User:Stormrius/Sir William Spencer, of Wormleighton

Sir William Spencer, from Wormleighton, born around 1430, is often confused with his grandson, also named Sir William Spencer, the son of Sir John Spencer. He was an English knight, born in either Northamptonshire, England, or Radbourne, England to Henry Spencer and Isabella Lincoln Spencer. The latter birthplace is where the alternate reference to William Spencer of Radbourne comes from. William had two younger brothers, John Spencer of Hodnell, and Thomas Spencer of Badby. He was married to Elizabeth Empson Spencer, the daughter of Sir Peter Empson, a well-known resident from Towcester, and the younger sister of Sir Richard Empson, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. They had two sons, Sir John Spencer of Snitterfield and Wormleighton, and Esquire Thomas Spencer, and an undocumented daughter with Empson. John and Thomas were mentioned in the Visitation of Warwickshire, where they requested and received a different coat of arms for the Spencer Family in 1504. This coat of arms was distinct from the one used by the Spencer Family after 1595. In 1485, historical records suggest that William Spencer left a documented legacy in Stratford-upon-Avon, intended for Richard Stowe. This man may have been the same William Spencer who died that same year, leaving his eldest son, John, to inherit his property. In 1486, John's younger brother, also named John, became a feoffee at Althorp, Northamptonshire.