No. 42 Lottie Lee (“Aunt Lottie”)

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According to Audrey’s Mae’s artistically created cemetery map design and her gravestone numbering system in her Spencer Family Historical Cemetery, Lottie Lee’s gravestone is Gravestone Number Forty-Two. Her spouse, Richard Augustus’s name is on the same gravestone. Using her Smith-Corona typewriter in the 1980s, Audrey Mae typed the following mini-biography of Lottie: ams-42-richard-augustus

Bruce MacGunnigle – 40

Lottie’s burial is in the Spencer Family Cemetery because she was married to Richard Augustus Spencer. With her marriage to Richard, the name Gadsby came into the Spencer line.

Richard Augustus (“Uncle Rich”) is the older brother of William J.B. Spencer and Alfred Ernest Spencer (gravestone No. 40). Richard Augustus was the eldest child of Anna Maria (Mar-eye-ah) and John Johnson Spencer (Gravestone No. 8).  Anna Maria was the child of Richard Anthony Spencer (Gravestone No. 7).  Richard Anthony’s father was Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer.  Father and son had the same name. Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) was the sixth child of John (Gravestone No. 2) and Huldah (née Johnson) Spencer (Gravestone No. 1).

Uncle Rich and Lottie Lees (neé Gadsby) Spencer and their three daughters lived in the Spencer house at Spencer’s Corner (Division, Shippeetown and Crompton Roads in East Greenwich, R.I.). Two of Richard and Lottie’s three daughters are buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery.  They are Annie Eleanor (gravestone No. 43) and Amy Lees (gravestone No. 43).

This web author was interviewing Audrey Mae at her second daughter’s Crystal’s home late February, early March 2003.  Mother was ninety-one. Audrey Mae recalls:” Richard and Lottie’s three daughters were Amy, who was a beauty and won a contest in Providence, Eleanor who we all called Girlie, and Eleanor.” All were older than Audrey Mae.
“Richard went to Auburn where he worked on train (driver). “(through–threw–coal in)”  More research needed as to what reference to coal means.  “When Audrey Mae went to Rhode Island School of Design, Rich would wave to her.”  “When Audrey Mae and Milton married and were leaving on their honeymoon, Richard came running and gave them a $20.00 bill.”
Lottie died two decades after Rich.  “The farm was left to the three daughters and they sold farm.”

A report on the Descendants of Deacon Richard Spencer and Roby Tarbox married in Exeter gives the following information about their great-grandson:  “Richard married Lottie Lees on 4-16-1903.  Lottie was born in England 10-30-1878.  She was the daughter of Harrie and Sarah A. Gadsby.  Richard and Lottie had three children. Their daughter Amy Lees (b. 2-6-1904) married Albert Capelli on 6-22-1929.  Richard and Lottie’s daughter Leah Marian was born 9-17-1907 and their daughter Annie Eleanor was born 6-7-1909.”

Additional information about Lottie from “Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey Mae” at age ninety-two in 2004:  “She married Rich.  All she had to do was bring her money over here. She had a lot of money, but she had to leave the money in England.”…”They (Rich and Lottie) had Amy, Leah Louise, and Girlie.  I always love the sound of Leah Louise, what a pretty name.  The three girls lived in the city and went to school at Auburn in Providence. They came home in the summers. Richard drove a train, so he was never home. I think he was only home on the weekends. He drove an old fashion auto that he drove to the country.  The auto had only one other seat.”.

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Spencer’s Corner: Division, Crompton and Shippeetown Roads Intersection

Descendants believe that Uncle Rich, Lottie and the girls inherited the Spencer house and farm land on Spencer’s Corner, Division, Crompton and Shippeetown Roads Intersection. Lottie Lees Gadsby lived twenty-three years beyond her husband, Richard Anthony(“Uncle Rich”) Spencer. The name Lottie Lees is the markings on gravestone No. 42.  According to the above information, her birth name was Lottie Lees Gadsby.

Another recollection by Audrey Mae at age ninety-two in “Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey Mae” in 2004: “Aunt Lottie used the front door only when her three daughters came home.  The three daughters lived upstairs and Richard had a small corner room downstairs.  The front door opened to a big hall and stairs and each family had their section of the house with their [front] door shut. Ed (Audrey Mae’s brother) and Jenny lived downstairs.”

Below is Audrey Mae’s gravestone and generation numbering system of Richard Augustus (“Uncle Rich”), Lottie Lees (née Gadsby) Spencer  and two of their three daughters.

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Audrey Mae’s eldest daughter, Dawn’s, recollection of her Aunt Lottie when Dawn was a young person. She remembers her Aunt Lottie and says, “I thought Aunt Lottie was cool.  She looked very nice in her attire.”

Spencer, Johnson, Goff, Tarbox and Gadsby descendants, if you have any additional information on Lottie Lees(née Gadsby) Spencer, please add a comment to this web site and the web site editor will add this to the site. Thanks.”