I have in my possession the family Bible for my branch of the Spencer family. It was printed in the 1760's and is therefore older than the American Declaration of Independence. It originally belonged to my great-great-great-grandfather James Spencer of Bassaleg, Newport, Gwent.
On various blank pages throughout the Bible my ancestors have recorded details of births starting with James Spencer's siblings. James was the youngest of seven children. His eldest brother Adam is claimed to have traced our ancestry back to Hugh Le De Spencer in the mid 15th century. I say claimed because any documentary proof that my great-great-great-uncle may have found has been lost years ago.
The De Spencer family feature a lot in the Abbey at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. There is a Hugh Le De Spencer buried there.
The Spencer family motto is Dieu Defend Le Droit which means God Defend The Right
