473 
5n /nbemoriam. 
JAMES SPENCER. 
Of the many amateur geologists whom Yorkshire has pro- 
duced, few have done more good work and contributed more to 
the sum of geological knowledge than Mr. James Spencer, of 
Halifax. He was born of humble parents at Luddenden in 
1834, and soon after came to reside at Halifax. 
Being poor, his parents were obliged to send him to work 
in Charlestown Brick Works at an early age, and his education 
became much neglected. His facilities for obtaining knowledge 
were at a discount until he joined the Working Men's College 
at Haley Hill, Halifax, which about this time had been founded 
by the late Colonel Akroyd. Here he met Mr. J. W. Davis, 
Mr. Halliday, and others, and was soon after induced to join 
the evening classes and go in for most of the subjects taught 
at the college. After some years of diligent study, and by his 
indomitable perseverance, he not only succeeded in obtaining 
a general education, but successfully passed examinations in 
geology, chemistry, history, geography, and languages. His rapid 
progress in learning was noticed by Colonel Akroyd, who sub- 
sequently employed him in the warehouse of his mill, and some 
years after appointed him cashier at the works in Haley Hill. 
This post he held up to about ten years ago, when he retired. 
When a mere boy, and employed at the brickyard, he 
noticed the curious markings on the shale which the workmen 
dug from the pit, and on learning that these were called fossils, 
and that they were relics of extinct living things, young Spencer 
commenced to take an interest in them. As he grew up into 
manhood his love for geology became so great that be bought 
what books he could afford bearing on the subject and carefully 
studied them. He thus succeeded in obtaining a good, sound, 
theoretical knowledge of science. Not content with mere book- 
learning, he at the same time studied assiduously the rocks and 
fossils in the Carboniferous strata around Halifax. 
