The Spalding Memorial was published in 1896 by Charles Warren Spalding, in dedication to the numerous family members whose names are Spalding, also spelled Spaulding. An earlier version, of the Spalding Memorial was published by Samuel Spalding in 1872. The following material is taken directly from the Spalding Memorial (1896), recently republished in 1996.

THE name of Spalding is scattered all over Scotland, but it is understood that the County of Perth is the principal home of the name. Old history tells us that a family of that name was the proprietor of the estate of Ashantilly in Perthshire, and that Spalding was a vassal of the Duke of Athol, and was bound to furnish the Duke with thirty-three fighting men in troublous times.

The Spaldings of Georgia are said to be descendants from the Ashantilly Spaldings, county of Perth, Scotland, and they from Sir Pierce Spalding, who surrendered Berwick Castle to the Earl of Murray in 1318.

Charles Spalding, Esq., of Sapelo Island, Ga., very kindly furnished the pedigree of this family. The emigrant ancestor came to this country before the Revolutionary War, and in that struggle espoused the cause of the King. After the close of the war, he returned to Georgia, where his descendants still live. These Spaldings are highly respectable, and have held important positions of influence and of trust in that State.

The following letters furnished partial information in regard to the Georgia Branch of the Spalding family. They formed the basis from which we were enabled to secure a complete record up to the present time (1896).

SUNNY SIDE, MACON & WESTER R. R.,

June 7th, 1870.

DEAR SIR:—Your favor of the 13th of May only reached me yesterday, or it should have received an earlier answer. I welcome your correspondence, as taking us from a disagreeable present, to the past, where, in accordance with the instincts of advancing years, I like to linger.

Your last communication found me in an old ruinous house by the seaside, where I sometimes resort, but do not permanently reside; and I was able to answer you promptly, because I keep there my father's Bible, and some other relics, under the charge of an old Freedman, himself an heirloom, for he waited in his boyhood on my maternal grandfather. But I fear I cannot immediately give you the further information you ask for, as regards my brother Randolph Spalding's family, as his widow and her sons reside several hundred miles from me, and they have their family record with them. I propose, "Deo volente," to spend the next winter on the coast, in their neighborhood, and will then, if you wish it, furnish the fuller particulars you ask for.

I notice your request to be allowed to make use of the hurried memoir I sent you of my immediate progenitors. I can have no objection to your doing so, although I feel that it was very incomplete, and particularly as regards my grandfather, James Spalding, whose return to Georgia was not mentioned. I should have stated that after the close of the Revolutionary war, the Legislature of Georgia made all the amends in their power to this ill-used man. They restored such of his property as had not already passed into other hands, and voted him some small indemnity for the damage done him. He returned to Georgia and lived there very much respected, but greatly reduced in his circumstances. He died in Savannah, and was buried in the vault of his wife's uncle, Gen. Lachlan McIntosh, of the Revolutionary army. I have not the date of his death at hand, but it is inscribed on the tablet, and it was towards the close of the last century.

As you seem uncertain whether your ancestor, Edward Spalding, was of Scotch or English origin, I will mention a few particulars of the family in Scotland, which may not have come to your knowledge.

We trace to Andrew Spalding (I think that is the Christian name, but have not seen the records for so long, that I may have forgotten), a burgess of Berwick on Tweed, who admitted Robert Bruce into that fortress during his war with Edward; for this service rendered, he was given the lands Ashantilly in Perthshire, which remained with his descendants almost to our day. Consult Lord Haile's annals of Scotland, if you can get them; probably the records of the Spalding Club, an antiquarian association in Scotland, might furnish interesting matter; but I live too much out of the world to get access to them. I think our name was originally Flemish, for the town of Spalding, in England, was settled by a colony of Flemings; and history also tells us that, not long before the surrender of Berwick to the Bruce, a body of Flemings had been butchered by Edward in Berwick, and the same annalists also tell us that my, and perhaps your, ancestor was moved to open the gates to the Scotch, by a sense of wrong suffered under Edward.

I am perhaps repeating to you what you know perfectly well already; if so, excuse me — if otherwise, I may have opened to you a pleasant field of exploration.

Thanking you for your kind invitation, and reciprocating it, I am very respectfully and truly

Your obt. servt.,

CHARLES SPALDING.

GRIFFIN, GEORIA, July 30, 1870.

DEAR SIR: — Having occasion to write to my brother Randolph Spalding's widow, I bore in mind your request to be furnished with the full records of her family, which she has obligingly furnished me, and which I here transcribe.

Randolph Spalding married, in Russell county, Alabama, Mary Bass, on the 7th of December, 1843. Had issue — 1st, Sarah-E. Spalding, born on the 16th of September, 1844, at The Forest, McIntosh Co.; 2d, Thomas Spalding, born on the l6th day of September, 1847, in Russell county, Alabama; 3d, Thomas-Bourke Spalding, born on Sapelo Island, on the 23d of February, 1851. When, if ever you publish any genealogical paper, I should be glad to receive a copy. My postoffice during the present summer is Griffin, Georgia; during the winter Darien. I am, dear sir, very respectfully and truly,

Your obt. servt.,

CHARLES SPALDING.

BRURO, MCINTOSH CO., GEORGIA,

March 12, 1871.

DEAR SIR:— Your favor of the 27th ultimo reached me a few days since. As regards your request that I would duplicate my letter of last year, which you have mislaid, I can only reply in substance, as I kept no copy.

My grandfather, James Spalding, came to America about the year 1760; he was the only son of Capt. Thomas Spalding, an officer in a Highland regiment, who lost his life by drowning, while serving in Holland.

From my grandfather's Bible, I make the following extracts:

"Thomas Spalding and Anna Lermouth were married in the City of Edinburgh about the year 1734—and afterwards his widow married Murdoch McLean, of the family of McLean of Loch Buy of the island of Mull, a captain of the 84th regiment." James Spalding, the son of Thomas and Anna, was married Nov. 5th, 1772, to Margery McIntosh at the house of her father, William McIntosh, planter, on Sapelo River, Georgia.

From this marriage was born at Frederica, on the island of St. Simon, March 25, 1774, Thomas Spalding, my father, an only child. Thomas Spalding married, at the residence of her father, Richard Leake of Belleville, Sarah Leake, my mother — and they had numerous issue, and many of their descendants still survive but as it is not necessary to your object that I should enumerate them all, I will only add that none of the male line of James Spalding remain, except myself, a man advanced in life and childless, and my two nephews, Thomas and Bourke Spalding (sons of Randolph Spalding, deceased); they are now living on Sapelo Island, the former recently married.

From the above you will see that we are not connected with your family, or with that of Maryland, nor do I think we can be traced to any English family of our name, as my forefathers were established in Scotland from a very remote period, early in the fourteenth century.

Very respectfully and truly,

Your ob't servant,

CHARLES SPALDING.

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