Oh Abiram, How I Have Searched

After almost two decades, I was unable to uncover the identity of the parents of my 3^rd great paternal grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871). I’ve wrote stories about where he lived, how he made a living, his strong support for the Union during the Civil War, his election to the Hartford city council, and even had a copy of his wedding photograph with his beautiful wife Annie (Bottom of page: Posts and photograph).

I looked for any trace of Abiram across the Northeast states, every corner of Connecticut, Ohio (CT Western Reserve), and (heck) even the islands of Caribbean! Births, deaths, marriages, wills, land grants and found absolutely nothing.

Until a 5^th cousin – 1x removed popped up, on Ancestry.com, as being a DNA match to me. His 5^th great grandfather Daniel Spencer Jr. (1738-1818) of Hartford, Connecticut had two sons, Daniel and William. The DNA match descended from Daniel.

Daniel Jr.’s son William had a son named Abiram! I confirmed that William was the father of (my) Abiram through William’s will (above) where he notes his “beloved son Abiram.” Note: William’s full name is Joseph William Spencer, the name Joseph comes from a sibling that died in infancy. He used the name William in all of the documents associated with him.

I now have eight new generations of Spencer’s (below) to research and hopefully many stories to tell!

William Spencer (1780-1851) – Lois Hoskins (1780-1860)

Daniel Spencer Jr. (1738-1818) – Sarah Lord ((1743-1819)

Daniel Spencer Sr. (1705-1780) – Elizabeth Stiles (1705-1803)

Obadiah Spencer Jr. (1666-1741) – Ruth Kelsey (1669-1767)

Obadiah Spencer Sr. (1638-1712) – Mary Desborough (1641-1709)

Thomas Spencer (1607 – 1687) – Sarah Bearding (1623-1685)

Thomas Spencer (my 9th gg), was one of four brothers who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1633, first living in Cambridge and moving to Hartford, CT in 1660 where — 152 years later, his 5th great grandson Abiram was born!

Gerald Spencer (1576-1645) – Alice Whitebread (1571-1628)

Michael Spencer (1531 – 1599) – Elizabeth ?

Posts about Abiram

Introducing Annie + John W. Spencer

Spencer Family – Hartford, Connecticut

Integrity of the Union

Wide-Awakes for Abraham Lincoln!

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Integrity of the Union

1861 Print – Shows American eagle in its nest of the American flag, which holds 34 eggs representing the states; the eggs representing the Southern states are cracked, rotten, or have various animals being hatched from them; the eagle says “Annihilation to traitors.” (Library of Congress)

My 3rd great-grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871) has been the subject of several posts including one about his election to the Hartford, CT City Council in 1860 on the Republican ticket (Wide-Awakes for Abraham Lincoln!). Abiram was one of the over 1,000 men in Hartford signed this (below) petition in November of 1861. The closing line, “Apologists for secession, and sympathizers with treason are not invited” points to the heated emotions of this country in the early months of the Civil War.

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Wide-Awakes for Abraham Lincoln!

My 3rd great-grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871) has been the subject of several of these posts. One area that I had not previously touched on was his involvement in politics. In the spring of 1860, Abiram was elected to serve on the Hartford City Council. (Left: Hartford Courant, April 9, 1860, p. 1)

Wherever the fight is hottest, there is their post of duty, and there the Wide Awakes are found.”

On March 5, 1860, presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln stopped in Hartford to give a speech denouncing the spread of slavery in the western territories and advocating for the right of workers to go on strikes. A handful of store clerks who had just organized a local pro-Republican political group attended the speech and volunteered to escort Lincoln back to his hotel room by torchlight, sparking the birth of a new political movement called the Wide Awakes. July 26: The “Wide Awakes” Rally for Abraham Lincoln in Hartford (Today in Ct. History)

It is amazing to think that Abiram Spencer was present at this speech by presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. Perhaps as a Republican candidate for the City Council, he even had the honor to meet and shake the hand of the future president!

Later that same month (March 27), the Hartford Courant announced “A Grand Display of Torch-lights – The Hartford Wide-Awakes – Fireworks.” and listed Abiram Spencer as an appointed Marshal for the event. The featured speaker was former Ohio Governor and Senator Tom Corwin. After Lincoln was elected, he appointed Corwin as Minister to Mexico, a post that he held from 1861 to 1864.

What was the impact of the the Hartford Wide-Awakes and the Wide Awakes movement?

“It is clear, however, that the Wide Awakes fundamentally altered the tone of the campaign. They took a muddled political environment and turned it into one of the most excited elections in American history. Through marches, speeches, editorials, advertisements, cartoons, jokes, and brawls, the Wide Awakes triggered massive popular enthusiasm in the summer and fall of 1860.”Wide Awake In 1860 America: In Search of Young Men For Voting and Fighting .

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.