© 2016 David E. Spencer
Apart from the usual sources used by family historians - wills, registration certificates and census entries, I have found two other sources especially useful in compiling the story of my great grandfather. The first of these is his obituary in the "Burnley News" of the 22nd April 1914 - this can be viewed in the Reference Library of Burnley Central Library. The other is the first of a pair of articles published in the "Nelson Leader" of the 29th November 1929 of which I own a copy. Additional anecdotes were given to me by my dad in conversations about his grandparents.
James was born in 1840 at Dawson Square in Burnley where his father was a blacksmith. He worked on a radical local newssheet called "The Burnley Mentor" which was published between 1852 and 1854. He was working in the printing trade at a very young age. He later worked for a well known firm of Burnley printers called Burghope and Strange.
James married Ann Scragg at Holy Trinity Church,Burnley in 1876. James, Ann and their family lived at Trafalgar Street, Burnley then at Padiham Road, Burnley in a house owned by James's father, William. The family moved to Padiham about 1887 following the death of James's father. In Padiham James set up his own firm of printers and stationers that continued in family ownership under the name of "Spencer Bros." until my dad's final retirement in the early 1980's.
The circumstances as to how James came to own his own business in Padiham is a matter of some mystery. It could be explained simply by his inheriting a share of his late father's estate.A story told to me by my dad is more interesting but I have no idea how it could be verified.
According to the story James was a small scale money lender within the printing works where he was employed - he might lend a shilling on a Monday in return for a shilling and a penny to be repaid on pay day. One of his colleagues was desperate to borrow a much larger sum and James was hesitant to lend the money and refused the man at first. The man persisted and suggested that they seek advice from their boss who suggested that if the man took out a life insurance policy with James named as sole benificiary to act as security for the loan. They agreed to do this, the man took out his policy and James lent the man the money. The unfortunate man died leaving James somewhat the richer and in a position to set up in business on his own. All that remained was the choice of going westwards to Padiham or eastwards back into Burnley. This was decided by the toss of a coin.
However he came by the money to do so, James set up as a printer and stationer at 15 Burnley Road in Padiham - the site currently occupied by Barclays Bank. The firm eventually moved round the corner to Ightenhill Street. For some years Spencer Bros. had a second printshop in Great Harwood near Blackburn. This was operated by James's son Ernest James but was, I believe relatively short-lived.
Spencer Bros. Printers in the 1970's
The Ightenhill Street printshop was originally just number 2. Number 4 was added then finally number 6 added in the 1950's. The picture above shows numbers 2,4 and 6 Ightenhill Street.Behind the printshop is Barclays Bank , the site of James's original shop.
James became sufficiently properous to move from living on-site at the print shop and bought a house on Regent Terrace, now part of Blackburn Road, Padiham. When they moved in, it would be literally the last house in Padiham!.
A sample of James's work circa 1905
James died in 1914. To the best of my knowledge, no photograph of him survives.His widow, Ann lived on until 1937. The photograph below is one of her in old age.
Ann Spencer, nee Scragg
To read about the children of James and Ann Spencer click here