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I’ve done some digging:

Here are the births of the children of John James Spence , copied from part of a message written by Donna Douglass 1st Dec 2008:

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John James SPENCE was born before 1 Sep 1852 in Douglas, , Braddan, Isle of Man. ch St Mathews
**John Spence was married first to Mary Frances Corrin b 1853 buried 21 Aug 1881 Braddan
marriage 10 Sep 1879 Braddan.
John and Mary Frances had two children:

Elizabeth Ann SPENCE b 15 May 1880 Douglas

Mary Frances SPENCE b 4 Aug 1881 Douglas

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John James SPENCE and Louisa Catherine CREGEEN were married on 29 Sep 1885 in St George Douglas, Isle of Man.

John James SPENCE and Louisa Catherine CREGEEN had the following children:

i. Louisa Ann SPENCE was born on 20 May 1887 in Douglas, , Braddan, Isle of Man.

ii. Constance Emily SPENCE was born on 10 Sep 1898 in Douglas, , Braddan, Isle of Man.

iii. Olive Catherine SPENCE.

iv. Rhoda Victoria SPENCE was born on 4 Sep 1894 in Douglas, , Braddan, Isle of Man.

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In 1911, John James Spence, widower, gave some information on the census form (which he wasn’t required to give, so it was crossed through in red) – and it’s fortunate that he did, because he stated that he had 6 children, 5 of whom were still alive. Elizabeth Ann b 1880 had died in 1886.

I’ve found marriages for the 4 children of JJS and Louisa Catherine Cregeen, but I haven’t found any information for Mary Frances b 1881. She didn’t appear with her family in 1891, 1901 or 1911. After her mother had died (2 weeks after her birth), who would have cared for the 15 month old and the newborn baby ? I wonder who registered the 1886 death of Elizabeth Ann b 1880 ? The death certificate might give a clue as to who had been caring for the 2 little girls. Perhaps Elizaberh Ann and Mary Frances were so settled and happy with their carer (a relative ?) that JJS decided to leave them there when he married Louisa Catherine Cregeen in 1885.

I’ve found a report of the mysterious disappearance of the husband of Louisa Ann Spence b 1887. She married Herbert Kermode Clucas (a poulterer) on 23rd Oct 1911. It seems that HKC disappeared overboard from the S S Voltaire on the night of the 18th/19th March 1933. Here’s a link to several newspaper reports:

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www.imuseum.im/Olive/APA/IsleofMan/default.aspx?action=search&text=herbert+kermode+clucas#panel=search&search=0

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Marriages of the other 3 daughters of JJS and LCG:

Olive Cath Cregeen Spence b 1889 married William Robert Ewing Wilson (a doctor) on 29 June 1916 Braddan

Rhoda Victoria Spence b 1894 married William Thomas Quine (an upholsterer, much younger than RVS) on 21st June 1928 Braddan.

Constance Emily Spence b 1898 married William Arthur Magill (a doctor) on 4th Aug 1921 Braddan.

Jean C