Children of Robert and Mary Spence

On the 4th of the 10th mo. 1811 our first born a daughter blooming full of promise & beautifull gladdened our hearts, but alas after a transient tarrience of 19 days she fled to scenes of more enduring bliss & to our great grief was interred the day following in the graveyard at the head of the Town; we had called her Mary after her mother and grandmother Foster.

2nd mo. 11th 1835. James Watson & my daughter Mary, Joseph Watson & my daughter Sarah laid their intentions of marriage before friends at the Monthly Meeting at Newcastle—May the blessing of heaven rest upon their intended unions! Daniel Oliver spoke very encouragingly to them and they all acquitted themselves with great propriety & gained much credit from their friends.

Just before my dear Mother's death, Robert's Aunt Mary Watson died very suddenly of heart disease. For her unmarried daughters especially, it was a crushing blow, & we all miss her genial, kindly ways.

8 mo. 14. 1834. Ja^s. & Rachel Foster—Robert & Mary Spence—Elizabeth Foster Spence & Rachel Spence left for Edinbro. 8.16 by sea from Leith to Aberdeen. 18 General Meeting for Scotland, left for Urie Stonehaven. 19 Perth to Dunkeld. 20th Pass of Killicrankie, Taymouth & Killeen. 21st Trossachs, Loch Katrine, Callender to Stirling. 22 return to Edinbro & 23 home by Berwick a most delightful excursion.

8 mo. 14. 1834. Ja^s. & Rachel Foster—Robert & Mary Spence—Elizabeth Foster Spence & Rachel Spence left for Edinbro. 8.16 by sea from Leith to Aberdeen. 18 General Meeting for Scotland, left for Urie Stonehaven. 19 Perth to Dunkeld. 20th Pass of Killicrankie, Taymouth & Killeen. 21st Trossachs, Loch Katrine, Callender to Stirling. 22 return to Edinbro & 23 home by Berwick a most delightful excursion.

Now with respect to the Irish Subscription I shall state all my circumstances to thee & if thou then thinks I should pull out tell me so in thy next. Thou knows that before I was married I had saved between 800 & £1000 that when I married my income & expenditure, the last by no means extravagant ran side by side & that each year saw me in much the same position as the first. This year I have certainly had a large income between 400£ & 500£ but instead of having laid anything by as a provision for old age, or for my family if I die young, the little I had saved was decreased fully £300 by the heavy expenses of our journey & by my illness. Thou also knows that fully 300£ or £330 of what remained of my property is unproductive (that Gas affair)—Well thou well say but thou got £1300 only a little while ago but Bob if I should not love long this & all I have will be little enough to leave to those who have a far stronger claim upon it than any other object—I do think that seeing I have had to spend £300 at least from the savings of my early years to meet this years wants I must not subscribe—Our expenses for the coming year must of necessity be heavy. We have hesitated for some time whether it was right for us to have Mother over here during Sarah's confine^t & this we have at last decided upon. Of course we shall pay the expense of it. There are many reasons to cause us to expect to live very nearly up to our income next year. I dont think we are extravagant & cannot in looking back tax myself with having spent much in luxuries or in such like things for ourselves—It may be a question whether we ought not to be able to spare more from our abundance for the wants of others but I think thou will acquit me of endeavouring to shirk the pay^t of £5 or £10 to save my pocket.—I am convinced that it is more than I should give. Art thou? Write me fully all thou thinks about it only, dont write me down stingy & never class me amongst the number of buttoned up pocked gentry who are never to be asked to give anything to anything. With regard to the objects of your subscriptions I hope you will take good care that your money is properly distributed & does not go to such worthies as purchase arms or swell the repeal rent with the money they get.

[. . .]

Though this is a question with me—it is not the question the question is—Is it my duty or is it not. Have I the means or have I not without forgetting other stronger claims.

John Chapman says that I am "on no account" to return at present & I feel convinced that on account of my health it will be wise for me to remain a few weeks longer. I find that 6 mos of 4 weeks each will be up on the 22^nd of next month & I hope soon after then to return. If any pressing need arise, I am still ready to come at once but if this is not the case I believe the hope of benefit to my health is greater from the few weeks we have to remain that it has been hitherto—the only time I have suffered from cold has been during the last month & it has left me some little lost ground to regain which in the mild weather coming on now I have ground for hoping that I may do.

As to reports one need not wonder—for my own part I have always thought the Directors were kept shamefully in the dark as to the real state of affairs—even poor father never knew what their position was at Newcastle "re Scarth &c" He at all events used to say so & to express frequent anxiety about it & I think the way in which the shareholders who enquired about Scarth &c were snubbed at the Gen^l Meet^g was shameful The Chapmans have always behaved towards the Shareholders as though they had no money at stake in the concern—I consider the carrying on of that Iron business a shameful speculation—totally unjustifiable even by the way in which they say it is likely to turn out for our good. It might have been very different & whether it was so or not it is an improper sphere for Bankers—we should keep to Banking & not go into Trade.

In the commercial panic of 1847 the Union Bank became involved by the unwise management of William Chapman and suspended payment, but the North Shields business was at the time in so sound a condition under the management of Robert Spence, junior, that the shareholders interested reconstituted the bank under Robert Spence again as manager, and the old Shields business was mostly recovered.

TESTIMONIAL TO MR. ROBT. SPENCE.—The late colleagues of Mr. Robert Spence, Manager of the Union Bank, in this town, deputed Mr. Joseph Mather, his successor, to present him a few days ago with a silver inkstand, as a mark of their respect and esteem, which the whole establishment of the Bank entertain for Mr. Spence, who is about to become a partner in a new local bank. This handsome piece of plate bore the following inscription:—"To Mr. Robert Spence, on the occasion of his leaving the Union Bank, after a connection of 26 years, to enter as partner a new private Bank in this town, this Inkstand was presented by his late colleagues, in testimony of the great courtesy and kindness which in their several capacities they have received from him. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 28th February, 1859." The public, who have experienced the obliging and efficient assistance of Mr. Spence in the conduct of their banking business, will no doubt participate in the feelings which prompted this presentation.

A letter was received from Mr Robert Spence, banker, North Shields, borough treasurer, enclosing a cheque for £100, being his 20 years' salary at £5 per annum, which he wished to present to the Corporation to be applied for the purpose of improving Preston Cemetery by the planting of trees, &c. He also declined to accept any remuneration for his services as borough treasurer in future. The committee recommended that the gift of Mr Spence be received and applied in the manner desired.

The treasurer of the Borough of Tynemouth Infirmary begs to acknowledge the sum of £100 toward the Building Fund from Mr Robert Spence, Rosella Place.

DEATH OF MR R. SPENCE, NORTH SHIELDS.

We deeply regret to have to record the death of Mr Robert Spence, banker, which took place at his residence, Rosella Place, North Shields, on Saturday afternoon. Although not a public man, the deceased's venerable figure was well known in business and banking circles throughout the district, and will be greatly missed. After the death of his wife in 1878, Mr Spence enjoyed only moderate health, and six months ago his system broke down completely. No serious apprehensions were entertained, however, until a few days ago, when he took a marked change for the worse and passed peacefully away at the time mentioned.

The deceased was born in December, 1817, so that at the time of his decease he was in his 73rd year. He was of honourable descent. His father, Mr Robert Spence, who came to North Shields from Yorkshire in the early part of the present century, was of good old Quaker stock. His mother was Mary Foster, daughter of Robert Foster, of Ebblethwaite Hall, Sedburgh, Yorkshire, the Fosters being a well known and esteemed family in the district. There were eighteen children of the marriage, fourteen of whom were daughters and four sons, the only one now surviving being Ald John Foster Spence, one of the leading and most honoured of public men in the borough of Tynemouth. The deceased, in common with his brothers, received his early training at the school of the Society of Friends, in Yorkshire, which has acquired some distinction from the fact that the late Mr John Bright was educated there. In 1831 he commenced business as a clerk in the bank of Messrs Chapman and Co., North Shields. In 1836 the concern was converted into the Union Joint Stock Company, in which a large number of his family and friends took shares. In 1846, after succeeding his father in the management of the North Shields office, his health broke down, and he was ordered away to Maderia, but returned to his native town after two years, his health being fairly re-established, though he was never afterwards very strong. In 1847, during the disastrous panic which resulted in the collapse of several railways and the failure of many banking concerns, the Union Joint Stock Company sustained a severe run and was unable to meets its liabilities. This failure, however, almost exclusively concerned the Newcastle and Sunderland business of the company. The North Shields office was so perfectly sound that the company was re-established shortly afterwards by a committee of the shareholders, and eventually branches were opened in Newcastle, Sunderland, and South Shields. The deceased continued manager of the company until 1859, when the business was transferred to other hands, at which time the whole of the shareholders of the old Union had been recouped for a considerable portion of their loss out of the profits of the new business. Mr Spence then entered into partnership with Messrs Hodgkin, Barnett, and Pease in the establishment of a new private bank, which under his experienced management has developed into a most flourishing concern, and is the well-known banking firm of the present day. Before his death Mr Spence saw three generations introduced into the successful banking business which his fine business capabilities and wide experience had so materially assisted in creating. His only surviving son, Charles James Spence, joined the firm in 1870, and his grandson is at present receiving a business education of the same kind at North Shields. He married, in 1842, Sarah Hagan, of Stanwell, Middlesex, his first cousin, to whom he was devotedly attached, and whose death, which took place twelve years ago, he deeply mourned up till the time of his demise. The fine and inestimable qualities which characterized the lives of the parents of the recently-deceased gentleman were marked throughout the honoured career of the latter. He led a simple and unostentatious life. He instinctively shrank from the holding of public office. He persistently declined to have public honour of any kind thrust upon him, and in this respect he affords a remarkable contrast to his brothers, Ald. John Foster Spence, and the late Mr Joseph Spence, whose lives have been devoted to the service of their native town. The deceased cultivated a large circle of personal friends, by whom his memory will be long cherished. In business he was always kind, courteous, and candid, a man of strict integrity and conscientiousness. He will be affectionately remembered by those who were his most intimate friends for his many charitable actions, his manliness, and his kind and lovable disposition. He was a well-known antiquary, and a most indefatigable collector of coins, engravings, and manuscripts. Among the most notable of the latter is the original manuscript of George Fox, the found of the Society of Friends, of which body the deceased was always a staunch, noble, and conscientious adherent. He was also a great lover of books, and leaves behind him a valuable and remarkable library.

DEATH OF MR ROBERT SPENCE

We deeply regret to have to record the death of Mr Robert Spence, banker, which took place at his residence, Rosella-place, North Shields, on Saturday afternoon. Although not a public man, the deceased's venerable figure was well-known in business and banking circles throughout the district, and will be greatly missed. The deceased was born in December, 1817, so that at the time of his decease he was in his 73rd year. His father, Mr Robert Spence, who came to North Shields from Yorkshire in the early part of the present century, was of good old Quaker stock. His mother was Mary Foster, daughter of Robert Foster, of Ebblethwaite Hall, Sedburgh, Yorkshire, the Fosters being a well-known and esteemed family in the district. There were eighteen children of the marriage, fourteen of whom were daughters and four sons, the only one now surviving being Ald. John Foster Spence, one of the leading and most honoured of public men in the borough of Tynemouth. In 1831 Mr Spence commenced business as a clerk in the bank of Messrs Chapman & Co., North Shields. In 1836 the concern was converted into the Union Joint Stock Company, in which a large number of his family and friends took shares. In 1846, after succeeding his father in the management of the North Shields office, his health broke down, and he was ordered away to Madeira, but returned to his native town after two years, his health being fairly re-established, though he was never afterwards very strong. In 1847, during the disastrous panic which resulted in the collapse of several railways and the failure of many banking concerns, the Union Joint Stock Company sustained a severe run and was unable to meet its liabilities. This failure, however, almost exclusively concerned the Newcastle and Sunderland business of the company. The North Shields office was so perfectly sound that the company was re-established afterwards by a committee of the shareholders, and eventually branches were opened in Newcastle, Sunderland, and South Shields. The deceased continued manager of the company until 1859, when the business was transferred to other hands, at which time the whole of the shareholders of the old union had been recouped for a considerable portion of their loss out of the profits of the new business. Mr Spence then entered into partnership with Messrs Hodgkin, Barnett, and Pease in the establishment of a new private bank, which under his experienced management has developed into a most flourishing concern, and is the well-known banking firm of the present day. Before his death Mr Spence saw three generations introduced into the successful banking business which his fine business capabilities and wide experience had so materially assisted in creating. The deceased cultivated a large circle of personal friends, by whim his memory will be long cherished. In business he was always kind, courteous, and candid, a man of strict integrity and conscientiousness. He will be affectionately remembered by those who were his most intimate friends for his many charitable actions, his manliness, and his kind and lovable disposition. He was a well-known antiquary, and most indefatigable collector of coins, engravings, and manuscripts. Among the most notable of the latter is the original manuscript of George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, of which body the deceased was always a staunch, noble, and conscientious adherent. He was also a great lover of books, and leaves behind him a valuable and remarkable library.

THE LATE MR ROBERT SPENCE.

A correspondent write to the Newcastle Journal:—In the late Mr Robert Spence, of North Shields, and banker in the firm of Messrs Hodgkin, Barnett, and Co., of this city, there has passed away one who was greatly endeared to all who knew him personally, and one who was, moreover, typical of the old-fashioned Quakerism which has slowly but surely disappeared. In these days when publicity, advertisement, and interview tend to excite the lower instincts of mankind, it is instructive to catch a glimpse of one who cared not at all for what is called "public life," but dwelt apart from the world and lived a life which was perfect in its surroundings. "Les affections de l'homme," says Balzac truly, "se satisfont dans le plus petit cercle aussi pleinement que dans un immense circonference." To know him was to love him, and his, indeed, is "the better sort of fame," which consists, as Mr R.L. Stevenson rightly says, "in being known not widely, but intimately." He was, indeed, a kindly, courteous, and considerate gentleman, and in his business capacity as a banker, while showing wisdom and skill which were doubtless greatly instrumental in helping the firm of Messrs Hodgkin, Barnett, and Co. to attain their prominent position and reputation, he won not merely the esteem, but also the affection of all who consulted him. As a collector of coins, Bibles, &c., he was well known far and near, and his house has been with some justice styled a museum. Perhaps what made him so deservedly popular amongst so many and such different individuals, in addition to his unfailing courtesy, generosity, and kindliness of disposition, was his wonderful gift of humour, which always enable him—after the fashion of some of Shakespeare's most charming characters—to divert his own thoughts from the bodily pain and suffering which continually beset him during the last years of his life, and to make merry and delight his hearers. This fund of humour never ran dry—sometimes it would bubble up in some laughable quotation or misquotation as it might chance to be, or again be visible in quaint mimicry or droll imaginary gestures appropriate to his narrative; while, if in any of his stories the point turned against himself, he was the first to lead the laughter his relation invariably aroused. The remembrance of his kindly face, of his gentle manner, of his delightful humour, will never fade from the memories of those who have been privileged to become his friends.

Having made arrangements with Messrs. Hodgkin, Barnett, and Pease, he commenced business with them as a private banker on the 14th of March, 1859. Branches were shortly opened at North and South Shields, and eventually in most of the towns of Northumberland and Tyneside. In the new firm thus constituted, (Hodgkin, Barnett, Pease, and Spence) Mr. Spence, in right of his long and valuable experience, naturally took the lead, and till shortly before his death he continued one of the most active partners. He has seen four generations of his family engaged in practical banking, his son having entered the bank in 1866, and his grandson in 1889.

After his serious illness in early life, he was unable to take any active part in public affairs, and his close attention to business would alone have rendered this impossible. His holidays were always spent in exploring some new district of his native country, and his leisure at home in the study of his various bibliographical and antiquarian collections. After the death of his wife, twelve years ago, his health steadily declined, and for some months preceding his death, he was unable to attend to business. We may say a word or two, in conclusion, as to the business character of one who, of late years, might fitly be styled the Nestor of banking in the North of England. His diagnosis of an account (if a medical simile may be pardoned), was unusually clear and correct. When he was in his vigour, few men could equal him in the instinct with which he scented out accommodation transactions, or in his perception of the fact that a customer was no longer deserving of the banker's confidence. Naturally of a somewhat impetuous disposition, he was on principle gentle and courteous to his customers, even when their applications had to be most steadily refused. 'Take things by their smooth handle,' was a proverb which he often quoted, and continually exemplified in practice.

Towards his clerks, and all in any way dependent upon him, he was the most generous and considerate of employers. The trouble which he himself had gone through from broken health and the shipwreck of the Union Bank, had given him a vivid sympathy with the difficulties of persons of slender means; and the acquisition of wealth did not, as is sometimes the case, deaden this sympathy, but rather seemed to quicken and intensify it. It may seem like the utterance of a conventional commonplace, but it is in an unusual degree true of him, that by his death all who were brought into intimate relation with him, as partners, clerks, or customers, feel that they have lost a friend, and one whose loss will not be easily replaced.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. R. SPENCE.

The remains of the late Mr. Robert Spence, banker, of the firm of Hodgkin, Barnett, Pease, and Spence, were interred yesterday in the pretty cemetery at Preston, near North Shields At three o'clock, the coffin, which was of polished oak, with brass mountings, and covered with beautiful floral tributes, was borne from Rosella Place, North Shields, the residence of the deceased gentleman, to the hearse, which was followed by eight mourning coaches and many private carriages, containing the relatives and friends, among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Spence, Master Gilbert Spence, Miss L. Spence, Alderman J. F. Spence, Miss May Spence, Mr. Robert Spence, Mr. Philip Spence, Mrs. J. Spence, Miss Spence, Mrs. Robert Foster, Mr. Joseph Shewell Spence, Mr. J. H. Foster, Mrs. W. L Watson, Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Francis Corder, Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Procter, Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Procter, Mr. J. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Constable. Mr. Foster Spence, Mrs. G. Watkin, Dr. Tindle, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clephan, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, Mr. Henry Richardson, Dr. Hodgkin, Mr. Jos. Cowen, and many others. The Corporation of Tynemouth, of which the deceased gentleman had been treasurer for a period of 42 years, was well represented, along with many other representatives] of public bodies and philanthropic societies. There were also present the Mayor of Tynemouth (Mr. Ralph Collins), the Town Clerk (Mr. H. A. Adamson), Aldermen Baker and J. F. Spence, County Alderman Winter, County Councillor Eskdale, Councillor H. Holden, Mr. John Morrison, Mr. F. W. Dendy, Rev. David Tanker, Mr. James Edington, Superintendent Anderson, and a large following of the Society of Friends and the general public. At the cemetery the grave was surrounded by a very large assembly. Here, after the coffin had been lowered, the company present took their last look upon it, the inscription being, "Robert Spence; died 8th of 9th month, 1890, aged 72 years"; and Dr. Hodgkin having read a chapter, the relatives and friends attended a short meeting in the chapel of the cemetery, when addresses were delivered by Dr. Hodgkin, Mr. Humphrey, and others.

TO THE

BURGESSES OF TYNEMOUTH WARD.

GENTLEMEN,—The time for which you elected me to Represent you in the Town Council has nearly expired.

Should you think fit to re-appoint me, I will endeavour to the best of my ability to discharge the duties of the Office.

I am, yours respectfully,

JOHN FOSTER SPENCE.

APPOINTMENT OF CHIRTON OVERSEERS.—This being the day for the confirmation of the appointment of overseers, Mr J.F. Spence addressed the following letter to the Clerk to the Tynemouth County Magistrates, Mr John Fenwick, with respect to the appointment of the Chirton overseers, Messrs Walker and Scott:—"Chirton, April 2nd, 1859.—Dear Sir,—Will you be kind enough to hand the enclosed list to the County Magistrates at the proper time. My reason for taking this rather unusual course is, that I understand the two retiring overseers, and they only, are nominated. Had I been aware that a township meeting was called, I should have submitted this list for the approval of the ratepayers. I think that overseers, who have served the office for three years in succession, ought not again to be elected, especially when they make a private rate, and decline to state to a meeting of the ratepayers how much money was raised from the rate, and how it was expended. I am, yours respectfully, JOHN FOSTER SPENCE. To John Fenwick, Esq." [list follows . . . ] Mr Spence was in attendance at the court, and complained that the township meeting at which the overseers had been nominated, had not been advertised in the newspapers, according to a resolution come to at a previous meeting of the ratepayers. Notice had been merely put on the church doors. Mr Walker (one of the overseers) said that it had been an oversight not to advertise the meeting. Mr Hugh Taylor said the overseers were deserving of great praise for their exertions in reference to the rating of the Northumberland Docks. The Bench suggested the appointment of Mr Spence as a third overseer, to assist Messrs Walker and Scott. Mr Spence declined accepting office [ . . . . ]

Assaulting a Magistrate.—At the North Shields Police Court, yesterday, James Osborn, pitman, Harton Colliery, South Shields, was charged with assaulting Mr. John Foster Spence, one of the borough magistrates, and also his son, Mr. R.F. Spence. On Saturday night, a disturbance took place at Chirton, where Mr. Spence resides, caused by the defendant and some others. A fight ensued, and on Mr. Spence and his son interfering the defendant struck them severely with a stick over the head and face. The magistrates committed Osborn to Morpeth Gaol for one month.

JOHN F. AND JOSEPH SPENCE,

HOWARD STREET

AND

TYNE STREET, NORTH SHIELDS,

Having completed their arrangements for the Autumn Trade, are now showing

A CHOICE NEW STOCK

IN EVERY DEPARTMENT,

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE,

HOWARD STREET AND TYNE STREET,

NORTH SHIELDS.

NEW CARPETS AND FURNITURE

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE

Are now showing the Largest and Choicest

Stock of

FURNISHING GOODS,

WHICH THEY HAVE EVER OFFERED

FOR SALE.

An Immense Variety of

NEW BRUSSELS AND TAPESTRY

CARPETS

From the looms of the most eminent manu-

facturers, and at the lowest prices ever known in the trade.

FLOORCLOTHS AND LINOLEUM

OF THE NEWEST DESIGNS

NEW BEDROOM SUITS

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE

HOWARD STREET & TYNE STREET

NORTH SHIELDS

Perhaps the most interest feature of the evening was a song which was sung by Ald John Foster Spence, entitled "Sair Failed Hinney," the rendering of which was heartily re-demanded by the audience. Mr Spence sang the piece through in a musical and sweet voice, which age has well mellowed, and the effect—especially as the words are peculiarly adapted for an aged songster—was really enjoyable. Mr Spence could render at least with more true feeling than any young, although perhaps more talented, singer, such as verse as

"When aw was young and lusty,

Aw coud loup a dyke;

Now at five and sixty—

Canna do the like."

. . . it is to be hoped that an old public man like Mr Spence will not be cast aside, as happened in the late School Board election. No man in the borough is more entitled to the confidence and support of the ratepayers. Amongst a section of the people Mr Spence's only fault is that he has been consistent. Politically, he has stood to his Liberalism instead of running blindfold after Gladstone and Home Rule. This has not suited the Radical partisans, who therefore shut their eyes to everything else in his favour, and endeavour to crush him out of public life.

Uncle John Spence sent me an invitation to go to the Rocket practice, so I got Theresa to go too, and we took "Tommy" also. It began at 3 p.m. and punctually the brigade came out, dressed in uniform, Uncle John last as he is Captain. He did look so nice. The rocket was fired from the Spanish battery to the pier, at Tynemouth. All the fixing of the apparatus, and the proceedings generally, were most interesting. Then a man came across from the pier in the breeches buoy with his legs dangling down, and looking most extraordinary. With rather fear, I asked if I might go across, and amid much laughter from the spectators, squashed myself into the breeches buoy sitting like a Turk. Once off the feeling was most delightful, and I went across to the pier and back again. Once or twice I got very near the water. The muddy water from the ropes dripped over my face and clothes, and I arrived back again looking dreadful I expect. Uncle John introduced me to Major -----, and then I ran off to get dry in the house where shipwrecked people are sheltered. Tommy was much excited and pleased to see me back again. The brigade men all came in to the house to answer to their names, and Uncle John introduced us to several. They seemed to think I was very plucky, which is quite a mistake, as it was a most simple thing to do. We saw over the house which was very interesting, berths for shipwrecked sailors, baths, etc etc, and then went to North Shields to have tea at Chirton. Here we saw more interesting things. Uncle John is a really wonderful old man, so energetic and delightful. Tommy was both fascinated by and terrified of the alligator, and stood and barked at it getting nearer and nearer, till it opened its jaws with a snap, when he promptly retired, but began to approach it again.

Both Theresa and I much enjoyed ourselves, and it was so nice having her with me.

FUNERAL OF ALD J.F. SPENCE.

In a quiet, picturesque corner of Preston Cemetery the remains of Ald John Foster Spence, J.P., were laid to rest yesterday afternoon. There was an entire absence of ceremony, the funeral being conducted in accordance with the religious observances of the Society of Friends. Still it was impressive, and it was probably the largest ever seen in the district. The cortege was timed to leave the deceased gentleman's residence, Chirton Cottage, North Shields, at 8 o'clock, and as that hour approached crowds began to congregate in the vicinity until the roadway was completely blocked. In response to the wishes of the family all, with few exceptions, walked to the cemetery, and the sight was most imposing. These exceptions were elderly or inform gentlemen who could not otherwise have taken part in the obsequies. There was no hearse, the coffin, covered with several floral tributes, including one from Mr and Mrs F. Leverton Harris, being placed upon the carriage used by the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade for the carrying of the rocket apparatus. This came after a large contingent of Wellelsey boys, who headed the procession, and was drawn by twenty brigadesmen, who also provided six pall bearers. Following came a strong muster of the boats' crews of the Tyne Lifeboat Institution attired in their red caps and cork jackets. The chief mourners were: Mr Foster Spence and Miss May Spence, Mrs B. Clarke, Mr and Mrs H.C. Spence and Jack Spence, Mr and Mrs R.C. Clephan, Elsa and Lil Garvie, Mrs Garvie, Mr and Mrs R.F. Spence, Mr J. Clephan, Miss Clephan, Miss Violet Spence, Miss K. Clephan, Alwyn Spence, Elaine Clephan, Cuthbert Spence, Effie Clephan, Guy Glephan, Mr and Mrs C.J. Spence, Mr and Mrs James Watson, Mr and Mrs J.S. Spence, Mr Alexander Corder, Mr Frank Corder, Miss Fayle, Miss Bell, Dr and Mrs R. Spence Watson, Mrs Gwatkin, Mr and Mrs J.J. Gurney, Mr J.H. Taylor Miss A. Watson, Mr and Mrs Percy Corder, Mr and Mrs Walter Corder, Mr Robert Corder, Mr and Mrs Fred Corder, Mr and Mrs Herbert Corder and Philip Corder, Mr and Mrs Mounsey, Robert Philip, and Gilbert Spence, Miss Sadie Spence, Mr Kenneth Watson, Miss Mary Watson, Miss Winnie Watson, Mr Bryan Watson, Miss Mary Spence, Mr Herbert Spence, Miss Edith Spence, Mr Frank Spence, Miss Mea Spence, Dr Hodgkin, and Dr E. Brumwell. About 60 member of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade were present, under the command of Capt. Anderson, Capt. W. Fry, Capt. F.W. Hudson, and Capt. R. Reed. The Tynemouth Coastguard was represented by Chief Officer Craven and several of his men; Mr S. Malcolm, secretary; and Captains Jas. Page and Geo. Ogilvie represented the South Shields Life Brigade; and Capt. Wilkins, Capt. Herring, and Capt. and General Secretary J.W. Broderick attended on behalf of the Sunderland Brigade.

[a very long list of attendees follows . . . ]

The route to the cemetery held a dense mass of people, who were deeply moved by the solemn occasion, and the burial ground was also thronged. The coffin was at once borne to the grave, and the usual simple ceremony of the Society of Friends was performed by Dr Hodgkin, Mr Chas. Dymond, and Mr Thomas Pumphrey, leading members of the body.

Mr W. Lambert, Tyne Street, North Shields, carried out the funeral arrangements.

DEATH OF ALD. J.F. SPENCE.

A REMARKABLE CAREER.

Ald. John Foster Spence, J.P., one of the best known men on Tyneside, died at his residence at Preston, North Shields, this morning, after a somewhat protracted illness. A short time ago he came home from Grange-over-Sands, where he had been ordered by his medical advisers for a change of air, but on his return he gradually sank. The news of his death will cause widespread regret.

In the deceased alderman the Northern Harbour Borough has lost one of its greatest men, whose marvellous career will live in the annals of the borough, and whose memory will ever be revered. A man of exceptional capabilities he identified himself with the religious, social, and political life of the town. He was indeed the "Grand Old Man of North Shields." Although so far advanced in years he was as active and as energetic as he was twenty years ago. He could read the smallest print without the aid of spectacles, but in his old age his bearing became defective. Beyond this, his faculties were unimpaired almost up to the time of his death.

Ald. Spence came of a famous family of Quakers. His father was Mr Robert Spence, a draper and banker, who came to live in North Shields in the early part of last century and who was the founder, along with Mr Joseph Proctor, of the extensive drapery business which afterwards passed into the hands of the deceased alderman and his late brother, Mr Joseph Spence. Ald. Spence was born in Tynemouth on November 8th, 1818. His mother was Mary Foster, of Hebblethwaite Hall, Sedbergh, Yorkshire. He was the seventh and the last survivor of a family of eighteen children, of whom fourteen were girls. His mother died at the age of 62 years. Ald. Spence was educated at York, in the school of the Society of Friends, where the illustrious John Bright had been a scholar. On the 28th September, 1843, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of the late Thomas Corder, of Chelmsford, by whom he had four sons and two daughters. His wife died on Dec 18th, 1885.

It will, perhaps, be interesting to state that one of the sisters of the deceased gentleman married the famous artist, Mr Birket Foster, while another was wedded to Mr Joseph Watson, of Newcastle, the father of Dr Spence Watson, President of the National Liberal Federation. The deceased alderman's six children are all living. The elder daughter Elizabeth is Mrs Clepham, of Tynemouth, while the other, Miss May Spence, is living at home. The sons, like their father, have taken a deep interest in public affairs. The eldest is Mr John Foster Spence. The others are Thomas, who is now in America, Henry Corder, and Robert Foster. The latter is a Justice of the Peace for the county of Northumberland. He also represents the parish of Backworth on the Tynemouth Board of Guardians, and is chairman of the Earsdon Rural District Council.

Deceased was quite a young man when he began to take an active interest in the public affairs of the town. It was not, however, until 1854, that he sought municipal honours, and from that time onward he gave himself up to public work, not only in his native town, but in the district generally, and how well that work has been appreciated is abundantly manifest. Before entering the Council he had laboured, in conjunction with other gentlemen interested in the town's welfare, in effecting the incorporation of the borough. Seven years after he was elected on the Town Council he became Mayor. In April of the following year he was raised to the Aldermanic Bench in succession to his friend, the late Ald. John Tinley, and old master of the present Town Clerk (Mr H.A. Adamson). In 1867 some difficulty arose between him and his colleagues as a result of which he retired from the Council, but although he did so he continued to take an active part in the welfare of the town. Three years later, however, he again offered himself for election and was successful. From this time up to his death he was a member of the Corporation. He was re-elected to the Aldermanic Bench on Sept. 16th, 1874. He was for the second time elected Mayor in 1891 and occupied the honourable position for three successive years. Thus for four years he held the civic chair, a unique feature in the history of Tynemouth. When his brother Joseph retired from the Council many years ago, Ald. John Foster was given his position as chairman of the Sanitary Committee, which position he occupied up to the time of his death.

Ald. Spence was the oldest member of the Tynemouth Board of Guardians, and during the forty-seven years he sat on the Board he looked after the interests of the poor with unrelenting ardour. He was first elected on the Board in April, 1854, and was appointed chairman in 1894, immediately after the Board had been re-elected under the new conditions imposed by the Local Government Act of that year, and he held the position till the time of his death. He was a familiar figure at the Workhouse on a Christmas Day, and for very many years he ate his Christmas dinner along with the old people at the House. At the last annual meeting of the Board he was unavoidably absent owing to a prior important engagement, and in a letter he wrote excusing himself, he pointed out that that was the first annual meeting he had missed for forty-five years.

Ald. Spence, amongst other public services, took a very prominent part in the agitation which ultimately lead to the establishment of a separate Custom House in North Shields, a year previous to the incorporation of the borough. He took an active part in the agitation which led to the creation of the River Tyne Commission, and was appointed a life member on January 16th, 1884. He was a member of the North Shields Improvement Commissioners before the incorporation of the borough. In 1879 the Tyne Port Sanitary Authority was formed, and he, along with Ald. Green, were elected the representatives of the Tynemouth Corporation on the Authority. The latter gentlemen together with Ald. W.D. Stephens, Ald. J.M. Winter, Ald. Owen and others did much to further the work of the authority, and in 1876 or thereabouts an hospital was established to which infected cases were sent. Ald. Spence has been chairman of the authority since 1885.

He was elected on the first School Board in 1871, which was the only election conducted under the old system of open voting, and retired in 1889. He was vice-chairman for three years and chairman for a similar period. He was succeeded in the chair by Canon Stark, who was re-elected chairman of the Board at their last triennial meeting. When the Local Government Act came into operation and the borough failed to be recognised as a county borough, Ald. Spence was appointed one of nine representatives of the Tynemouth Corporation on the Northumberland County Council of which he was one of the original members. The deceased gentleman also took a deep interest in the welfare of the seafaring class, and was the first and only chairman of the Tyne Sailors' Home at North Shields, which was opened 45 years ago. He, together with Mr Bartleman, Mr Charles Laing, Mr Soloman Meas, and other well-known old Shieldsmen who have long since passed away, took an active part in the formation of the Home. Ald. Spence also took a great interest in the cooking classes held under the auspices of the Technical Education Department of the Northumberland County Council for the purpose of instructing seagoing cooks. It was owing mainly to his exertions that these classes were formed, and up to the time of his death he fought against great difficulties in connection with the classes, caused by the irregular attendance, etc., of the seamen, many of whom were ashore only a few days at a time. However, excellent results have accrued under his guidance, for he was a man who surmounted every obstacle, and fought his way doggedly to success.

His connection with the Volunteer Life Brigade movement will live in history. His efforts, in conjunction with the late Mr John Morrison, who was the originator of the scheme, and his brother, Mr Joseph Spence, are well known. When the Tynemouth V.L.B. was formed, in December 1864, just after the wreck of the Stanley, Ald. Spence was appointed secretary, which position he held up to the time of his death. On a winter night when the storm raged at its height he could be seen at the Battery Point clad in his oilskins, and as eager for the fray as the youngest member. Many times he has been drenched, with the ice-cold water, but thanks to his splendid constitution he suffered no ill effects despite his old age. He was not only instrumental in directing attention to the usefulness of such institutions, but was the means of influencing the Board of Trade to print in England and foreign languages on iron tablets, a code of instructions as to the use of the rocket apparatus, to be placed on board of vessels of all nationalities. He also succeeded in securing the present commodious and comfortable Brigade House. Shortly after the Tynemouth Brigade sprang into being, a brigade was formed in South Shields, and since then they have sprung up all over the world. About eleven years ago portraits of the three founders of the Tynemouth Brigade, John Morrison, John Foster Spence, and Joseph Spence, were unveiled in the Brigade House. The paintings were by Mr Frank Ogilvie, and were presented to the brigade by an admiring public. They still hang in the Brigade House, and will perpetuate the memory of those three pioneers who have been the means of saving so many valuable lives. Ald. Spence was always present at the annual supper of the brigade and the evening's harmony was never complete until he had sung "The Gallant Life Brigade," being descriptive of an incident which occurred many years ago, when a member of the Tynemouth Brigade was washed from the pier and drowned. In connection with this it may be interesting to state that the three founders of the institution started a fund for the purpose of helping to support the widow and family of the heroic member, who were allowed one guinea weekly until the family were able to provide for the mother. At the annual supper the deceased alderman would never allow the proceedings to continue after ten o'clock, and at that hour the members had to disperse.

Ald. Spence was place on the Commission of the Peace for the Borough of Tynemouth on the 22nd March, 1860, his colleagues on the bench at that time were the late Dr Bourne, the late Mr E.D. Potter and Mr J.M. Redmayne. He was prominently identified with most of the undenominational and philanthropic societies in the borough. He has been a Governor of North Shields and Tynemouth Dispensary since 1852, was elected vice-president in 1865 and has occupied the position of chairman since 1889. The Tyne Lifeboat Institution claimed his as one of their oldest and most energetic supporters. He was also connected with the Tynemouth Ladies' Dorcas Society, the Indigent Sick Society, the Bible Society, the Religious Tract Society, and many other societies of a philanthropic nature. He was a prominent member of the Newcastle Natural History Society, and was a member of the committee which carried on the University Extension movement in North Shields for many years. The alderman also took a deep interest in the work of the Royal Humane Society, and was their local representative. He was also one of the founders of the Northumberland Coast Club, and read several very interesting papers to the members. These papers were generally given at length in the local press, for they contained valuable historic facts relating to the locality, and were always treasured by local historians. The alderman liked nothing better than to give these reminiscences of his youth, and the many interesting narratives he has told would in themselves fill a volume. The Northern Counties Blind Asylum at North Shields had no more enthusiastic worker, and he was for many years secretary of the institution. He was always present at the annual meetings and did much to further the work of the asylum. Of the Tynemouth Royal Jubilee Schools, founded on the Jubilee year of George III, he was for many years secretary. The schools were subsequently taken over by the School Board. He was also a member of the committee who had charge of Kettlewell's Endowed School and on the death of Mr J. Proctor he was elected to the secretaryship. He was an ardent supporter of the St. John Ambulance Association and was the means of securing for the Association a footing in North Shields, where at the present time it is in a flourishing condition. Ald. Spence was also an ardent worker in connection with the Literary and Philosophical Society, which had its headquarters in the old Mechanics' Institute. It is safe to say that the deceased gentleman was identified directly, or indirectly, with almost every brand of religious, social, philanthropic and educational work in the town. Many years ago he gave his earnest support to the scheme for the removal of the Albion Hotel, which made Saville Street and Charlotte Street one continuous thoroughfare, and thus assisted in carrying out a very important street improvement.

On October 10th, 1894, when the deceased gentleman was Mayor of the Borough, he, together with Ald. Green was presented with the Freedom of the Borough as a token of public appreciation for eminent services rendered. At a meeting held some months previous to the presentation of the Freedom, the following resolution was moved by Mr A. Whitehorn (then Ald. Whitehorn):—"That in response to a wish, widely expressed throughout the borough, this meeting resolves that a presentation be made to J.F. Spence, Esq., in recognition of his lifelong services in connection with the public institutions in the borough, his exertions in the advancement of education, and on behalf of various charities, and for the untiring part he has taken in the work of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, and also in connection with every work calculated to promote the well-being of the inhabitants and the prosperity of the borough." Ald. Whitehorn, who was then Deputy-Mayor, presented the Freedom of the borough, and after the ceremony had been concluded, Mr R.S. Donkin, who was then Member of Parliament for Tynemouth, asked Ald. Whitehorn to accept on behalf of the Council, a life sized portrait of Ald. Spence, painted in oil, to be hung in the council chamber. He then presented Ald. Spence with a similar picture painted by Mr F.S. Ogilvie of North Shields, to adorn the walls of his own house, also a silver salver and other articles, and a piano for the mayoress (Miss May Spence). In making the presentations, Mr Donkin paid a fine tribute to the work of the deceased alderman. His work in the borough had been devoted to them, said Mr Donkin, for the last half century, and the duties he had performed throughout that long period, had scarcely been excelled by any mayor in the United Kingdom. If he had not fulfilled a single official capacity, he considered that the fact of his having held the captaincy of the Tynemouth V.L.B. since the time of its inception some 30 years ago, they would have had ample justification for the proceedings that day."

For many years Ald. Spence was an ardent Liberal in politics and supported Mr—afterwards Sir—G. Trevelyan, when he was candidate for Tynemouth in 1865. He was also a follower of the late Mr T. Eustace Smith, who represented the Liberals for many years. When the split over the Home Rule question occurred in the Liberal Party in 1886, the Alderman attached himself to the Unionist Party, and supported the candidature of Mr F.S. Donkin and Mr F. Leverton Harris. At the last General Election Mr Harris had no more ardent supporter, and on his behalf the deceased Alderman made several stirring political speeches at both open-air and indoor meetings.

DEATH OF JOHN FOSTER SPENCE.

THE STORY OF THE LIFE BRIGADE.

[FROM OUR NEWCASTLE CORRESPONDENT.]

By the death of Alderman John Foster Spence, which took place yesterday morning at the advanced age of 83, the borough of Tynemouth has lost its grand old man. In personal appearance, as in his mental characteristics, Alderman Spence was a notable man. Sprung from a sterling Yorkshire family of Quaker persuasion, he was born in North Shields in 1818, and in that town he has lived a strenuous public life for the greater part of the past century, under the reign. as he sometimes used to tell, of five British sovereigns. He was one of the old agitators who secured for North Shields, first its Custom House and then the Tyne Improvement Commission, through which the harbour boroughs could have some say in the management of the river. He has been town councillor, alderman and mayor, county councillor, poor-law guardian, and educationalist. In all that concerned the seafaring population he took an intense interest. He helped to start the Tyne Sailors' Home in 1856; be was one of the first representatives of North Shields on the Tyne Port Sanitary Authority, which was formed in 1879; he encouraged the movement in favour of classes for teaching seamen cookery, and, last, he was one of the founders of the Life Brigade movement.

Of all his public work Alderman John Foster Spence will probably be best known to posterity for his initiation of the Life Brigade. That was a distinctive service with which his name must always be associated, for it may be claimed that it was mainly through his energy, his enthusiasm, and his stubborn determination to overcome all obstacles that the Life Brigade was first started at Tynemouth in 1864, and extended its humane influence right round our coasts, and subsequently to other lands. The story of the founding of the Volunteer Life Brigade is one of the most thrilling incidents in "our rough island story," and will bear re-telling to the new generation which reigns in the stead of its fathers. It is appropriate that it should be re-told, since with the death of Alderman Spence the last of its three founders have passed to their eternal reward.

It was a wild night on the 24th of November, 1864, when the steamship Stanley was wrecked on the Black Middens. Throughout the day a bleak, ruthless wind from the E.S.E. had lashed the North Sea into fury, and ere darkness set in huge angry crested waves were careening madly into the harbour. Inured to the terrors of the grim Nor'-Easter as the population of the Shields boroughs has always been, it was seldom that seas of such force and malignity swept over the Tyne bar as on that memorable night. It was such a storm as presaged disaster. Anything might happen, and the little band of men who stood on the look-out on the banks of the Spanish Battery between 5 and 6 o'clock observed a large steamer coming close round the end of the North Pier, which was then in the early stages of its construction, and did not project more than about 500 feet into the sea. The vessel was bravely battling her way into port, and managed to cross the Spar Hawk, but swirling in the tremendous sweep of the waves rushing onward to the Narrows, she struck just before reaching the Black Middens. Fast in the rocks, with heavy seas breaking right over her, there was no hope for the vessel; but the crew—they might be saved with an effort. The coastguard immediately got out his rocket apparatus, and, with willing hands to help him, proceeded down to the beach as close to the wreck as he deemed safe. After two or three futile attempts the rocket-line was got on board. and the crew hauled off the tail-block. When they got this on board, however, instead of fixing it up the mast, as they should have done, they simply fastened the tackle to the bulwarks, and did not free the whip-line. This bungle caused considerable delay, and half-an-hour was spent before the line was cleared. The end of the hawser was then sent off. The method of landing men by the rocket apparatus at that time was by the primitive arrangement known as the "bo'sun's chair," which was simply a strip of wood in a loop of rope. The excitement of the thickly gathering crowd on shore and the shouts of the distressed crew on the ship added confusion to the roar of the storm, and prevented any communication between the rescuers and the shipwrecked men, but after some delay a man was observed getting into the "chair," which the coastguard then ordered to be hauled ashore. The hawser was held as taut as possible by a number of volunteer rescuers, but owing to the great distance of the vessel from the shore, and to the mistake of fixing the tackle on the bulwarks instead of the mast, ropes and tackle alike were totally washed by the waves. In consequence, the first man brought over was nearly drowned before he could be safely landed, and then was only rescued by the intrepidity of several men, who rushed into the water at considerable risk to get hold of him and drag him on to the beach. This man landed and taken care of, the chair was again hauled off to the ship, and a second man took his seat in it; but in his case also, what with the sweep of the tide and the waves fouling the ropes around the rocks, he was brought ashore in a half-drowned condition. In the next attempt it was found that the ropes were completely jammed among the rocks, and could not be worked. Further rescue from the shore seemed hopeless. In the meantime the officers on board the vessel lowered a boat containing 23 or 24 passengers; but in the process of lowering, one of the tackles was unfortunately let go before the other, and the boat, hanging suspended by one end, threw its occupants into the sea, where, after a few moments' frantic battling with the waves, they were all drowned. The coastguard finding their apparatus so completely entangled among the rocks as to be unworkable, now began to fire fresh rockets over the vessel, in the hope of getting another set of tackle into operation. But the fury of the storm and the disorganisation among those still left on the wreck made this impossible. Nothing daunted, the rescuers tried another plan. A fresh set of apparatus was put into a cart and taken to North Shields, and there hurried on board a tugboat with the intention of reaching the vessel from the river. The tugboat steamed out into the harbour and made a gallant attempt to reach the wrecked steamer, but found it impossible to approach her in consequence of the tremendous sea which was running.

All this time, through many anxious hours, and with every hour fresh difficulties to face, the work of rescue had gone on with indomitable if unsuccessful perseverance, but after midnight the reach of water between the wreck and the shore had become so much increased by the flow of the tide that further operations were impossible. Moreover, the coastguard had now used the whole of their available appliances, and had to send to Cullercoats for another set. This arrived about 4 o'clock in the morning, by which time the tide had again fallen, and renewed efforts to establish communication were made. At last success rewarded their labours. The captain of the Stanley on this occasion induced his men to fix the gear higher up on the mast, thereby remedying the former mistake, and enabling the rescuers on shore to keep the lines clear of the water. The work of rescue now went on briskly, and the whole of the passengers and crew who remained on board up to this time were safely landed. In all 36 people were saved, but 34 perished either by the boat accident or by being washed overboard. The Stanley herself was a complete wreck. With the dawn of day it was seen that she had broken in two, and her forepart had turned round and faced the stern. The shore was strewn with wreckage, dead bodies of men and women and carcases of cattle.

The wreck of the Stanley was an object-lesson for those whose sympathy did not evaporate in futile lament. There were among the spectators of the tragic scene men whose practical minds helped to carry out what their hearts dictated, who forthwith set to work to remedy what was defective, and supply what was missing. The defects of the rocket apparatus, and, above all, the want of organisation in handling it, had never before been so strikingly demonstrated. No one knew better than the people of Tynemouth that, with a ship lying almost ashore, the whole of the passengers and crew might have been saved had the ropes of the apparatus been kept clear of the water, and had there been a proper system of work among the rescuing party. As it was, the only men who really understood their work were the coastguards. The others were untrained helpers, willing enough, but, for want of organisation, very much in each other's way. It was to the lesson this disaster taught that the Volunteer Life Brigade owed its origin, and in this way. The army volunteer movement, which was to develop into such importance as an auxiliary system of defence, had then lately been established, and the Tynemouth corps was one of the first to join the new movement. A young member of that corps named John Morrison, then 26 years of age, seeing the want of system in working the lifesaving apparatus, conceived the idea of applying the volunteer principle to the rescue of human life, so as to get together a number of men who would submit themselves to regular drill, make themselves efficient in the use of the life-saving appliances, and be available whenever necessity called for their services. He mentioned it to many of his friends, and, being encouraged by their good opinion of it, he made up his mind to interview several gentlemen of influence, in the hope of getting such an organisation practically started. It was natural that he should be advised to see the brothers Spence. He accordingly called upon these gentlemen at their place of business in Howard Street, North Shields, explained to them his views, at the same time submitting a rough plan of his proposed organisation. Both of these gentlemen were impressed with the practicability of the proposal, and Mr. Joseph Spence remarked naïvely to his brother (for they were both Quakers)—"That is a sort of volunteering we can go in for." Mr. John Foster Spence attended the inquest on the victims of the wreck, and there broached the proposal which had been made by Mr. Morrison. At this inquest were also present Captain Robertson, the chief inspector of life-saving apparatus to the Board of Trade, and the inspector of the National Lifeboat Institution. During the proceedings Mr. Spence asked Captain Robertson if he thought the Board of Trade would accept the services of volunteers to work the lifesaving appliances, and that gentleman replied that he thought the Board of Trade would be only too glad to secure the services of such a body. Mr. Morrison immediately set to work to canvass members for the proposed brigade, and in a short time no fewer than 100 men had offered themselves for enrolment. A public meeting was held on Dec. 5, 1864, and after duly discussing the proposal, it was resolved that a town's Life Brigade should be instituted, and a committee was appointed to carry out the details. Mr. John Foster Spence was desired to act as secretary and Mr. Joseph Spence as treasurer to this committee, which they both consented to do. Mr. Morrison was naturally appointed a member, and distinguished himself as a most active worker. He submitted a list of the volunteers who had offered their services, and drew up a draft scheme of rules for the guidance of the volunteers which Mr. John Foster Spence approved. These rules were subsequently submitted to the members of the new brigade, and with one or two slight additions were adopted, They also received the assent of the Board of Trade, who sent copies to districts in which it was deemed advisable to establish similar brigades.

The new institution soon found many imitators. Mr. Spence, as secretary, received letters from all parts of the country asking for information and copies of the rules, with a view to the formation of similar brigades. The first to follow the example of Tynemouth was Cullercoats, which succeeded in forming a brigade on similar lines to that of the neighbouring town. South Shields followed shortly after, and from the Tyne, the movement spread over the country, until to-day there are no fewer than 230 of these humane institutions scattered round the British coast. Contrary to the usual practice of Government officials, the late Sir Thomas Gray, then secretary of the Marine Department of the Board of Trade, took an active interest in the new movement, and instigated the establishment of brigades at a number of our chief ports. The rapid development of the system into a national organisation was not a little due to his appreciation of its advantages as an auxiliary to the lifeboat. All three founders of the life brigade lived to see the fruit of their labours in a widespread, well-organised institution, whose ready volunteers keep their constant vigil at every British port during bad weather, and whose trained and capable hands have saved thousands of stricken seafarers from a watery grave. The life brigade is the auxiliary to the lifeboat: both the lifeboat and the life brigade are the contribution of the Tyne to the weal of humanity.

[. . .] At nine years of age John was put on the top of the coach at Newcastle on a cold winter day and sent off alone to York, where his brother Robert was already settled in at school, and many times he has told me what a little castaway he felt.

Their Master, "Billy" Simpson as he always called him was evidently a most unsuitable instructor of youth, and was preparing for a new career as a brewer. He brewed quantities of beer, and to test it, the boys had to drink mugsful at every meal, whether they liked it or no. Once, Myles Foster, John's mother's brother, called, and finding W. Simpson flogging a boy, told him that if he ever so treated any relation of a Foster or Spence, every one would be removed from the school, so none of them ever benefited by the proverbial rod.

Under John Ford matters went very differently, and J.F.S. always spoke of him in terms of love and respect.

J.F. Spence was devoted to Natural History in all its branches, and he had large collections of shells, butterflies, minerals, fossils, and curious beasts in bottles, or alive, when he could get them from the sailors entering the port of Shields, and Chirton Cottage, where he lived, was quite a home for destitute reptiles, beasts, and birds.

Botany was also a very pet hobby and his garden was full of rare plants and gave him great pleasure and interest.

He was also a very clever joiner and the toys he made for his children would compare well with those of the present day.

How he managed to take keen interest in all these subjects, in addition to business and his public life, was wonderful, but "Where there's a will there's a way" was always his motto, and he had the power, as he once told me, of putting aside at once any subject no matter how engrossing or upsetting it might be, and throwing himself into the next work with his mind quite free.

He was intensely single-minded, what was right was the main thing. Intense simplicity characterised his whole life in every particular, the greatest abstemiousness in food and drink, constant work till late at night, and up early in the morning, and yet there was not a more truly happy man in the world, nor one who kept his youth more thoroughly. His intense enjoyment of any pleasure, such as a day in the country, or a family gathering, was charming to see, and even at the time of his death at nearly eighty-three years of age, his childlike clear, merry blue eyes told of his healthy, happy life.

No work was a trouble to him, and indeed if anyone suggested "Will it trouble you too much, Mr. Spence," his answer was "I do not know the meaning of that word."

He must have been a mischievous lad, for he used to tell tales of practical jokes with the greatest delight. One of an old grey hen, decorated with sealing wax, etc., described as a wonderfully rare bird from Japan, the "Volucrus Hong Kong" by name, and purporting to be sent by a distinguished savant to a budding astronomer, as a token of respect. The bird was hailed with delight, stuffed, and presented amid applause, to the Natural History Society, of North Shields. It still reposes in its case, cocking its eye as if it saw the joke. Another, of a squib tied on to the tail of an objectionable poodle, whose mistress thought the devil had gone under her bed as the squib exploded, was very funny.

He left school at about fourteen years of age, and very few years after was appointed Secretary of the Natural History Society, then a very flourishing body in North Shields. In 1839, when twenty-one years old, he went abroad for some weeks, visiting the Rhine and Switzerland, and left an interesting diary. En route for Hull, he says: "Arrived at York and had to wait for Hull coach, so ran along to see the old school, play ground very much altered, considerably larger and looking very pleasant, as the poplars planted when I was there have grown considerably."

In 1843, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Mary Corder, of Reeds, near Chelmsford, and had six sons and two daughters. The four sons who lived were all sent to Bootham, and it was a pleasure to him when the third generation also went there.

When the writer and her brothers were at school in York, every autumn a message was sent to the "Mount" & "Bootham," asking all Spences and relations of Spences to join him at the hotel for half-past seven breakfast. Then what a day we had! Attended by as many as ten boys and girls, with his coat tail pockets filled with good things, he went in search of the old cabman with a very capacious vehicle, who always whipped up when we hove in sight, and we all packed in, fruit and food under the seats, girls and J.F.S. inside, and boys by the driver and on the roof, and off to Strensal for the day. Plant tins, collecting boxes, and butterfly nets all came out, and he was as young and eager as any of the party; telling us tales of what they used to do "When I was at school," and how much better the country side was then for Natural History. Back to tea at the hotel, and then to see him off by train, with such pleasant memories to cheer us, and his kindly "Take care of yourselves" ringing in our ears.

His father died in 1845, and he took over many of his responsibilities and appointments.

He laboured hard to effect the incorporation of the Borough of Tynemouth, and in 1854 was elected a Councillor, and an Alderman in 1862. He was Mayor of the Borough in 1861, and again in 1891, when he held the position for three consecutive years; and received the Freedom of the Borough, a portrait, hung in the Council Chamber, and many other tokens of love and respect, not only from his fellow townsmen, but from the whole County of Northumberland.

He was Chairman of the Sanitary Committee and of the Board of Guardians, served for six years on the School Board, and was Vice-Chairman of that Body, and when the Local Government Act came into operation, was elected a County Councillor for Northumberland.

He was foremost in the establishment of a Custom House for the Borough, and also in the formation of the River Tyne Commission, of which he was a life member. He was also on the Salmon Conservancy Board.

He was prominently connected with the Dorcas, Indigent Sick, Bible and Tract Societies, the Dispensary, and the Blind Society.

For many years he was Secretary to the Jubilee, Kettlewell and Union Schools, and was appointed a Magistrate in 1860.

He took the deepest interest in sailors, and was instrumental in the building of the Sailors' Home, and on the Committee from the beginning.

The Tyne Lifeboat Institution, too, claimed him as one of its most ardent workers, and the Sailors' Widows' and Orphans' Society owed much to his help.

He started the St. John's Ambulance Association in North Shields, and was one of the first to take a certificate. He was a prominent member of the Literary and Philosophical Society, and the Technical Education Movement in Shields, of which he was Honorary Secretary, owed much to his exertions. He also took deep interest in the Boys' Aid Society, and, in fact, at the time of his death was associated with between sixty and seventy Movements and Committees.

The chief work of his life was the Volunteer Life Brigade for saving life from shipwreck, and with it his name will always be associated. His brother Joseph, Mr. John Morrison, and himself founded the first Brigade at Tynemouth in 1864, just after the wreck of the steamship "Stanley," on the Black Middens at Tynemouth, when many lives were lost owing to the lack of trained men to help the coastguard. He was Honorary Secretary from the first, and as the Board of Trade consulted him, and all new Brigades asked his advice, the work was enormous. He only laid down the duties with his life, as the last act that morning was to send out notices for a drill.

The men met indeed on the day named, but it was to carry him to his last resting place, followed and mourned by thousands of those whom he had helped and worked for during his long and useful life.

ELIZABETH HOUSTON, 42, spinster, unlawfully obtained 5⅛ yards of black henrietta, 7 yards of black alpaca, 2 silk dresses, and 1 print dress, the property of John Forster Spence and Joseph Spence, at the Township of Tynemouth on the 16th of January, 1855, 4 calendar months hard labour, 1 week in each month to be in solitude.

SUSANNAH HUNTER (16) pleaded guilty to having, on the first March, by means of false pretences, obtained from Walter Appleton eight yards of Coburg, and one yard of Holland, the property of John Foster Spence, and Joseph Spence, of North Shields. She also pleaded guilty to having, on the 22nd February, obtained sixteen yards of cotton print, and fourteen yards of carmelite, the property of George Samuel Garthorne, and Wm. Dickinson, of Tynemouth.—Three months' imprisonment for the first; and three months' hard labour for the second offence.

LOYAL BRITISH FLAG LODGE OF ODDFELLOWS, M.U.

JOSEPH SPENCE, J.P., has kindly consented to LAY the FOUNDATION STONE of the New Hall, Saville-street, West, North Shields, on Whit-Monday, June 5th, 1865, at Three o'Clock p.m. A number of Clergymen and Gentlemen of the Town and Neighbourhood will take part in the Ceremony.

The DINNER at the Albion Hotel will take place at Four o'Clock. Tickets, 3s. each, can be had at the Bar of the Inn, or Brothers. J. Coulson, Bedford-street; J. Ray, Bird-street.

G. KEWNEY, Esq., in the Chair.

THE MEMBERS of the Loyal British Flag Lodge of Oddfellows are to meet in the Hall, Rudyerd-street, North Shields, on Whit-Monday, June 5th, 1865, at Half-past One o'Clock precisely.—Full Regalia with White Gloves.

The brigade behaved gallantly in rescuing the crew—the Mayor of Tynemouth (Joseph Spence, Esq.), exerting himself in a praiseworthy manner.

JOHN F. AND JOSEPH SPENCE,

HOWARD STREET

AND

TYNE STREET, NORTH SHIELDS,

Having completed their arrangements for the Autumn Trade, are now showing

A CHOICE NEW STOCK

IN EVERY DEPARTMENT,

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE,

HOWARD STREET AND TYNE STREET,

NORTH SHIELDS.

NEW CARPETS AND FURNITURE

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE

Are now showing the Largest and Choicest

Stock of

FURNISHING GOODS,

WHICH THEY HAVE EVER OFFERED

FOR SALE.

An Immense Variety of

NEW BRUSSELS AND TAPESTRY

CARPETS

From the looms of the most eminent manu-

facturers, and at the lowest prices ever known in the trade.

FLOORCLOTHS AND LINOLEUM

OF THE NEWEST DESIGNS

NEW BEDROOM SUITS

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE

HOWARD STREET & TYNE STREET

NORTH SHIELDS

The manhood of his life, extending up to a twelve month since, was given to public work, and for a great number of years his name was so interwoven with the affairs of the borough as to make it difficult to find his like again. Combined with his indomitable energy and perseverance his strict integrity of character, and his many social and intellectual attainments, were his utter unselfishness, his absolute disregard for personal distinction, and his sincere unostentation in every phase of his public career. Never anxious about his fame, the honours which his townsmen conferred upon him were invariably accepted with reluctance, and only from a real sense of duty.

THE FINAL SALE

OF

JOHN F. & JOSEPH SPENCE'S

DRAPERY and CARPET STOCK, &c.

JOHN & JOSEPH SPENCE, having now sold the greater part of their Stock of Drapery Goods, Carpets, Furniture, &c., beg to state that attendance will be given for a few days, from 10 am. to 7 p.m. at the Premises, Corner of Howard Street and Tvne Street, North Shields, for the settlement of accounts, and the disposal of the Goods still remaining, and also for the Sale of Fixtures, Fittings, Boxes, &c.

The greater part of the Stock has been entirely Sold out, but there are still a few Made-up Tapestry and Kidderminster Carpets, Stair Carpets, Druggets, Mattings, Door Mats, Upholstery Trimmings, a few Iron and Brass Bedsteads, Hair and Spring Mattresses, Bedding, &c., a few articles of Furniture, a few Men's Cloths, Overcoats, Gloves, Ties, Tailors' Trimmings, Buttons, &c., a few Black and Coloured Silks, Satins, and Velvets, Remnants of Drapery Goods, Ribbons, Laces, great variety of Small Wares, Haberdashery, Trimmings, &c., &c., all of which will be sold at very Low Prices,

for Cash only,

ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, and SATURDAY, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th January, 1889.

J.F. & J. SPENCE,

Howard Street, North Shields.

SHOP FIXTURES, &C.

FOR SALE, ON SATURDAY AND MONDAY, THE 10TH AND 18TH MARCH, ON THE PREMISES AT THE CORNER OF HOWARD STREET AND TYNE STREET, NORTH SHIELDS (JOHN F. AND JOSEPH SPENCE'S), A QUANTITY OF FIXTURES, COUNTERS, SHOW CASES, STOCK BOXES, AND OTHER FITTINGS. ATTENDANCE FROM 10 A.M.

TO 5 P.M. EACH DAY.

late of Priors'-terrace, Tynemouth, gentleman; d. at his residence, 2 Priors Terrace; a severe cold developed serious symptoms and rendered him prostrate

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

Mr Joseph Spence, was born on the 28th December, 1819. He came of the good old Quaker stock which has still many representatives in Darlington, Kendal, and the dales beyond Harrogate. His father was Mr Robert Spence, who came from the last named district, and his mother was Miss Mary, daughter of Mr Robert Foster, of Ebblethwaite Hall, Sedburgh, Yorkshire, the representative of a family of honourable descent and long pedigree. Mr Spence, the elder, settled in North Shields in the early part of the present century, and became a partner of Mr Joseph Proctor, draper, and the father of a large family, his name becoming a "household word." This "numerous house, " to use the words of the Poet Laureate, consisted of

EIGHTEEN CHILDREN,

fourteen of whom were girls. Of Mr Joseph Spence's sisters, ten of them reached womanhood, and of his brothers, Robert, of the firm of Hodgkin, Barnett, Pease, and Spence, and John Foster, who, until recently, was a partner in the drapery business founded by their father. The elder Mr Spence had his place of business in what is now called the Low Street, near the foot of Bedford Street, or what is locally known as the Wooden Bridge Bank. Afterwards the business was transferred to Tyne Street, a very doubtful experiment, it was thought by tradesmen at the time, Bell Street, Clive Street, and the Bull Ring being then and for long afterwards the

PRINCIPAL THOROUGHFARES.

Mr Spence's father, besides engaging in the drapery business, became a partner in a banking concern which has now ceased to exist. Mr Joseph Spence was educated in the school of the Society of Friends at York, which school the late John Bright had just left at the time. Leaving this school, which had high reputation in that day, Mr Joseph Spence, then a bright and promising lad, went to Stockton, where he served an apprenticeship to the drapery business, and, on returning to North Shields, he joined his brother in the firm of Messrs J.F. and J. Spence. The business prospered greatly, and the brothers in all their dealings were esteemed no less for their

UPRIGHTNESS IN TRADE

than for their public virtues. The partnership continued until the early part of the year 1889, when the premises were closed, Mr Joseph Spence retiring to his residence, Prior's Terrace, Tynemouth, where he lived quietly until the end, and Mr John Foster Spence spending most of his time at Chirton Cottage, where he has resided for some years. At no time during the manhood of Mr Joseph Spence has there been any occasion for legitimate philanthropy in which he has not been to the fore. At the time of the Hartley Colliery disaster he won most enviable distinction by the part which he played in assisting the

SORROW-STRICKEN

widows and orphans of the victims. But the most valuable of all the services rendered by Mr Joseph Spence to his fellow-men was the work done by him in conjunction with his brother, Mr John Foster Spence, on the occasion of the loss of the Stanley on the Black Middens, one of the most mournful wrecks that ever happened on the North-east coast. The result of the work was the commencement of a movement which will hand on the names of Mr Joseph and Mr John Foster Spence to generations yet unborn, not only in the land of their birth, but the world over, and give to them the most enviable kind of immortality. The brothers Spence not only gave to the survivors of the ill-fated

SHIP STANLEY

a large-hearted sympathy and much practical help, but they originated the Life Brigades which are now the guardians of our coasts, and which have been the means of saving thousands of lives that would otherwise have been lost in the merciless seas. Nor did Mr Joseph Spence cease his connection with the Brigade after its establishment. He remained a member until the last, and until the last two or three years was not merely a patron, but an active worker, turning out whenever the Brigade responded to the call of duty, ready to lead, to lend a hand, to risk his life in saving the castaways on our coast. Mr Joseph Spence has

NOT BEEN ABLE

of late to take so active a part in the work of the Brigade, but his brother has continued his labours, being principally the means of the erection of the new Brigade House opened a year or two ago. But Mr Joseph Spence is not forgotten by the Brigadesmen, who at their annual meetings never fail to speak of their leaders. But great as was the attention paid by Mr Joseph Spence to this organisation, it only occupied a portion of his time. He was connected with almost every one of the philanthropic institutions of his native town. He took great interest in the education of the young and in such movements generally. Like his father before him, he was connected with the old Library and Mechanics' Institute, was associated

WITH HIS BROTHER

in the management of the Jubilee and Kettlewell schools, was a member of the Dispensary Committee, and treasurer of the local auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Indeed there was no institution for the bettering of the condition of the people of Tynemouth that had not the benefit of his energy, his influence, and his purse. Mr Spence filled a multitude of public posts. He was for some years a member of the Tynemouth Town Council, being elected

AN ALDERMAN

and serving as chairman of the Sanitary Committee. He was elected a member of the Tynemouth School Board at its commencement, and continued so until the triennial election in 1889, when he was replaced by some other candidate. He was also a member of the Tynemouth Board of Guardians, on which he remained to the end, and for some time he was a member of the River Tyne Commission. As is well-known, Mr Joseph Spence was a Liberal in politics, and it was as such that he was asked to become a candidate for Parliamentary honours at a critical period of the history of the Borough of Tynemouth. When this service was required of him, the question he put to his friends was: "But

WILL IT BE RIGHT?

and, believing that it was, he fought the fight on behalf of Liberalism in Tynemouth. What was the result is too well known to need comment here. He failed, but he lost not the respect of the people of the borough, who, whatever their political beliefs might be, held him in the highest esteem. In addition to the numerous offices already referred to, Mr Joseph Spence was a magistrate of the borough of Tynemouth, and as such secured and retained till the end the goodwill of all classes of the inhabitants. Although Mr Joseph Spence was naturally of a retiring disposition and led a simple and unostentatious life, he occupied quite an exceptional position as a public man. He was one of those who

GIVE THEIR LIVES

to a district, who naturally fall into the control of its affairs, who are just as naturally looked up to as leaders upon all occasions, but who invariably require to have their honours thrust upon them. During his long life Mr Joseph Spence witnessed many changes in his native town, many of which have not been for its benefit, or at least for that portion of it known as North Shields. He saw many industries that formerly flourished by the riverside die out one by one, watched the shifting of the centre of trade from the lower part of the town to the higher, and lived to see the street in which he and his brother so long conducted their business, almost deserted. The magnificent business premises erected by them

NOW STAND EMPTY,

surrounded on all sides by shops in a similar condition. The building in which the brothers Spence until recently conducted their business, including the site cost, £10,000, and is now standing idle. It was offered to the post-office authorities on very favourable conditions, but they thought it better to erect a new post-office in another part of the town. Whether they acted wisely in so doing is a question upon which opinions differ. However that may be, the premises lately occupied by the Messrs Spence are likely to remain unused unless they are secured by some large firm, or purchased by the corporation for conversion into some public building, such as a Free Library, which is much needed, the present public

LIBRARY BUILDINGS

being unsuited for the purposes they are used for, and for which Messrs Spence's premises are well adapted, being in as good a condition as the day they were finished. Mr Joseph Spence has been a supporter of every movement that was likely to improve the town or the condition of its inhabitants. He might, too, from the position he was placed in at the commencement of his career, have amassed much wealth. But he thought of others as much as of himself. "Will it be right?" was the key-note of his life, which was marked by the sternest loyalty to truth, justice, and fairplay, and made lovely by innumerable acts of kindness and mercy.

DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN NORTH COUNTRY LIBERAL.

A widely-known and highly-respected north country Liberal, Mr. Joseph Spence, J.P., of Tynemouth, who had during a long life rendered inestimable service in his own locality in the cause of social, educational, and political reform, and who at the last general election unsuccessfully sought to wrest the seat for Tynemouth from Mr. R.S. Dockin, died at his home, in his seventieth year, yesterday. In conjunction with his father, Ald. J.F. Spence, the deceased was one of the founders of the first volunteer life brigade formed in the country—the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, which was established after the memorable wreck of the steamer Stanley on the Black Middens, on which occasion he exerted himself to the utmost in saving life. He continued a member of the brigade, of which he was the treasurer, until the time of his death.

. . . your Aunt Anne is quite laid on the shelf with a bad arm. It is a gathering under the arm and till it has come to a head will make her feel weakly and poorly. She gets about however & reads a good deal but being her right arm she cannot do anything else.

[letter from Birket Foster to Polly Brown]

She died at Littlehampton. I was with her when she was taken ill upon the sea beach and when she died.

Anne is writing to John to propose a change for dear Meggy. She is very nicely and a friend of ours a medical man—very clever in consumptive cases—who has taken a great interest in her case and often comes to see her in a friendly way—says he things it is of the utmost importance that she should get to the Isle of Wight. He says that instead of getting weaker as Dr Watson expected she is getting stronger and that she is at the turning point. If this be done at once he has great hopes of her recovery. He is a most kind man—a retired gentleman most desirous of benefitting any of his friends in that way afflicted so really we think it would be wrong not to give it the chance of doing her good—he says it is a very peculiar case and change of air at this time is everything.

[letter from Birket Foster to Robert Spence]

A fearful gale from the West South West blew down the bank chimney through the roof of our back room, & Emma had a very narrow escape with her life, being enveloped by the dust & mortar of the falling ruins just as she left the room.

Emma who has got the mumps slightly, is with our grandson Willy comparatively well. They have not been to school to-day, nor has it been suitable for them to go to Tynemouth, it has been so showery, but they have had the company of their Cousins Mary, Elizabeth and Ann Clapham.

NORTH SHIELDS.—At Tynemouth-place, on the 3rd inst., aged 24, Emma, wife of Mr Octavius Corder, chemist.