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 Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

. Spence was born in

Greenock Township, Ontario Brockton is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Bruce County. , the population was 9,784. The current municipality was formed on January 1, 1999, by amalgamating the former township of Brant, former township of Green ...

and attended school in

London, Ontario London 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 (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

and

Walkerton, Ontario Walkerton is a town in the municipality of Brockton, Ontario, Brockton, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and is the county seat. Walkerton is located on the Saugeen River, at the junction of Highway 9 ...

. 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. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...

before being called to the bar. He was elected a

Bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

of the

Law Society of Upper Canada The Law Society of Ontario (LSO; ) is the law society responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 1797 as the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC; ), its name was changed by statu ...

in 1917, named

King's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

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 (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

, 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 Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...

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 was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...

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 Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. He died at his home in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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 20th-century members of the Senate of Canada {{Ontario-politician-stub