Spencer family

Good day everyone, My name is Gayle Spencer and I live in Kentucky. I am tracing my family tree and it has led me to your fine city. Can anyone give me any information on the Spencer family that came from your city to the USA back in 1600's? The name of the relative was Joshua Spencer. He and his parents came to Virginia around 1640's. I would love to find out more about him and his family. Any help would be great. Thanks, Gayle Spencer

Hello Gayle. This sounds like a tall order. I am pretty much useless at this sort of thing, but there are members on here i am sure will help you trace your family. So welcome Gayle and good luck.

I think this might be a bit of a hard task. That very early date of the 1600's means that the records are very few and far between, unlike, say the 19th or even the 18th century where records are much more numerous, with many of them on-line.

Does anyone know the origin of Spencer Road/Avenue and Spencer Park by King Henry's?

Yes, there are two chapters on the subject in "The Coventry We Have Lost: Earlsdon & Chapelfields Explored"! Basically, it was the result of an 1883 landswap agreement between the Freeman Trustees, Grammar School Trustees and landowner Robert Dalton to allow public benefactor David Spencer to create a People's Park with access from Warwick Road and Albany Road. It was originally to be named Kings Road but was renamed as a tribute to Spencer after his death in 1888. The Spencer Avenue section wasn't developed until much later by Newcombe Estates in 1907.

Thanks for that Dutchman. Certainly didn't know any of that although I walked up and down Spencer Avenue every school day for many years. Your knowledge of Coventry is encyclopaedic!

The plaque beneath this tree in Spencer Park reads: "THIS TREE WAS PLANTED IN 1928 TO THE MEMORY OF DAVID SPENCER A GENEROUS BENEFACTOR OF COVENTRY WHO PRESENTED THIS PARK TO THE CITY IN 1882 DAVID SPENCER BORN 1805 DIED 1888" Post copied from topic Famous Coventrians on 8th Apr 2018 5:32 pm

Spencer Park! Caption said 'Quintessentially English'.