517. JOHN SELBY⁶ SPENCE (DR.) (SENATOR) (ANN NANCY⁵ PURNELL, LEMUEL⁴, ELISHA³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born in Worcester Co., MD February 29, 1788. JOHN died October 22, 1840 in Worcester Co., MD, at 52 years of age. Will dated August 6, 1839, probate October 22, 1840.

He married SALLY "MARIA" PURNELL in Worcester Co., MD, February 22, 1810. SALLY was born in Worcester Co., MD April 2, 1790. (notes of Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum; Melanie Ayres Merryweather, Genealogy of the Purnell Family; Leslie P. Dryden shows her month of birth as August in The Dryden Family) SALLY was the daughter of ZADOCK PURNELL (Senator) and SARAH "SALLY" ATKINSON.

SALLY died December 7, 1850 in Worcester Co., MD, at 60 years of age. (notes of Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum; Leslie P. Dryden, Dryden Family & Descendants, Alamo, TX, 1999) Sally was named by her aunt, Sarah Purnell, in 1802. In 1850 as "Maria," she is living in a household with her son, Zadock, daughter Evalina and son, John. Also in the household is daughter Henrietta Purnell and two small children, William M. Purnell, age 2, and Mariah Purnell, age 1. Her will was dated November 9, 1850, probate December 25, 1850 named daughters Anna, Henrietta, Louisa, Elizabeth and Eveline, son John was given "Gennezer" devised him by his grandfather Zadock Purnell, son Zadock, and Ara Spence Sr. executor. Witnesses: James W. Sturgis, George B. Gray and R. K. M. Baynum. (Ruth T. Dryden, Worcester Will Book LPS, f.440) He graduated from Medical School at University of Pennsylvania in 1809 and started a practice in Snow Hill. He was elected to the MD House of Delegates and later the MD State Senate. In 1823, he was elected to the US House of Repreentatives, where he served four terms. He was elected to the US Senate in 1837 and served there until his death. (Leslie P. Dryden, Dryden Family & Descendants, Alamo, TX, 1999, p. 51)

JOHN SELBY SPENCE (Dr.) (Senator) and SALLY "MARIA" PURNELL had the following children:

600 i. ANN MARIA⁷ SPENCE was born in Worcester Co., MD 1812. ANN died 1850 at 38 years of age. She married ALLEN BOWIE HOWARD May 26, 1846. ALLEN died 1846. (Leslie P. Dryden, Dryden Family & Descendants, Alamo, TX, 1999)

601 ii. ZADOCK PURNELL SPENCE was born 1816. ZADOCK died 1868 at 52 years of age. (dates-Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum)

+ 602 iii. HENRIETTA ZIPPORAH SPENCE was born about 1820.

603 iv. LOUISA J. SPENCE was born in Worcester Co., MD 1822. LOUISA died September 15, 1879 in Worcester Co., MD, at 57 years of age. She married THOMAS C. B. HOWARD in Worcester Co., MD, October 21, 1847. She is buried at St. Pauls Cemetery, Berlin. (Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum; Melanie Ayres Merryweather, Genealogy of the Purnell Family, p. 14; Leslie P. Dryden, Dryden Family & Descendants, Alamo, TX, 1999)

+ 604 v. SARAH ELIZABETH "BETTIE" SPENCE was born April 17, 1825.

605 vi. EVELINA MARIA SPENCE was born May 11, 1827. EVELINA died November 4, 1853 in Worcester Co., MD, at 26 years of age. She married JOHN R. HENRY. Buried at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Berlin, MD. (Melanie Ayres Merryweather, Genealogy of the Purnell Family, p. 14; (Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum)

606 vii. JOHN SELBY SPENCE (Jr.) was born 1834. JOHN died 1905 at 71 years of age. He married MARY NEVETT HENRY 1855. MARY was born 1837. MARY died 1907 at 70 years of age. (Melanie Ayres Merryweather, Genealogy of the Purnell Family, p. 14) John owned land at "Genezer." (dates & marriage-Suzanne B. Hurley, Ocean City Lifesaving Museum) His children are shown by Melanie Ayres Merryweather, Genealogy of the Purnell Family, p. 14.

Send email to preparer: STELLVA@aol.com

Return to Table of Contents or Index

Go to Next Page

Go to Previous Page