Brief Life History of John
When John Spiller was born about 1765, in Wellington, Somerset, England, United Kingdom, his father, Joel Spillar, was 36 and his mother, Grace Gracy Willy, was 31. He married Dorothy Winter on 5 December 1790. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 2 daughters.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know John? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (8)
- John Spiller, "England, Somerset, Church Records, 1501-1999"
- John Spiller, "England, Somerset, Church Records, 1501-1999"
- John Spiller in entry for Samuel Spiller, "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
Siblings (8)
+3 More Children
World Events (8)
1770 · Boston Tea Party
Thousands of British troops were sent to Boston to enforce Britain's tax laws. Taxes were repealed on all imports to the American Colonies except tea. Americans, disguised as Native Americans, dumped chests of tea imported by the East India Company into the Boston Harbor in protest. This escalated tensions between the American Colonies and the British government.
1775 · The Shot Heard Around the World
On April 18, 1775, a shot known as the "shot heard around the world" was fired between American colonists and British troops in Lexington, Massachusetts. This began the American War for Independence. Fifteen months later, Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. The Treaty of Paris was signed in September 1783 which ended the war. The colonies were no longer under British rule. Many who fought for the British fled to Canada, the West Indies, and some to England.
1801 · The Act of Union
The Act of Union was a legislative agreement which united England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland under the name of the United Kingdom on January 1, 1801.
Name Meaning
English: occupational name from Middle English spiler(e), speler(e) (Old English spilere) ‘player of games, jester’, perhaps also meaning ‘master of the revels’.
English: perhaps an occupational name from an unrecorded Middle English spiler, speler ‘maker of spills’, a derivative of Middle English spile, spele ‘fragment of wood, splinter’. A spill, in this sense, was a splinter of wood or small piece of paper, used to light a candle or a fire.
English: occasionally perhaps a nickname from Middle English spiller ‘one who causes ruin’, hence a destructive or wasteful person, such as William Spillbrede ‘spoil (or waste) bread’ (13th century). However, none of these phrasal names seem to have survived as a surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.