Elihu Spencer was an American Presbyterian clergyman. He was one of the group of sturdy Presbyterian ministers who helped to shape American religious and political history during the last half of the eighteenth century.
Background
Elihu was born on February 12, 1721 in Connecticut, United States. His parents were Isaac and Mary (Selden) Spencer of East Haddam. Elihu was a descendant of Jared or Garrard (the name is given under various spellings) Spencer, who came to Massachusetts about 1630, later went to Connecticut, and was one of the first settlers of Haddam. Although his work was done in the middle colonies, he was of New England ancestry, birth, and education.
Education
Elihu graduated from Yale College in 1746.
Career
David and John Brainerd were his second cousins, and on David's recommendation the Boston commissioners of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel appointed Spencer and Job Strong missionaries to the Indians. They passed the winter of 1747-48 with John Brainerd at Bethel, New York, and the following summer with Jonathan Edwards at Northampton, Massachussets, preparing for their work.
On September 14, 1748 Spencer was ordained at Boston as missionary to the Oneidas, and later proceeded to Onooguagua (Unadilla), Otsego County, New York. The difficulties of the work, augmented by an unfortunate choice of interpreter, so discouraged him that in the spring of 1749 he abandoned the enterprise. In the meantime he had made progress on a vocabulary of the Oneida language.
From 1756 to 1759 he served the church in Jamaica, Long Island, as stated supply, and in 1758 was chaplain to the New York troops in the French and Indian wars. For six years he was in charge of the church in Shrewsbury and served smaller parishes, but when in May 1765 Rev. John Rodgers left St. George's, Delaware, Spencer was invited to supply the church there and the Forest Church, Middletown, and on April 17, 1766, was installed over the two congregations.
Resigning in 1769, he became pastor at Trenton, New Jersey, and continued as such until his death. In addition to his parochial work his services were many and varied. He died in 1784.
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
The inscription on the tombstone over his grave in the churchyard at Trenton describes him as "possessed of fine genius, of great vivacity, of eminent and active piety, " adding, "his merits as a minister and as a man stand above the reach of flattery. "