Agnes Edwards

Agnes Harris

• Edwards formerly Harris aka Spencer
• Born before 6 Apr 1604 in Barnstaple, Devon, England
• Died after 1680 after age 75 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Colony
• Daughter of Bartholomew Harris and Elizabeth (Collamore) Harris
• Sister of Priscilla Harris, Phillipa (Harris) Gread and Richard Harris
• Wife of William Spencer — married after 1633 in Cambridge, Massachusettsmap [uncertain]
• Wife of William Edwards — married 11 Dec 1645 in Hartford, Connecticut
• Mother of Elizabeth (Spencer) Joy, Sarah (Spencer) Case, Samuel Spencer I and Richard Edwards

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Biography

Agnes Spencer came to America in the ship Charles in 1632. [citation needed]

Extracted from WikiTree contributors, "Agnes (Harris) Edwards (bef.1604-aft.1680)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harris-880 : accessed 16 August 2024).

Early life

The origins of Agnes Harris were uncovered in 1988 by Douglas Richardson in his 1988 article "The English Origin of Agnes Harris, of Hartford, Conn., Wife of William Spencer and William Edwards" published in The American Genealogist.

Until that time, Agnes was given several different possible surnames (Pratt, Tucker, Wyatt and Allyn). A careful examination of several wills proved with certainty that Agnes, wife of William Spencer and William Edwards, descended from the Harris family of Barnstaple, Devon.[1] Clues to her origins were found in the following documents (extracts of each can be seen in Richardson's article):

• Will of William Spencer, her first husband
• 1765 Biography of Jonathan Edwards, her second husband's grandson
• Will of her mother, Elizabeth
• Will of her sister, Priscilla
• Will of her brother, Richard

Agnes was the daughter of Bartholomew Harris and his wife Elizabeth Collamore.[1][2] She was baptized 6 April 1604 at Barnstaple, Devon.[3] Her father was the Mayor of Barnstaple in 1602. She had ten siblings, George, John, Philip (died infancy), Richard, Agnes (died in infancy), Priscilla, Joan (married ___ Strawbridge), Philippa (married Baker and Gread), Elizabeth, and Mary (married Gribble and Thorne).[1][2]

It is unknown when Agnes immigrated to Massachusetts. Richardson speculates she immigrated as a servant in the household of kinfolk Matthew Allyn and his wife Margaret (Wyatt) Allen and settled with them at "New Towne" (later known as Cambridge).[1] Anderson says that Matthew and Margaret Allyn arrived at Cambridge in 1633.[4]

Family

Agnes' first husband was William Spencer.[1][2][5] They were most likely married in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The date of their marriage is unknown, but it would be after Agnes' 1633 arrival in America. William held offices in Cambridge between 1632 and 1638, including town clerk and Deputy to the General Court and he served on several committees.[6] The family had removed to Hartford, Connecticut, by April 1639, when William served as Deputy for Hartford to the Connecticut General Court,[2][6] he also served as a Selectman and was on the committee to revise the laws of the colony.[1]

Agnes and William had three children:

1. Elizabeth Spencer,[2] born c. 1633, married first by 1650 William Wellman and second to Jacob Joy by 1672[6]
2. Sarah Spencer,[2] was born c. 1636 (of full age in 1653), married John Case, by 1656.[6] Sarah died 3 November 1691.[7]
3. Samuel Spencer,[2] born c. 1639, married Sarah ____ by about 1668[6]
4. William died in 1640, leaving a nuncupative will recorded 4 March and 4 May 1640.[1][6]

Agnes married second at Hartford, Connecticut, 11 December 1645 to William Edwards[1][6][8] of Hartford, cooper, son and heir of Rev. Richard Edwards and his wife Anne.[2]

Together they had one son:

1. Richard Edwards,[2] born 16 May 1647 and died 20 April 1718, married Elizabeth Tuttle in 1667[9] and they divorced in 1691, having seven children. He married second Mary Talcott in 1692 and had six children.[10]

Death

Agnes' date of death is unknown. She and her husband William were living in Hartford in 1680.[2] Agnes may have been buried in Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford Connecticut where with both of her husbands appear to be buried.[11]

Royal Descent

Agnes Harris is a "gateway" ancestor to many of the lineage societies. Many of her ancestors as found in the following articles have biographies on Wikipedia:

• Royal Ancestry lists the lineage of Agnes to Alice of Normandie.[12]
• The Royal Descents of 500 Immigrants to the American Colonies lists the lineage of Agnes from Hugh Capet, King of France.[13]
• Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 traces Agnes Harris's lineage back to Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor.[14]
• "The Baronial Order of Magna Charta" and "The Military Order of The Crusades" website lists Agnes Harris as a gateway ancestor to both organizations.[15]
• "The Brookfield Ancestor Project" provides the name of the Agnes's Magna Carta surety baron ancestor, William Malet.[16] See below for information about the trail to William Malet.

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harris-880 has "badged" her ancestry from Magna Carta surety baron William Malet. She's listed in Douglas Richardson's "Magna Carta Ancestry" as a Gateway Ancestor (vol. I, pages xxiii-xxix) and (vol. II, pages 363-365 HARRIS).

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Notes

From "The descendants of William and Elizabeth Tuttle, who came from old to New England in 1635, and settled in New Haven in 1639, with numerous biographical notes and sketches: also, some account of the descendants of John Tuttle, of Ipswich; and Henry Tuthill, of Hingham, Mass." (1883) < Archive.Org >

Rev. Richard Edwards came from Wales to London, time Queen Elizabeth; he was a minister of the established church. His wf. Anne was employed in some capacity in the Queen's household.
She m. 2d hus. James Coles and came with her only child WILLIAM EDWARDS to America. She d. in Hartford Feb. 20, 1679, leaving by will the use of her house and land to her son WILLIAM during his life, then to her gr. s. Richard Edwards and his heirs forever. WM. EDWARDS is named with Wm. Tuttle and others as concerned in the East Haven settlement.

He m. about 1643 AGNES __, wid. of WILLIAM SPENCER; the latter of Hartford; selectman 1639, and d. 1640. AGNES, it is said, had two brothers in England, one of them Mayor of Exeter the other of Barnstable, Devon.

By WILLIAM EDWARDS she had an only child,

1. Richard, who m. Elizabeth Tuttle; (2) Mary, dau. of Lieut-Col. John Talcott of Hartf. Col. Talcott was Justice of the Peace, Assistant from 1662 to 1668, Treasurer of the colony nineteen years, and distinguished himself as an officer in King Philip's war, in which he commanded a body of 550 men, composed of Englishmen and Mohegan Indians. He d. July 23, 1688. Inv. (english pound)2,272.
   1. Chil. of Richard Edwards by 2d m. 5 sons and 1 dau. 1. Jonathan, b. June 20, 1692; d. March 11, 1693. 2. John, Feb. 22, 1694; Dea.; d. May 16, 1769; m. Dec. 14, 1719, Christian Williamson, who d. June 18, 1769. 3. Hannah, Jan. 3, 1696; d. Oct. 17, 1747; m. March 1, 1722, Joseph Backus, jr. 4. Richard, Jan. 5, 1608; d. May 10, 1713. 5. Daniel, April 11, 1701; Hon.; d. Sept. 6, 1765; m. 1728 Sarah Hooker (gr. dau. of Rev. Thomas), who d. July 31, 1775, a. 70 yrs. 6. Samuel, Nov. 1, 1702; d. Nov. 4, 1732; m. 1731 Jerusha Pitkin, who d. July 31, 1799, a. 89 yrs--Godwin's Gen. Notes of Conn.

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References

• "THE ENGLISH ORIGIN OF AGNES HARRIS OF HARTFORD, CONN., WIFE OF WILLIAM1 SPENCER AND WILLIAM 1 EDWARDS" by Douglas Richardson; The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) viewed by Kris Stewart, May 11, 2013. excellent article explaining how the parents of Agnes are known. Link to subscription database: < link >
• Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut By Lucius Barnes Barbour Pg.556 < GoogleBooks >