Born Islington into the stationery family. Trustee of Islington Union Chapel. MP for Islington South. 1885-6.
Henry Spicer was the eldest of the ten children of Henry S. J. Spicer (1801-1877) and Sarah Spicer née Leachman (1815-1885). His birth was registered as Henry S. J. Spicer in the 3rd quarter of 1837 in the Islington registration district, however all subsequent records show him as Henry Spicer.
In the 1841 census he was shown as living in Bedford Row, Islington, with his parents and two brothers, Edward Spicer (1834-1912) and Alfred Spicer (1840-1901), together with three female servants. His father's occupation was described as a merchant. His Wikipedia page gives information about his education, business and political life.
In December 1859 he applied to be admitted into the freedom of the City of London by redemption in the Company of Fishmongers claiming to be a wholesale stationer occupying premises at 19 New Bridge Street, Blackfriars. He was duly admitted on 24 January 1860.
In the 1861 census he is described as a B. A. of London, living at 22 Highbury Crescent, Islington, with his parents and six siblings: Edward Spicer, Alfred Spicer, Sarah Spicer (1841-1920), Robert Spicer (1843-1903), Herbert Spicer (1849-1916) and Walter Spicer (1854-1886), together with three female house servants.
On 27 May 1874 he married Lucy Ramsay Mullens (1847-1910) at the Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Islington.
When the 1881 census was taken he was recorded as a wholesale stationer B. A. London, living at Highlands, Putney Heath, Roehampton, the home of his widowed mother, together with his wife. Also residing at this address was his brother Herbert and his wife Martha McMurray née Arnott (1847-1925) and four of their nine children: Herbert Murray Spicer (1876-1902), Annie McMurray Spicer (b. 1878), Cecil Wilfred Spicer (1879-1916) and Harold Spicer (1880-1955), together with a cook, two nurses, an under nurse, a nurse-maid and a parlour-maid.
He is shown in the 1901 census as a director of a wholesale paper merchant company living at 14 Aberdeen Park, Islington, with his wife, together with a cook, a parlour-maid, a house-maid and a kitchen-maid.
His 1911 census return was completed by his attorney, Edward Spicer, who described him as a widower and retired paper merchant, living in a fourteen-room property at 14 Aberdeen Park, Islington, together with two male trained nurses and three female domestic servants.
Probate records confirm that he died, aged 78 years, on 18 October 1915 and that his address was 14 Aberdeen Park, Islington. Probate was granted on 23 December 1915 to Edward Samuel Spicer (1873-1934) and Henry Gage Spicer (1875-1944). They were his nephews, being the sons of his brother Edward Spicer. His effects totalled £79,984-8s-3d. His body was buried in Abney Park Cemetery, 215 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0LH.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
