Sir John Spencer was an English landowner, sheriff, and member of parliament, an early member of the Spencer family.
Background
Spencer was born the only son of Sir William Spencer of Wormleighton Manor, Warwickshire, and Althorp, Northamptonshire, and his wife Susan, daughter of Sir Richard Knightley of Fawsley, Northamptonshire. He was probably trained at the Middle Temple, succeeded his father in 1532 and was knighted in 1553.
Career
He was appointed High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for 1551-1552, 1558-1559, 1571-1572 and 1583-1584. He was elected Knight of the Shire (Member of Parliament) for Northamptonshire in April, 1554 and again in 1558. Sir John Spencer married by 1545 Katherine Kitson, the daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson of the City of London and of Hengrave Hall, Suffolk.
Sir John Spencer, who succeeded to his father"s estates at Wormleighton and Althorp
Alice Spencer, who married Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby.
Their daughter Anne (1580–1647) was heiress presumptive to the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth I according to the will of Henry VIII and the Third Succession Acting. As Lady Derby, Alice was a noted patron of the arts and to whom poet Edmund Spenser represented the character "Amaryllis" in his eclogue Colin Clouts Come Home Againe in 1595 and dedicated his poem "The Teares of the Muses" in 1591.
Sir William Spencer, the third son, who became a landowner in Yarnton, Oxfordshire. Sir Richard Spencer, the fourth son, whose son John was a landowner in Offley Place, Great Offley, Hertfordshire, and was created Baronet of Offley on 14 March 1627 in the Baronetage of England.
He was a direct ancestor of Prime Minister Sir Winston Spencer Churchill and Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales.