According to Audrey Mae’s artistic map diagram and gravestone numbering system, Joseph David’s gravestone is Gravestone Number Ten. Using her Smith-Corona typewriter in the 1980s, Audrey Mae typed the following mini-biography of Joseph David, an eighth-generation Spencer in East Greenwich, Rhode Island:
Audrey Mae spells Celinda with a “C”, but on Joseph David’s gravestone, his mother’s name is Selinda, spelled with a “S”. More research needed.
According to Audrey Mae, Joseph David’s father is Joseph Jason (No. 9) who is the fifth child of Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) (No. 6) and Roby (née Tarbox) (No. 5) Spencer. Joseph David’s mother is Celinda Kettelle who is Violette Kettelle’s great aunt.
Violet Kettelle (2-22-1912–6-4-2004) was a Spencer historian who carried on the work of Esther Amanda (née Spencer) Briggs (1-21-1835–6-2-1929). Esther Amanda (“Aunt Mandy”) was the first Spencer historian known to descendants.
Cousin Violet, as Audrey Mae called her, was the first woman to enter Penbroke College in Rhode Island. Violet taught school in Vermont for most of her long career. (glossary of audreymaespencer.com). On retirement, Violet returned to her family home on north side of Middle Road in East Greenwich, R.I., to the east of the Spencer family cemetery. Violette spent her retirement years at her family home on Middle Road and Audrey Mae (3-19-1912–3-11-2007) would often visit Violet on the Kettelle farm. Audrey Mae wanted all her daughters to know cousin Violet who was also a woman before her time.
Violette had said that she could no longer visit her own family historical cemetery as the brush had grown up and concealed the graveyard, and it was too difficult or impossible for her to any more find it, never mind visit it.
With Audrey Mae’s notes and numbering system, there is reason to believe that the Gravestones Number ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen are the children of Joseph Jason (No. 9) and Celinda (née Kettelle) Spencer. Joseph David (No. 10) is the fourth born of Jason Joseph and Celinda’s five children who are buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery. See below:
According to Audrey Mae, Augustus Burnside (gravestone No. 24) is also a child of Joseph Jason and Celinda and therefore, another brother to Joseph David in this Spencer Family Cemetery. Augustus Burnside died as a child of three years.
“Spencer, Johnson, Tarbox and Kettelle descendants, if you have any additional information on Joseph David Spencer, please add a comment to this web site and the web site editor will add this to the site. Thanks!