Joseph Spencer (1803 – 1886) was born in Shipton, Bellinger, Hampshire England.The town of Shipton Bellinger lies about 7 miles from Stonehenge World Heritage Site in the UK.
On the 4th February 1826 at Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, UK Joseph Spencer married Elizabeth Sheppard Phillips. To be honest, I am not sure where this information has come from, other Family Trees also quote the same marriage date with no references. I have tried a few other searches and will continue to try to find out the reference to this date, which at present is unconfirmed.
Joseph , his wife Elizabeth Shepard Phillips [spelling of surname varies] and their children, Sarah (1827-), Harriet (1828-1853), Mary Ann (1829-1916), Eliza (1832-1839– died at sea), Maria (1834-1902), John (1836-1838), Joseph (1838-), William (1841-1932), Jane (1844-1928), Charlotte (1828-1853), Thomas (1850-1906) emigrated to Australia in 1839. Their ship the Prince Regent left London on 6 June 1839 and landed in South Australia on 25 September 1839. (Note: William 1841, Jane 1844, Thomas 1850) were all born in South Australia.
Joseph Spencer lived at Nairne and other area’s of the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia for many years. He appears to have been very involved in the annual Nairne Fair. A number of articles appeared in the newspapers of the day. James Heneker is also often mentioned in these newspaper articles, so it appears the families were friends and neighbours, considering that James married Joseph Spencer’s daughter Mary Ann, and they also lived in the same area. Nairne is about 32 km from Scott Creek, where some of James Heneker’s first children were born, and also apparently in the Mount Barker/Scott Creek area. Therefore these places were all in the same area and the pioneers probably knew each other quite well.
Joseph Spencer lived most of his later life in South Australia in the Scott Creek/Nairne area. From newspaper articles it seems he was quite active in the life of the community, and respected by his peers. Joseph was active in the community, being part of a committee that established the Nairne Fair in 1864, and was active in participating in the fair, with cattle and other farm animals being shown at the annual Fair. The article below relates to the initial meeting which was held by locals to form the Fair.
Joseph’s wife Elizabeth Phillips Shepherd died at Scott Creek on 30 April 1866.
Joseph Spencer later married Catherine Jackson on the 5th May 1883 at Woodside, South Australia. Both parties are listed as Widowed on their marriage record. Catherine was aged about 52 years when she married Joseph. Joseph was aged 80 years when he married Catherine. On the marriage record Catherine’s father’s name is given as William Cox. [genealogysa.org.au/marriagesdatabase]. I have checked a number of records trying to find out more about Catherine, but haven’t been successful. Some ancestry.com.au trees show her as being born in Ireland, however I can’t find any source materials given to prove that, and I am still researching her. There are a couple of sources showing a Catherine Jackson born in Ireland in 1831. However her father is listed as William Jackson, not COX as appears on her marriage certificate to Joseph Spencer. And I can find no spouse to her named Jackson at this stage. Also I can find no death recorded for someone named Jackson who may have been her husband, at the time or place I would expect. However someone else may know more about her and her past family connections.
Joseph Spencer died on the 9th May 1886, at his residence Scott’s Creek. [note at times Scott Creek is also written out as Scott’s Creek. On current modern maps it is shown as Scott Creek.]
His obituary from The South Australian Advertiser/Friday 14 May 1886/Page 4 reads:
‘SPENCER – On 9th May at his residence, Scott’s Creek near Nairne, Joseph Spencer the beloved husband of Catherine Spencer, aged 86 years. Respected by all who knew him, A colonist of 45 years, He is lost from us forever, And we look for him in vain, He is gone and we shall never, See his dear face again.’
[Also note that some records state he was aged 80 years, however BDM database records held by the Genealogy Society of SA also state 86 years.]
Catherine Spencer (nee Jackson) died on the 26 June 1896 at Dawesely, South Australia.
The Children of Joseph Spencer and Elizabeth Phillips Shepard were:
Sarah Spencer born: 1827 at Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, UK., and baptised/christened on 18 March 1827 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, UK. Sarah married Henry Jordan on the 24th March 1848 at St. John’s Church, Adelaide, South Australia. Their children were: Joseph Jordan b: 10 Feb 1860 at Scott Creek, nr. Nairne, South Australia – Mary Jordan b: 9th May 1849 at New Tiers, South Australia – Harriet Jordan b: 27 Jan 1856 at Hurtle Vale, South Australia.
Harriet Spencer was born in 1828 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England. She married Richard West at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide, South Australia on the 18th December 1849, the same date that her sister Mary Ann Spencer married James Heneker. Harriet West nee Spencer died on the 17th November 1853 aged 26 years, in Adelaide, South Australia. No children to have been born of the marriage. [genealogysa.org.au/death database]
Mary Ann Spencer was born in 1829 at Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England. She married James Heneker on the 18th December 1849 at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide, South Australia. Their children were: James Jnr. Heneker, born 1850, Jane Heneker, born 1851, Martha Heneker, born 1852, Elizabeth Ann Heneker, born 1855, Joseph Charles Heneker born 1857, Mary Heneker born 1858, Thomas Heneker, born 1860. William Heneker born 1866 and died 1872, Abel Richard Heneker born 1870 died 1872.
Eliza Spencer was born in 1832 at Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England. Eliza died onboard the ship Prince Regent in 1839 whilst the family were emigrating to South Australia.
Maria Spencer was born in 1834 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England. She married Robert Henry on the 27th December 1852 at the St. James Church, Blakiston, South Australia. Maria died in 1902
Joseph Spencer was born in 1838
William Spencer was born in 1841 at Glen Osmond, South Australia. He married Mary Ann Henstridge on the 6th October 1859 at Blakiston, South Australia.
Jane Spencer married Robert Stafford on 6 August 1861. St James Church, Blakiston, South Australia. The family eventually moved to Nyah, Victoria. Jane passed away in 1928 aged 87 years at Nyah, Victoria and Robert passed away in 1918 in Nyah, Victoria.
Charlotte Spencer was born on the 25th October 1846 “on the Torrens”, South Australia. She married Richard Jones on 5 January 1864 at the St James Church, Blakiston, in the district of Mount Barker, South Australia. Charlotte died at Gayndah, Queensland on the 27 August 1933.
THOMAS SPENCER
Thomas Spencer married Martha Pope (4th daughter of George Pope of Blinman and late Nairne, South Australia) on the 29th April 1875 at St Paul’s Church, Adelaide, South Australia. Thomas Spencer died on the 24th July 1906 at the Port Augusta Hospital of pleurisy and heart failure. [Express & Telegraph/Wed 29 Aug 1906/Pg 1/Family Notices]
Their children were:
1. Thomas Albert Spencer (1876-1964) . Thomas was born at Blinman on the 8th May 1876.Thomas Albert married Hilda Menpes Whitbread on the 12th April 1898, at the residence of the bride’s parents at Blinman, South Australia. [Express & Telegraph/Wed 20 April 1898/Pg 2/Family Notices] They went on to have 11 children. Thomas Albert Spencer died on the 6th January 1964 aged 87 years. He died at College Park and his usual residence was Quorn, South Australia
2. Herbert Henry Jospeh Spencer (1878-1882) He was born on the 28th April 1878 at Blinman, South Australia. His death appears in the SA BDM database on genealogysa.org.au/death index as Hubert Henry Spencer, death on 23 June 1882 aged 4 years. Place of death: Blinman and Residence: Patterson near Blinman, South Australia. His father is recorded as Thomas Spencer.
3. George Arthur Spencer (1882-1958) was born on the 11th June 1882 at Blinman, South Australia.
George married Anne Cahir on the 23 April 1908 at the Residence of his father, Thomas Spencer of South Blinman, South Australia. The bride’s father was John Cahir.
George died on the 1st December 1958 aged 76 years at Hyde Park, South Australia.
4. Hilda Blanche Ethel Spencer (1887-1952)was born on 30th July 1887 at Parkside, Adelaide. Hilda married Maynard Hardo [Harold] Hart on the 9th July 1913 at the residence of A. Hart, Strathalbyn, South Australia. His father was Andrew Hart.
Hilda Blanche Ethel Hart nee Spencer died on the 21st September 1952 in Bordertown, district of Robe, South Australia
5. Alan Meiton Spencer (1891-) was born on the 16th March 1891 at Adelaide, South Australia. There are no obvious records after this date for Alan spelt Allan on his birth record [genealogysa.org.au/birth database]
Heneker - a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia 
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