James Houston Spence, , (September 3, 1867 – February 21, 1939) was a Canadian lawyer and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. Spence was born in

Greenock Township, Ontario Brockton is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Bruce County. , the population was 9,461. The current municipality was formed on January 1, 1999, by amalgamating the former township of Brant, former township of Gree ...

and attended school in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

and

Walkerton, Ontario Walkerton is a Town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton, Ontario, Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County, Ontario, Bruce County. I ...

. He graduated from

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the ''Osgoode Hall La ...

before being called to the bar. He was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1917, named

King's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1922 and was the senior partner in the law firm of Spence, Shoemaker and Spence."Senator James H. Spence, Prominent Liberal, Dies", ''Toronto Daily Star'', February 22, 1939 He specialized in corporate, commercial and municipal law."Senator Spence Dies In Toronto In His 72nd Year", ''Globe and Mail'', February 22, 1939 He was active in the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

, campaigned on behalf of various Liberal candidates in provincial and federal elections, and was a close friend of Sir

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minis ...

as well as a friend of

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

who appointed him to the Senate in 1928. Spence served in the Hamilton Regiment from 1890 to 1893. He was also a member of the Masonic Order. He died at his home in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

on February 21, 1939.

References

External links

* 1867 births 1939 deaths Canadian senators from Ontario Liberal Party of Canada senators Lawyers in Ontario Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian King's Counsel {{Ontario-politician-stub