Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookon for Holy Orders at Wells Theological College in 1901. He was ordained at St. Paul's Cathedral, Advent, 1902; was for three years curate at St. Michael's, Bromley-by-Bow, and was then Vicar of Curry Rivel from 1905 to 1910, and in the autumn of that year left to take up work in Western Canada, where he was on the Mission Staff at Edmonton, and subsequently worked at Bow Island, Alberta, and was finally in charge of the district of Athabasca, but, after the outbreak of the European War in Aug. 1914, he returned to England in Oct.; and was given a commission as Capt. in the 3rd Battn. of the Somerset L.I., 23 Oct. 1914. He transferred to the 9th Battn., and was promoted Major 21 Dec. following, and after training with it at St. Austell and Wareham, exchanged into the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers in July, 1915, in order to go to the Front. He went to France at the end of the month, and was killed on reconnaissance at Vierstaat 11 Aug. following. Buried in the cemetery at Dickebusch. A brother officer wrote: "It happened about 11.30 on Wednesday night. He went out to reconnoitre the German trenches with a Sergt.; he was away about an hour and a half, and procured some very useful information; they were on their way back when he was shot; he must have been shot at least three times in the head and neck, and can have suffered no pain"; and another: "He was one of the bravest and best, and in the short time he had been with us had endeared himself to everybody. I am sure there is not an officer or man who does not feel his loss. His own company is cut up terribly." Another also wrote: "We laid the Major to rest reverently with a short service last night (Thursday) in a small cemetery near here and placed a wreath on the grave, and are putting up a cross in a few days so as to mark it. All the officers and the whole company are very cut up over our loss as we were all very fond of him indeed. One of the men remarked in a letter referring to the death of Major Speke, 'he was a brave and fearless man,' which is very true, and we all had a great respect for him," and: "Your gallant husband died, not merely doing his duty, but, as I judge, for another, for I feel pretty sure that he undertook a dangerous job which he would not let one of his junior officers undertake." In Canada he proved himself a born pioneer. Even the small prairie towns were irksome to him, and he would contrive to spend most of his time in a shack out on the far-flung prairie. As though his own wide field were not large enough he would, from time to time, find that his duty called him on an expedition to the Sweet Grass Hills, across the boundary line to the south, to the Cypress Hills away to the east, or to the irrigated belt away to the north. Loth as he was to leave S. Alberta, it was the same spirit that led him to accept the offer to establish a pioneer mission in Athabasca, and so patiently to face the vexing difficulties raised by others that would have led most men to draw back before embarking on the task, and later to resign when the conditions of service were so changed. One winter he spent in a tiny shack measuring 10 ft. by 8 ft., having as his companion a lad from his own village at home who in days gone by had carried his gun. He _m._ at Tarrant Crawford Church, Dorset, 8 April, 1915, Ruth Lettice, dau. of the Rev. Charles Lewis Kennaway, of Stephen's Plot, Spetisbury, Blandford, late Rector of Garboldishham, co. Norfolk; _s.p._ [Illustration: =Hugh Speke.=] =SPENCE, JAMES MCKENZIE=, Sergt., No. 12/218, 15th North Auckland Regt., Signalling Division, Headquarters Staff, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, _s._ of James Mearns Spence, of Deveron Street, Whangarei, New Zealand; _b._ Whangarei aforesaid, 16 June, 1886; educ. there; was for some years a Reporter on the Staff of the Whangarei "Northern Mail" and "Northern Advocate," subsequently becoming sub-editor of the "North Auckland Times" at Dargaville; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of war; joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 15 Aug. 1914; left for Egypt as a signaller with the main body, was successively promoted Corpl. and Sergt., and was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 16 Nov. 1915; _unm._ [Illustration: =James McKenzie Spence.=] =SPENCER, CHARLES JAMES=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Devonshire Regt., eldest _s._ of Charles Alfred Spencer, of Stoughton Lane, Leicester, by his wife, Mary, dau. of James Warwick, of Longthorpe, near Peterborough; _b._ Leicester, 10 Jan. 1879; educ. Charterhouse; joined the Cardigan Artillery Militia in 1898; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the Devonshire Regt., 18 Oct. 1899, and promoted Lieut. 11 May, 1901, and Capt. 14 July, 1908; served in the South African War, 1899-1902; took part in the advance on, and relief of Ladysmith, being with the 2nd Battn. in Major-Gen. Hildeyard's Brigade, while the 1st Battn. was shut up in the town; operations of 17-24 Jan. 1900, and action at Spion Kop; operations of 5-7 Feb. 1900, and action at Vaal Kranz; operations on Tugela Heights (14-27 Feb. 1900) and action at Pieters Hill; operations in Natal, March to June 1900, including action at Laings Nek (6-9 June); and those in the Transvaal, Nov. 1901 to 31 May, 1902; was severely wounded and received the Queen's medal with five clasps and King's medal with two clasps. He was Adjutant of the 7th (Territorial) Cyclist Battn. of the Devonshires from 14 July, 1908 to 29 Feb. 1912. On the outbreak of war he went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 5 Nov. 1914, and was killed in action, 18 Dec. 1914, while leading his company in an attack on the German trenches. Buried near Estaires. Capt. Spencer _m._ at Pennycross Church, near Plymouth, 20 Oct. 1909, Katherine Margaret (Crapstone House, Yelverton, South Devon), yst. dau. of the late Robert Bayly, of Torr, Plymouth, and had a son, Charles Richard, _b._ 5 Dec. 1910. [Illustration: =Charles James Spencer.=] =SPENCER, JOHN=, Private, No. 572, 5th Coy., 2/5th Battn. King's Liverpool Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of William Spencer, of Liverpool, Watch Finisher; _b._ Liverpool, 1854; educ. Corporation School there; enlisted in the R.G.A. (Militia) and served with them 22 years (Long Service medal and certificate); re-enlisted in Oct. 1914, and was accidentally drowned in Carrier's Dock, Liverpool, 27 Dec. following, while on service. He _m._ at St. Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Mary Jane (23, Back Strickland Street, Liverpool), dau. of (--) Young, and had five children: William, _b._ 28 Oct. 1878; John, _b._ 22 July, 1891, R.N.; George, _b._ 30 Jan. 1896; Margaret, _b._ 5 June, 1882; and Emily, _b._ 14 May, 1898. =SPENDLOW, JOHN JAMES=, Leading Seaman, 237135, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =SPICE, ALBERT=, Cook's Mate, 1766, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =SPICE, ROBERT WILLIAM=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 9019, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the E |