© 2016 David E. Spencer
In November of 1929, the "Nelson Leader" newspaper published a pair of articles featuring the life of my grandfather as a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher. The first of these articles includes much biographical detail and a copy of this newspaper is still in my possession. The second article focussed on his beliefs as a preacher and on his political leanings. I was able to borrow a copy of this article from my aunt Edna Spencer some months before her death so all that is now in my possession is a transcript I made prior to returning the newspaper to its owner.
Charles ("Percy"Spencer and his wife "Polly"
My grandfather was brought up at the eastern end of Trafalgar Street on the edge of what is now called the Weaver's Triangle. The family left Burnley for Padiham about four miles away in about 1886. Percy worked in the family printing business. During World War 1 he volunteered for munitions work, heving been rejected for military service on health grounds. He worked at a munitions factory at Pembray near Llanelli in South Wales. After the war he returned to work as a printer in Padiham although living in the nearby village of Higham.
Outside work he was a parish councillor in Higham with strong Liberal sympathies. He continued to preach regularly until the 1950's first as a Wesleyan, then after the "reunification" of the Methodist Church about 1930 as a Methodist, working the Padiham Circuit.
Percy and his wife Mary Lucy ("Polly") had four sons, three of whom worked in the printing trade. There are living descendants of three of the four sons. All four sons were in military service during World War II and all four returned after the war.