William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton

English nobleman, politician (1591–1636)

The Right Honourable The Lord Spencer of Wormleighton
William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton
Baptised	4 January 1591
Died	19 December 1636 (aged 45)
Spouse	Lady Penelope Wriothesley
Children	6 (including Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland and Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot)
Parent(s)	Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton Margaret Willoughby

William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1591 – 19 December 1636) was an English nobleman, politician, and peer from the Spencer family.

Life

Spencer was the second son of Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, and his wife, Margaret Willoughby, and was baptised on 4 January 1591 at Brington, Northamptonshire.^[1] He matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford with his elder brother John in October 1607.^[2] In the autumn of 1610 he traveled to France with his brother.^[3] On John's death at Blois in 1612, he became the heir to the barony.^[1] He became a Member of Parliament for Brackley in 1614, but left no trace in the records. As the member for Northamptonshire (1620–1622 & 1624–1627) he was an active participant in parliamentary sessions.^[3] From 6 May 1618 to 1621, Spencer held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire.^[3] On 25 October 1627, he succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton.^[3]

Family

Spencer married Lady Penelope Wriothesley, daughter of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton and Elizabeth Vernon in 1615. The couple had a number of children, including:

Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland^[1]
Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot^[1]
William (1630–88) married Elizabeth Gerard, daughter of Dutton, lord Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.^[1]
Elizabeth married John Craven, 1st Baron Craven of Ryton^[1]
Anne married Sir Robert Townshend, gentleman of the privy chamber to Charles II^[4]
Margaret married Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury^[1]
Alice, married Henry Moore, 1st Earl of Drogheda^[1]

He died on 19 December 1636, aged 44.^[1]

Ancestry

Ancestors of William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton

16. Sir William Spencer

8. Sir John Spencer

17. Susan Knightley

4. Sir John Spencer

18. Sir Thomas Kitson

9. Katherine Kitson

19. Margaret Donnington

2. Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton

20. Thomas Catlyn

10. Sir Robert Catlyn

5. Mary Catlyn

22. John Boles

11. Ann Boles

23. Alice Devenish

1. William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton

24. Edward Willoughby

12. Sir Henry Willoughby

25. Anne Filliol

6. Sir Francis Willoughby

26. Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset

13. Anne Grey

27. Margaret Wotton

3. Margaret Willoughby

28. John Littleton

14. John Littleton

29. Elizabeth Talbot

7. Elizabeth Littleton

30. John Pakington

15. Bridget Pakington

31. Anne Dacres

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Baker, George (1822). History And Antiquities Of The County Of Northampton. Vol. 1. p. 109.
^ Foster, Joseph (1891). Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "SPENCER, William (1592-1636), of Althorp, Northants". Retrieved 4 January 2023.
^ Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 2. 1847.

Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Westmorland	Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire 1629–1636	Succeeded by Sir Christopher Hatton
Parliament of England
Preceded by Sir Edward Montagu William Tate	Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire with Sir Edward Montagu 1620–1621 Sir Richard Knightley 1621–1626 Sir John Pickering 1626–1627 1620–1627	Succeeded by Francis Nicolls Sir Richard Knightley
Peerage of England
Preceded by Robert Spencer	Baron Spencer of Wormleighton 1627–1636	Succeeded by Henry Spencer