this to be my last will and testament [ ? ] any will or wills which I might formerly have made [ ? ] I bequest and [ ? ] over to my Indian wife Nestichio Daughter of the [ ? ] Isaac Batt and my four children: James, Andrew, George and Peggy Spence. All and the full amount of whatever balance of wages that is owed to me by the Honourable Hudson Bay Co. to this day I likewise bequest give to my above mentioned wife and children the full amount of a Bill Drawn in my favor by the [ ? ] Hudson Bay Co. and which Bill is now in my chest at York Factory. I likewise [ ? ] bequeath and make [ ? ] to my above mentioned wife and children all and whatever Goods Effects [ ? ] [ ? ] apparel of whatever [ ? ] that I may be possessed of at this moment without any reserve whatever exceptin whatever just and legal debts I may owe to others I therefore will and [ ? ] that those debts shall be paid out of my mony [ ? ] already bequeathed to my wife and children and likewise [twist and swain] that whatever debts which may be out to us at this [ ? ] time shall be paid to my wife and children afore mentioned and to the [ ? ] that this my last will should be legally and faithfully [ ? ] I appoint my [ ? ] William Ritch to be my trustee and executor for the [ ? ] of this my will answering to the above instructions [ ? ] and [ ? ] [ ? ] at Buckingham House the 5th day of Nov/95 in the chamber of William Tomison and in presence of those witnesses viz Angus Shaw, James Gaddie and William Ritch so help me God James Spence X his mark Angus Shaw witness James Gaddy William Ritch is the person above all [ ? ] to [ ? ] of William Ritch no person of such [ ? ] residing in Hudson Bay //

If anyone is interested in more information I would be willing to share.

gnstill
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Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by gnstill » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:57 am

Welcome to the Forum Janet, great to have you aboard! Thanks very much for the details of James’ Will.

Here’s the link to the Family Page for James: FAMILY PAGE for JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

If you haven’t already done so, I recommend that you go to the Home Page to learn more about me and about how to navigate this website. Here’s the link: HOME PAGE

Janet
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:03 pm

Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by Janet » Sun Jul 22, 2012 2:58 pm

Gary:

Thanks for the welcome and information on the website. I have read James Spence's page. I was wondering where you got the information that Margaret or Peggy was born after James died. I have a birth year of 1794 from her gravestone. Also she was mentioned in his will so I think she would have to be born before his will was written on Nov 5, 1795. Ages and birth years are a bit of a moving target before the 1900's (maybe well into the 1900's). Thanks for setting up the website and the forum for discussion on these ancestors.

Janet

gnstill
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Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by gnstill » Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:34 pm

Thanks for pointing out my error Janet. You are right; Margaret born 1794 (I've seen the headstone too). I have made the correction on the Family Page.

Janet
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:03 pm

Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by Janet » Mon Jul 23, 2012 1:13 pm

Thanks Gary.

rotties1
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Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 4:17 pm

Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by rotties1 » Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:06 am

Janet wrote:Thanks Gary.
Hello Janet,

Do you know for certainty who James Andrew Spence's parents are? I have him as son of Thomas and Katharen Spence. Siblings: Jannet, Anna, Nicol, Andrew. Trying to establish if he is the brother of Nicol who is father of Joseph and my ggg grandfather I believe.

Janet
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:03 pm

Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by Janet » Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:41 am

Hello:

I don't have a James Andrew Spence in my database. I have several James Spence and one Andrew James Spence. The James Spence born c1753 in the Orkney Isles of Scotland and died 1795 at Buckingham house in present day Alberta has parents: Nichol Spence and Margaret Harvey.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Janet

Heather Hamren
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Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:56 pm

Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by Heather Hamren » Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:56 am

My family is descended from James through Margaret Spence, and there's a family story I wonder if anyone else has heard. It goes like this: Nestichio, as a young girl, had been kidnapped by the Blackfeet and her mother asked James to rescue her. Even though many attempts had been made to rescue her, James succeeded by using a relay of horses. She was quite young at the time, so James waited to court her until she became a little older, then married her.

As I understand our lineage, it was Peggy's granddaughter (?) who married Robert Scott a British soldier quartered in their home, and it was her grandson (?) who was my mother's father. We have a photo of the grandmother, Mary with Robert Scott, and my mother, Mary Amelia Fisher, (b. 1906) was named after this grandmother.

gnstill
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Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by gnstill » Tue Jun 07, 2016 2:37 pm

Welcome aboard Heather! That’s a very interesting story – I have added it to the narrative.
Regarding your ancestors: In my files I seem to have your maternal great grandparents as Mary Ann SCOTT and Robert FISHER (born 1842 in Ontario), with Mary Ann SCOTT (b-1846) as the daughter of Ann SETTER and William SCOTT (1815-1874). Does this all agree with your information?
Where does the Robert SCOTT you mentioned fit in?

gnstill
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Re: JAMES SPENCE (1753-1795)

Post by gnstill » Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:22 am

Heather: Family Page for your maternal great-great grandparents at this link:

WILLIAM SCOTT (1815-1874)

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