Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, MP

Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton KG (1570 – 25 October 1627) was an English nobleman, peer, politician, landowner, and MP from the Spencer family.

Robert Spencer was born in Althorp, Northamptonshire, the son of John Spencer and Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Catlyn, and died on 25 October 1627 at Wormleighton, Warwickshire, England. 1 He was buried on 6 November 1627 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England, although his bowels were buried at Wormleighton.2

Spencer held the office of Member of Parliament for Brackley from 1597 to 1598. He was the Commissioner for Musters for Northamptonshire in 1600 and Sheriff of Northamptonshire for 1601–02. He was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter in 1601.

Anne of Denmark and Prince Henry came to Althorp on Sunday 25 June 1603 from Dingley. Spencer welcomed them with a performance The Entertainment at Althorp, written by Ben Jonson.[1]

Robert Spencer was created 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (in the Peerage of England) on 21 July 1603. On 5 August 1607 he was nominated with Sir Ralph Winwood joint representative of England at The Hague in the negotiations for peace between Spain and the United Netherlands.

Family

On 15 February 1587 he married Margaret Willoughby, the daughter of Sir Francis Willoughby of Wollaton Hall and Elizabeth Lyttelton. Robert had seven children by Margaret.

Children

1. Sir Henry Spencer (1587-1632) married Lady Joan Church, daughter of Sir William Church
2. Mary Spencer (christened 24 August 1588 – 14 July 1658) married Richard Anderson
3. Elizabeth Spencer (christened 30 November 1589 – 19 November 1618) married George Fane
4. Sir John Spencer (6 December 1590 – 16 August 1610)
5. William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (christened 4 January 1592 – 19 December 1636) married Lady Penelope Wriothesley
6. Sir Richard Spencer (christened 21 October 1593 – 1 November 1661) married Mary Sandys
7. Sir Edward Spencer (christened 2 March 1594 – 16 February 1655/1656) married Margaret Goldsmith
8. Margaret Spencer (14 August 1597 – 6 December 1613)

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Links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spencer,_1st_Baron_Spencer_of_W...
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13928240
• http://geneall.net/en/name/3447/robert-spencer-1st-baron-de-spencer/
• https://histfam.familysearch.org//getperson.php?personID=I50834&tre... (dead link)
• https://histfam.familysearch.org//getperson.php?personID=I230725&tr... (dead link)
• https://histfam.familysearch.org//getperson.php?personID=I35298&tre... (dead link)
• http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/sp...
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p10526.htm#i105260

Citations

1. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume XII/1, page 159-160.
2. [S9] Charles Kidd and David Williamson, editor, DeBretts Peerage and Baronetage (London, U.K.: DeBrett's Peerage, 1999), volume 2, page 1870.
3. [S11] Some Account of the Lord Mayors and Sheriffs of the City of London, During the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century, 1601-1625, Cokayne, George Edward, (London: Phillimore, 1897), FHL book 942.1/L1 E4co; FHL microfilm 454075 item ., p. 9.
4. [S15] George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume II, page 211.
5. [S302] #12690 Genealogical memoirs of the extinct family of Chester of Chicheley : their ancestors and descenda, Waters, Robert Edmond Chester, (London : Robson, 1878. 2 v. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1963-1982), FHL microfilm 990151 Items 1 - 2., vol. 1 p. 318.
6. [S311] #3948 The Visitations of the County of Nottingham in the Years 1569 and 1614: with Many Other Descents of the Same County (1871), Marshall, George W., (Publications of the Harleian Society: Visitations, volume 4. London: [Harleian Society], 1871), FHL book 942 B4h volume 4; FHL microfilm 086,959 item 1., vol. 4 p. 149.
7. [S367] #1848 The Visitation of the County of Warwick in the Year 1619 (1877), Camden, William, (Publications of the Harleian Society: Visitations, volume 12. London: [Harleian Society], 1877), FHL book 942 B4h volume 12; FHL microfilm 162,048 item 2., p. 285.
8. [S382] #2032 The Visitations of Hertfordshire: Made by Robert Cooke, Esq., Clarencieux, in 1572, and Sir Richard St. George, Kt., Clarencieux, in 1634, with Hertfordshire Pedigrees from Harleian Mss. 6147 and 1546 (1886), Metcalfe, Walter C. (Walter Charles), (Publications of the Harleian Society: Visitations, volume 22. London: Mitchell and Hughes, 1886), FHL book 942 B4h volume 22., vol. 22 p. 109.
9. [S544] Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry : including American families with British ancestry, Burke, John Bernard, Sir, (London : Burke's Peerage, 1939. Volumes 2 and 3 are digitized online), 942 D2buga 1939., vol. 3 p. 2960.
10. [S586] Historical Southern families, Boddie, John Bennett, (Redwood City, California : Pacific Coast Publishers, 1957-1980), 975 D2b., vol. 4 p. 151.
11. [S946] Royal Descent of 500 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Roberts, Gary Boyd, (1990), p. 558.
12. John Nichols, Progresses of James the first, vol. 1 (London, 1828), p. 175.
13. "Spencer, Robert (d.1627)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
14. Family search Retrieved 4 October 2010