178 
WILLIAM SPENCE, 1782-1860. 
FRANCIS J. GRIFFIN, A.L.A. 
Registrar, Royal Entomological Society of London. 
In view of the lack of information regarding the descent 
of William Spence, F.R.S., co-author of the celebrated 
‘ Introduction to Entomology * with W. Kirby, the following 
additional details, very kindly supplied by Rev. E. C. 
Ruthven -Murray, of Bishop Burton, Beverley, E. Yorkshire, 
may be of interest : — 
Extract from Register of Baptisms, Bishop Burton. 
1782, October 1st. William, son of Robert Spence, 
Husbandman, by Anna his wife, baptized/ 
Inscription on a fiat tombstone in the churchyard at Bishop 
Burton. 
‘ Elizabeth, wife of William Spence, Esquire, F.R.S., 
London. Died April 5th, 1855, aged 75 years. Also 
of the above-named William Spence, Esquire, F.R.S., 
who died in London, January 6th, 1860/ 
The Rev. Ruthven-Murray kindly adds the following 
additional information 
‘His father, Robert (who had three brothers and two 
sisters) was baptized 1753, but was not buried here. His 
mother was buried here 1820. His grandfather, Robert, was 
baptized here 1710, but buried from Elton, 1780. His 
grandmother, Lydia ( nee Johnson), was baptized here 1716 
and buried 1805. This Robert had one sister. His great 
grandfather, William, must have come here with his parents, 
William and Mary (William was buried 1702), before 1692 
when a sister was baptized. He married here 1708 Elizabeth 
White and was buried 1723. He had one brother and live 
sisters ; also a cousin, William, who left descendants resident 
here till 1829. W. S. himself had an elder brother, Joseph, 
whose son, James, was the last of the family to be buried here 
(1870). By the way, all the Spences seem to have been 
farmers/ 
An excellent account of Spence, with a portrait, was 
published in 1906 by Mr. T. Sheppard in Trans. Hull Sci. 
Field Nat. Club, III, 285-290. 
On his arrival back from the West Indies, Mr. T. Sheppard had a 
welcome communication from the Secretary of the Linnean Society of 
London, informing him that at their recent Annual Meeting he had been 
elected an Associate of that Society. The number of Associates is limited 
to twenty-five, and these can only be elected when a vacancy occurs in 
the list. According to the Bye-laws of the Society, this Associateship is 
only awarded to those ‘ Whose work as a naturalist deserves honourable 
recognition.’ Mr. Sheppard understands that his work for The Naturalist 
was one of the reasons this honour was conferred upon him. He has all 
the privileges of the Fellows of the Society and will in future receive the 
publications issued. 
The Naturalist 
