Encyclopedia Titanica

William Augustus Spencer

Mr William Augustus Spencer, 57, was born in New York on 7 January 1855.

A resident of Paris, Mr Spencer boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg as a first class passenger (ticket number PC 17569, £146 10s 5d), together with his wife Marie Spencer.

Mr Spencer perished in the disaster. His body, if recovered, was nver identified.

There is a memorial stone for him at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.


Courtesy of Michael A. Findlay, USA

References and Sources

Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])

Research Articles

Stuart Kelly Titanica! (2014) Titanic Legacy of a Paris Maid

Newspaper Articles

New York Times (2 April 1912) Will Of Lorillard Spencer
New York Times (8 May 1912) Death Notice Of William A. Spencer
New York Times (29 May 1912) Many Gifts To Charity
W. A. Spencer Gives $1,000 to Library
New York Times (9 October 1912) Spencer Codicil Admitted
New York Times (29 October 1913) Obituary Notes (1)
New York Times (10 July 1914) Titanic Victim's Estate (2)
New York Times (5 December 1922) Miss Katherine Force To Wed Major Spencer

Images

The Gardeners' Cottage
The Gardeners in the Park of the Villa
Search archive online

Comment and discuss

  1. Carole Lindsay

    I am looking for information on William Augustus Spencer, and so far I have found very little. This is what I have so far. He was a collector of rare books. He had visited the New York Public Library in 1910 and was very impressed, and as a result left his collection to the library in his will. His brother,Lorillard Spencer, had died in March of 1912, so he may have been returning to New York in connection with his estate. His nephew, Lorillard Spencer, Jr. was married to Madelaine Astor's sister, Katherine. Can anyone help me with this? Thanks!
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  2. Shelley Dziedzic

    Carole- you can't go wrong heading over to the ET passenger bio section here on the board. All the latest information is constantly updated,from many sources, here to share. Just recently I was laying out the bus tour for the Newport convention with Bill Harrison and he mentioned Lorillard (Jr. and Sr.) who rented many summer cottages over the years. In fact, at one point the Spencer "cottage" was right across from Clinch Smith's place. Nothing much original left of Clinch's cottage- just the gazebo. The summer homes were at the beginning of the fashionable Ocean Drive, not far from the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. I understand the Force Girls finally made a mark in Newport , with Katherine Force's marriage to a Spencer, and the sympathy generated by Madeleine's widowhood and expectant condition. Sorry I don't know too much about William but am sure there are some who may be able to offer more-I know there are not too many photographs of him. All the Spencers are buried together in... Read full post
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  3. Ben Holme

    Hi Carole, William Augustus Spencer was born on 7th January 1855 in New York. You are correct in that William, like fellow passenger Harry Widener, was a indeed a noted bibliophile and book collector. At Spencer's bequest, The Spencer Collection of finely illustrated books and fine bindings was created in 1913 . In addition to bequeathing his entire collection to the Library, Mr. Spencer provided an endowment fund for which to purchase "the finest illustrated books that can be procured, of any country and in any language, bound in handsome bindings ... containing the original designs, drawings or paintings made by the illustrator." Although both he and his wife, Marie Eugenie, were Americans by birth, they spent most of their later life in Paris as did a few other 1st class passengers. In 1912 he booked passage on Titanic in order to act as excecutor to his brother, Lorillard's will. As you know, William was lost and his body was never recovered. Mary and the maid, Elise Lurette... Read full post
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  4. Shelley Dziedzic

    Nothing brighter than winter sunlight- but still fairly readable.
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  5. Shelley Dziedzic

    Family marker. Green Wood, Brooklyn (photo courtesy Michael Findlay)
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  6. Carole Lindsay

    Shelley and Ben, Thanks so much for the information and pictures. William certainly belongs on the ET list of bibliophiles. I have always wondered if he and Harry Widener ever met. So little is written about him, and he seems to have stayed out of the spotlight most of the time. I have been told that his wife Marie suffered from poor health, so this may be the reason. Her ET bio says she died in 1913, so whatever her illness was, her experience on Titanic must surely have hastened her death. William's brother Lorillard was much more well known. He founded the Illustrated American Magazine and was the Commissioner from Rhode Island to the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. His sister Eleanora was married to Prince Cenci di Covaro and was lady in waiting to the queen of Italy. There was also another brother, Charles. When Charles died, he left two wills, and this resulted in a court battle, which William and Lorillard won, against Eleanora. Another... Read full post
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  7. Shelley Dziedzic

    Here is one volume from the Spencer Library, specially bound in a rich burgundy leather hand-tooled with goldleaf motifs. You can see the words on the frontispiece at the bottom "The Spencer Press". The collection on the shelves must have been breath-taking. Mike Findlay can tell you more about the book (photo scan from TIS Archive)
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  8. Michael Findlay

    Hi everybody, I would like to add to everyone's excellent posts - and would like to comment on the above pictured books. This particular volume of the Count of Monte Cristo was owned by William Augustus Spencer, and was later bound in leather. I purchased the book in Manhattan at a book show a number of years ago and gave it to the Titanic International Society for their archives. I must say that the Spencer collection at the New York Public Library is wonderful. Volumes and volumes of nineteenth century works (which W. A. Spencer was especially interested in) line the shelves. The library also has several pictures, and a portrait of William Augustus Spencer in their special archives department. Unfortunately, there are no photos of Marie Spencer known to exist at the library. Marie Spencer was an ill woman, and it has been theorized that she had been in failing mental health for years - according to the present day Spencer family. William and Marie Spencer were... Read full post
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  9. Brian Ahern

    Mike, I don't suppose you or anyone else out there knows what Marie's maiden name was? Were her parents French, or Americans living abroad? -Brian A.
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  10. Brian Meister

    Brian, It was a huge surprise when I first discovered the grave marker for the Spencers in 1991 and found that William was included. That's the kind of thing that gives us researchers so much of a rush and so much pleasure. I remember the day well. And to think it had been right there under everyone's noses all along. And Marie Spencer's maiden name was DeMeugeot, of French parentage.
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  11. Rosemary Dailey

    Was wondering if anyone knows any info about the Spencers in Paris...did they have any children? Would also be interested in seeing a picture of William Augustus.
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  12. Donna Descoteaux

    I was wondering if anyone could post of photo of William Spencer? And/ or of Marie. Thanks, Donna
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  13. Claude Roulet

    Thank you all ! Finally I found a way in my research. I am the grand-grand nephew of Elise Lurette, the "devoted family maid" of the Spencer family. Elise worked for this family for over 30 years. She travelled with them through the world. The Spencer had houses everywhere in the world. Out of New-York, they had a flat in the Avenue Marceau in Paris and the castle of the Drei Linden in Lucerne. They were very generous with her (as well as with all their staff). This means that now we have lots of items engraved or marked with the Spencer monogram 'LLSS" which was apparently the one of Lorillard Spencer Senior. Elise wanted to retire after Mr. Spencer's death. So did she until William A. Spencer asked her to travel with him and his wife to New-York. It was said on our family that Mrs. Spencer was morphine addicted. This was the reason why William wanted Elise to accompany them to New York. Elise Lurette liked very much William A. Spencer so she accepted. She was 60 years old. ... Read full post
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  14. Jason D. Tiller

    Hello Claude, Yes, there are descendants of the Spencer family. A good friend of mine who lives outside of Detroit, USA is the great nephew of the Spencer's, but in order to protect his privacy I can't reveal anymore information.
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  15. Brian Ahern

    Thank you very much, Claude, for sharing that information.
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Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Mr William Augustus Spencer
Age: 57 years 3 months and 8 days (Male)
Nationality: American
Marital Status: Married to Marie-Eugenie Adnot
Embarked: Cherbourg on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 17569, £146 10s 5d
Cabin No. B78
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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