Gen. Stephen van Rensselaer III* Philip Schuyler van Rensselaer

U.D. Worth ca 1850, St. John’s GL

2 Silentia 27 Sep 1837, St. John’s GL

3 York 27 Sep 1837, St. John’s GL

17 Excelsior 29 Sep 1848

26 United States ca 1850, St. John’s GL

195 Excelsior 27 Dec 1850

195 Peerless 27 Oct 1967

195 Franklin 11 Jun 2002

197 York 27 Dec 1850

198 Silentia 27 Dec 1850

207 United States 27 Dec 1850

208 Cyrus in or before 1855

208 Cyrus Eureka 02 May 1972

208 True Light 08 May 1974

210 Worth 04 Mar 1851

216 Franklin 04 Jun 1851

227 Eastern Star 20 Jun 1851

243 Eureka 26 Dec 1851

245 Polar Star 04 Mar 1852

360 Silentia 13 Jun 1823

367 York 13 Jan 1824

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13 Jun 1823 Silentia 360 chartered; forfeit 9 Aug 1837 to become No. 2, St. John’s GL

13 Jan 1824 York 367 chartered; forfeit 9 Aug 1837 to become No. 3, St. John’s GL

27 Sep 1837 York 3 chartered, St. John’s GL

ca 1850 Worth U.D. under dispensation, St. John’s GL

United States 26 chartered, St. John’s GL

27 Dec 1850 Silentia 2 revived as Silentia 198 at Union of GLNY

York 3 revived as York 197 at Union of GL NY

Excelsior 17 revived as Excelsior 207 at Union of GL NY

United States 26 revived as United States 207 at Union of GL NY

Worth U. D. revived as Worth 210 at Union of GL NY

04 Jun 1851 Franklin 216 chartered

26 Dec 1851 Eureka 243 chartered; Petition 22 Dec 1851

12 Jun 1899 Franklin 216 removed from Westville and met for the first time in Washington Heights, New York City

27 Oct 1967 Excelsior 195, York 197, Silentia 199, United States 207 and Polar Star 24 consol to form Peerless 195

02 May 1972 Eureka 243 consol with Cyrus 208 to form Cyrus Eureka 208

08 May 1794 Cyrus Eureka 208 consol with Eastern Star 227 to form True Light 208

10 Aug 1983 True Light 208 merged with and became Peerless 195

11 Jul 2002 Peerless 195 consol with Franklin 216 to form Franklin Lodge No. 195

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Captain James Bradley Spencer [5c5r], b. 26 Apr 1781, Salisbury, CT; d. 26 Mar 1848, Fort Covington, Franklin, NY, son of Asa Spencer and Polly Peck; m. Sally Jones. He moved from New Haven, VT, 1810, to French Mills, presumably the village in Guilderland on the north border of Albany Co, NY. He was a member of Aurora Lodge No. 364, [a ‘Country Lodge’ chartered 6 Jun 1823] Fort Covington, Franklin, NY, admitted 26 Feb 1823. There was significant anti-masonic stirrings in Fort Covington. Aurora Lodge, No. 383, F. and A. M., was organized in 1855 [chartered 11 Jun 1856]. It had seventy-eight members, and, with the exception of the fire company, was the only fraternal association in the town.

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http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000725

James Bradley Spencer, a Representative from New York; born in Salisbury, CT, 26 Apr 1781; received a limited education; moved to Franklin County, NY, and settled in Fort Covington; raised a company for the War of 1812, and served as Captain in the 29th US Infantry; appointed a local magistrate in 1814; surrogate of Franklin County 1828-1837; appointed loan commissioner in 1829; member of the State assembly in 1831 and 1832; elected as a Democrat to the 25th Congress (4 Mar 1837-3 Mar 1839); died in Fort Covington, NY, 26 Mar 1848; interment in the Old Cemetery near Fort Covington.

http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ny/franklin/history/1918/ftcovington1.txt

Captain James B. Spencer was another early arrival, having come from Vermont in 1810. For a man who attained to the prominence and possessed the influence which he enjoyed, he must have been most unfortunate or thoroughly bad. At one time or another he was accused of participation in a number of crimes, viz., passing counterfeit money while he lived in Vermont, collusion with Jones, his brother-in-law, in the attempted war claims frauds, smuggling and subornation of perjury. But he appears to have lived down all of the charges, and to have commanded the respect and confidence of his townsmen and of the county generally. He was commissioned a Captain in the regular army by President Madison in the war of 1812, was afterward agent for the St. Regis Indians; a local magistrate; deputy collector of customs; twice member of Assembly; surrogate; a Presidential elector in 1832; and in 1836 was elected to Congress over Asa Hascall, though he lost Franklin county by about 200 majority, and owed his success to St. Lawrence. He died at Fort Covington in 1848.

James Clark Spencer [6c4r], b. unk; d. 1902, New York City

http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ny/franklin/history/1918/ftcovington2.txt

James C. Spencer was the son of Captain James B., and was a lawyer of bright mind and good attainments. He moved to Ogdensburg in 1854, where he practiced law and held the office of United States attorney for the district of Northern New York. Removing to New York City in 1866, he quickly formed friendly relations with the Democratic leaders, and enjoyed preferences and benefits through their influence. He became judge of the superior court, and was appointed receiver of the Erie Railroad. His first wife was a daughter of Benjamin Raymond and a sister of Mrs. Joseph R. Flanders. Miss Sarah Spencer, a student at Franklin Academy more years ago than she would now confess, and in recent summers an occasional visitor to Malone as Mrs. Spencer-Browne, is his niece. Judge Spencer died in New York City in 1902. He was a charter member of Franklin Lodge No. 216 and served as its charter Junior Warden, 7 Jun 1851.

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The Growth of a Century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county ..., by John A. Haddock, page 168.

http://books.google.com/books?id=KyUVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA168-IA23&lpg=PA168-IA23&dq=%22James+c.+Spencer%22+%22fort+covington%22&source=bl&ots=dtE721G9zi&sig=KA4EyxaCPUsu7AdMUSt0OfWR71g&hl=en&ei=oFOkTr_zJ4ju0gGUytyLBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22James%20c.%20Spencer%22%20%22fort%20covington%22&f=false

HON. JAMES C. SPENCER, Ex-Judge New York City Superior Court,

Is another of the men who have done much to embellish nature. An extended account of his lovely property, "Manhattan," may be found on page 168tf. He is a native of Fort Covington, Franklin county, N. Y. His father, the late Judge James B. Spencer, was one of the early settlers of Franklin county, and was a prominent and respected citizen and recognized political leader in the northern part of the State, having held many important positions, including that of Judge and Representative in the State and National Legislatures. He also distinguished himself in the war of 1812, participating actively in the important engagements of that contest, including the battle of Plattsburgh. In politics he was a Democrat of the Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson school. He was the personal friend and colleague of Silas Wright, and was recognized and appreciated by that great man and other prominent Democrats of the State of New York, as an intelligent and reliable political coadjutor, in the struggles of more than a quarter of a century to secure and perpetuate Democratic ascendency in the State. He also enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all his fellow-citizens who knew him, without regard to political differences. He died in the year 1848, at the age of 68.

This branch of the Spencer family and that represented by the late Chief-Justice Ambrose Spencer, and his son, Honorable John C. Spencer, were kindred, and claim a common ancestry. The family emigrated to New York from Connecticut, their original place of settlement in the New World, springing from an English ancestor, William Spencer, who came to Cambridge, Mass., before or early in the year 1631.

It appears that he returned to or visited England afterwards, for he married his wife, Alice, in that country about the year 1633. He was again a resident and a prominent man in Cambridge in 1634—5, and was afterwards one of the first settlers in Hartford, Conn. He was the eldest of three brothers, all of whom were among the early settlers of Hartford.

The family of the present Judge Spencer, on the maternal side, were purely Irish. His grandfather emigrated to this country from Ireland prior to the American Revolution, and served his adopted country as. a soldier during the War of Independence.

Judge Spencer, before he had fully attained manhood, was thrown upon his own resources, and acquired his education and profession mainly by his own exertions. He commenced the practice of law in 1850, in his native county, and soon became popular and respected in his profession.

In 1854, he removed to Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence county, and, with Judge William C. Brown, formed the legal firm of Brown & Spencer, which for many years enjoyed a successful and profitable practice in the courts of Northern New York. In 1857 he was appointed United States District Attorney for the Northern District of New York.

The performance of the duties of that office extended his professional acquaintance into nearly every county of the State. After the expiration of his term of office, he removed to the city of New York, and entered upon the practice of his profession in that city. His energy and industry, added to his former professional reputation in the State, soon brought him clients and a very successful business.

In 1867, he entered into partnership with Hon. Charles A. Rapallo and other legal gentlemen, under the firm name of Rapallo & Spencer, which became familiar to the public and in the courts as associated with some of the most important causes of the day, including the famous Erie controversy and other equally important litigations connected with railroad and steamship companies. The existence of that firm terminated with the election of its senior members to the bench—Mr. Rapallo to the Court of Appeals, and Mr. Spencer to the Superior Court of New York. He was a candidate at a later day for reelection as Judge, but was defeated by a small majority,

On his retirement from the bench and return to the active practice of his profession in New York city, the Judge was heartily welcomed, and his old clients renewed their allegiance. As years have worn away he has become more attached to his Manhattan Island (see description elsewhere,) and there he spends much of each summer, a practice dating back for twenty years. He has improved and beautified every thing he has touched, and is known as a liberal, progressive gentleman, taking a deep and healthy interest in all that relates to the St. Lawrence and the improvement of its Islands. Such men become, in a sense, public benefactors, and their memory should not die for want of proper recognition.

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In passing up and down the St. Lawrence, among the Thousand Islands, the traveler is impressed with the fact that while they are all beautiful, no two are alike. Some have abrupt fronts of rock, many have trees growing right down into the water, while a few have natural turfs and show the beauties of a lawn embowered in trees. Having visited very many of these islands and noted their individual excellencies, the writer is fain to give high praise to that beautiful group called MANHATTAN.

There are several of them, and they lie about a mile northerly from Alexandria Bay, on the northwesterly side of the main channel of the grand river. Upon the principal island of this group, having an area of about six acres, are the buildings and residences of the owners,

Hon. Jas. C. Spencer and Mr. John L. Hasbrouck, of New York City. To this main island are connected two smaller ones by means of bridge and chain-ferry. Bach of these islands contains about half an acre of arable land.

This interesting group was originally owned by Seth Green, the noted fish-culturist and Superintendent of Fisheries of the State of New York, who purchased the property from Messrs. Cornwall & Walton. Green was the original cottager and summer resident in this vicinity. Me built, and for a series of years resided in, a small cottage on the main island, and there engaged in studying the habits of the finny tribe, and devising means for their culture and propagation. Here he obtained his first practical knowledge and experience, which has proved of such value to the people of the United States. After he had completed his practical course and entered the service of the State of New York, his cottage and islands remained unoccupied for several years, except by temporary residents and itinerant campers. In 1867, he sold the group of islands to Judge Spencer who, in 1868, permanently restored and enlarged the old cottage by additions and improvements, and made it a comfortable residence, which he occupied each summer until he associated, as joint owners with himself, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Hasbrouck of New York city, and from that time there commenced a series of improvements under their personal supervision, that has resulted in its present condition. The piers and buildings, the lawns, trees, shrubbery and flowers, and general appearance, are complete and beautiful beyond description, and equal those of any other island property. Every year, for a period of three or four months, the proprietors and their families and guests come to Manhattan to enjoy its beauties and its restful comforts.

Judge Spencer’s Residence, easterly side of Manhattan Island

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23 Dec 1901 - © The New York Times

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