My great-great-grandmother, Eunice Spencer, was born in 1818/19 in PickeringOntario. She was the eldest daughter of George D. and Mary Ann (Wixson) Spencer. Eunice married John Udell on the 23^rd of December 1840 in Markham, Ontario. They had four children, George born 1841, Mary Jane born1842, Catherine born 1844 and my great-grandfather John Eli Udell in 1846. Eunice died in 1852, her husband, John Udell, married Margaret Westunberger and went on to have another seven children with her. John left theMarkham/Pickering area of Ontario and moved to Sanilac County, Michigan in about 1866. Eunice’s parents moved to Sanilac County as well and both are buried in Lexington Sanilac County, Michigan.

EuniceSpencer’s ancestors had been in North America for several hundred years before her birth. These ancestors included Walter Palmer, Thomas Spencer and SolomonWixson.

Eight generations before Eunice Spencer her ancestor, Walter Palmer, sailed on the 5^th April1629 on the “Four Sisters” and arrived in Salem, Mass in June of 1629. He took the Oath of Freemen on 18 May 1631. He located in Charlestown, was constable of Charlestown in 1636, then founded Rehoboth in 1643 and finally located and helped found Stonington Connecticut in 1653. He is referred to as “the patriarch of the early Stonington settlers”. There are some that say that Walter is the son of Sir John William Palmer and say that Sir John William Palmer died at Duxbury, Plymouth Massachusetts in 1586, that would make him the earliest ancestor to North America. I have not completed research on Sir Thomas as yet.

The lineage for Eunice to Walter Palmer is Eunice daughter of George Spencer (1797– 1862) of Lexington, Sanilac County, Michigan and Mary Ann Wixson (1802-1887);Mary Ann was the daughter of Joseph Wixson (1779-1855) of Claremont (Pickering), Durham, Ontario and Deborah Townsend (1774-1855); Joseph was the son of Solomon Wixson (1751-1813) of Wayne, Steuben, New York and Mary Randall(1756-1837); Mary Randall was the daughter of Joseph Randall (1720-1810) of Stonington, Connecticut and Mary Hodge (1726-?); Joseph Randall was the son of John Randall (1666-1720) of Stonington, Connecticut and Mary Baldwin (1675-1766); Mary Baldwin was the daughter of John Baldwin (1635-1683) of Stonington, Connecticut and Rebecca Palmer (1647-1713); Rebecca Palmer was the daughter of Walter Palmer (1585-1661) of Stonington, Connecticut and Rebecca Short (1610-1671).

Meanwhile, six generations before Eunice Spencer and about 60 miles away, in 1633 Thomas Spencer, arrived in Cambridge, Mass before moving to Hartford, Connecticut in1636, there he is referred to as one of the founders of Hartford. He is also referred to as “Sergeant Thomas Spencer". He was made a freeman in Cambridge, Mass. on the 14^th of May 1634. He owned various properties in Hartford, including a grant of 60 acres for his service in the Pequot War in 1637. He was the sergeant of the train band and chimney viewer in1650, was appointed constable on 4 March 1658 and surveyor of highways in 1672. His will, dated 9 September 1686 was proved on the 26^th of October 1687. He also had a woodworking shop in Hartford which is son tookover.

Thelineage for Eunice Spencer to Thomas Spencer is Eunice daughter of George D. Spencer (1797–1862) of Lexington, Sanilac County, Michigan and Mary Ann Wixson(1802-1887); George was son of George Spencer (1767-1820) of Hartford, Connecticut and Naomi Brainerd (1772-1819); George was son of John Spencer(1715-1796) of Hartford, Connecticut and Thankful Easton (1723-1776); John was the son of John Spencer (1673-1750) of Hartford Connecticut and Sarah Smith(1674-1764); John was the son of Obadiah Spencer (1639-1712) and Mary Desborough (1641-1709); Obadiah of Hartford, Connecticut was the son of Thomas Spencer (1607-1687) and Ann Derifield from Hartford, Connecticut.

Finally, Eunice’s Wixson ancestors were living in Cape Cod at Eastham, then in Yarmouth Massachusetts, as early as the mid 1600. Solomon Wixson served in New York regiments during the Revolutionary War and relocated to Wayne, Steuben County, New York in 1791, some 120 miles from the Canada border at Niagara. He was one of two first deacons in the Baptist church there. His son Joseph Wixson moved to Canada and purchased property in Claremont in 1799. That property is now the Four Seasons Golf Resort. His daughter Mary Ann was born there in 1802, the mother of Eunice Spencer my great-great-grandmother.