David Hugh Neven Spence (2 May 1925 – 23 April 1985) was a 20th-century Scottish botanist. In authorship he is known as David H. N. Spence or D. H. N. Spence.

Life

He was born on 2 May 1925 in

Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

the son of Mary Joyce Mallorie Walton and her husband, Dr Thomas Reginald Cardwardine Spence MD. His family moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and he was educated at Edinburgh Academy 1933 to 1935, then at

Clifton Hall School Clifton Hall School is an independent day school located near Newbridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is divided into the Nursery, Junior, and Senior Schools and educates pupils from nursery to Senior 6. Buildings The school occupies a 19th-cent ...

1935 to 1938 and finally at

Glenalmond College Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. T ...

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

1938 to 1942. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he joined the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in the summer of 1942 and then was commissioned into the Royal Scots, serving in Germany in 1945. He was demobbed in 1946 and then studied botany at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

graduating with a BSc in 1951. He began lecturing at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1952 and gained his doctorate (PhD) there in 1956. In 1957 he began lecturing in botany at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

. From 1962 to 1966 he had a prolonged secondment in Makerere College in

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

. In 1968 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. His proposers were

James A. MacDonald James Alexander Macdonald (January 22, 1862 – May 14, 1923) was a Canadians, Canadian newspaper editor, minister, educator and author. He was born in East Williams, Ontario, East Williams Township, Upper Canada, the son of John Alexander M ...

John Harrison Burnett Sir John Harrison Burnett (21 January 1922 – 22 July 2007) was a British botanist and mycologist, who served as the principal and vice chancellor of Edinburgh University from 1979 to 1987. Early life and education Burnett was born in Ripon, ...

, John Walton and Paul Weatherley. He was President of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. In 1977 he became Professor of Botany at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

. He died in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

on 23 April 1985. He is buried in the St Andrews Western Cemetery on the Strathkinnes Road.

Family

In 1952 he married Dorothy Jean Halliday.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, David Hugh Neven 1925 births 1985 deaths People from Lincolnshire People educated at Edinburgh Academy People educated at Clifton Hall School People educated at Glenalmond College Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of St Andrews Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery soldiers Royal Scots officers Burials in Scotland 20th-century antiquarians Military personnel from Lincolnshire