 Although she did have an audience for her work, Spencer had difficulties earning a living as a professional painter and faced financial trouble for much of her adult life.Lilly Martin Spencer was born in Exeter, England to French-born parents Gilles Marie Martin and Angelique Perrine LePetit Martin.In 1830, when Lilly was eight, her family immigrated to New York where they remained for three years before ultimately moving to Marietta, Ohio.