Judah Colt Spencer and Lavinia Stanley Sanford
Husband Judah Colt Spencer 1 2
Born: 1 Jul 1813 - Hadlyme, New London Co, CT 3 4 Christened: Died: 1 Sep 1885 5 Buried:
Father: William Spencer ( - ) 3 4 Mother: Deborah Selden ( - ) 3 4
Marriage: May 1837 5
Wife Lavinia Stanley Sanford 1 2
Born: 1 Sep 1817 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 5 Christened: Died: 29 Sep 1886 5 Buried:
Father: Giles Sanford (1783-1866) 5 6 7 Mother: Laura Goodwin ( - ) 7
Children
1 F Lavinia D. Spencer 3 5
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Rt. Rev. J. F. Spaulding ( - ) 3 5
2 F Frances L. Spencer 3 5
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
3 F Catharine Spencer 3 8
Born: Christened: Died: 25 Jan 1897 8 Buried:Spouse: Rev. Robert Stansbury Van Cleve (1842- ) 3 9
4 M William Spencer 2 3
Born: 14 Jun 1848 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 2 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Mary Richards DuPuy ( - ) 3 10 Marr: 22 Jan 1880 10
General Notes: Husband - Judah Colt Spencer
He was the nephew and namesake of Judah Colt, one of the pioneers of Erie, Pennsylvania. When fifteen years of age (1829), Mr. Spencer, then residing with his parents in Connecticut, received and accepted an invitation to join his uncle, and from this date began his citizenship in Erie. He supplemented the schooling he had received in Connecticut by an attendance of one year at the Erie Academy, when his uncle deemed him fit to enter on his business career, so he was inducted into the office and field work devolving upon the agency of the Pennsylvania Population Company. Upon the death of Mr. Colt in 1832, the entire management of the affairs of this company devolved upon Mr. Spencer. Other pursuits engaged him for a while, and in 1852 he began banking (from about this date, until its consolidation with the Buffalo & State Line road, he filled the office of Secretary and Treasurer of the Erie & North East R. R.). He was among the first to apply for privileges under the law authorizing National Banks, and the First National Bank of Erie, over which he presided beginning at its foundation, was the twelfth bank incorporated under the new legislation. Mr. Spencer was an original stockholder in many other of Erie's reputable enterprises. For twenty consecutive years he has served as President of the Erie Cemetery Co., and for years he was Treasurer of the Agricultural Association of the county. Mr. Spencer early took the stand of a Christian, and for more than two decades was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Park Presbyterian Church, and was one of the Building Committee of the edifice when it was in course of construction. [HEC 1884, 954]
He was reared and educated in New England, where he continued to reside until 1829, when he came to Erie, Pennsylvania, to assume a clerical position in the land office conducted by his uncle, Judah Colt, who was one of the early settlers of Erie County and executive head of the Pennsylvania Company, which historic corporation had much to do with the settlement and development of northern Pennsylvania, where it became the owner of large tracts of land, which were placed on the market and attracted the best class of settlers. Judah Colt died in 1832, and his nephew and namesake, Judah Colt Spencer, succeeded to much of the business of the land company mentioned. He continued in general supervision of the affairs of this corporation until the enterprise was brought to a close by him, about twenty years later. Within this period thousands of acres of land were sold through his instrumentality, and he thus did a most beneficent work in forwarding the development of northern Pennsyl-vania. As a resident of Erie he took a loyal interest in all movements advanced for the upbuilding and civic prosperity of the city, and he identified himself with many early industrial and commercial enter-prises, whose success was furthered by his wise counsel as well as his capitalistic support. He was secretary and treasurer of the Erie & Northeast Railroad Company, until its consolidation with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company. His was a broad mental ken and his heart was attuned to sympathy and tolerance, so that his benevolences and charities were invariably well ordered and fruitful. In a more public department of necessary provision, it should be stated that he was one of twelve citizens who, more than sixty years ago, formed an association and literally subscribed the funds for the purchase of what is now the beautiful Erie cemetery, and he was the first secre-tary of the association, of which he later became manager and finally president, of which last mentioned office he continued incumbent for many years. For more than a score of years he was secretary of the Erie County Agricultural Society, and its interests were substantially promoted through his effective labors.
In 1852 Judah C. Spencer engaged in the banking business in Erie, and with this important line of enterprise he here continued to be promi-nently identified during the remainder of his long and signally useful life. He was one of the first to apply for and avail himself of the privi-leges of the law authorizing national banks, in which connection he was the founder of the First National Bank of Erie, which was the twelfth bank in the Union to be incorporated under the new law. He became the first president of the institution, and continued in tenure of this office until his death. Under his discriminating administration the bank gained the highest prestige and it has ever remained as one of the Sylvania. Amid the exactions and cares of a signally active business most solid and prosperous of the financial institutions of northern Penn-career Mr. Spencer ever maintained a high appreciation of his steward-ship as a man and a citizen, and it was his to aid his fellow men in many unostentatious deeds of kindness and charity. His life was guided and governed by the most inviolable integrity, and he left the heritage of noble thoughts and noble deeds,-a bequeathment far greater than that which he was able to devise through the results of his pronounced success in connection with the productive activities of life. His politi-cal allegiance was given to the Republican party, and he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. He was for many years a member of the board of trustees of Park Presbyterian church, and was a member of the building committee when the present beautiful edifice was erected.
1 —, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884), Pg 945, 954.
2 John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 257.
3 —, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884), Pg 954.
4 John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 258.
5 John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 259.
6 —, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884), Pg 945.
7 William Henry Egle, M.D., M.A., Pennsylvania Genealogies; Chiefly Scotch-Irish and German (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Co., 1896), Pg 131.
8 John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 259, 697.
9 John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 259, 696.
10
John Miller, 20th Century History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 260.
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