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{{short description|English cricketer and British Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=James Spens
|birth_date={{Birth date|1853|3|30|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Sabathu]], [[British Raj]]
|death_date={{Death date and age|1934|6|19|1853|3|30|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[Folkestone]], [[Kent]], England
|image=
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[United Kingdom]]
|serviceyears=
|rank= [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]]
|branch= [[British Army]]
|current position=
|commands=2nd Bn, [[King's Shropshire Light Infantry]]<br>[[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|Lowland Division]]<br>[[12th (Eastern) Division]]
|unit=
|battles=[[Second Boer War]]
|awards=[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]]<br>[[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
|laterwork=
}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = James Spens
| image =
| country = England
| fullname =
| nickname =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = [[Underarm bowling|Underarm]]
| role =
| family =
| club1 = [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]]
| year1 = 1884 & 1897–1899
| clubnumber1 =
| club2 = [[Marylebone Cricket Club]]
| year2 = 1886–1888
| clubnumber2 =
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| matches1 = 13
| runs1 = 581
| bat avg1 = 24.20
| 100s/50s1 = 1/3
| top score1 = 118[[not out|*]]
| deliveries1 = 15
| wickets1 = –
| bowl avg1 = –
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = –
| catches/stumpings1 = 6/–
| date = 14 February
| year = 2010
| source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/20308.html Cricinfo
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''James Spens''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CB|CMG}} (30 March 1853 – 19 August 1934) was an English [[first-class cricket]]er and an officer in the [[British Army]]. Spens began playing cricket whilst at school, and after joining the Army played for [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]] and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] in the 1880s. He briefly returned to first-class cricket in 1897–98, again for Hampshire. During the [[Second Boer War]], he led an infantry battalion and a mobile column, then later commanded a military district in India and a Territorial division in the United Kingdom. He retired shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, when he returned to service, commanding the [[12th (Eastern) Division]], then a training depot and a military district in Egypt.

==Early life and sporting career==

Spens was educated at [[Haileybury and Imperial Service College]], where he represented the college cricket team from 1868 to 1870.<ref name="obit">[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228179.html Obituary in ''Wisden'', 1939]</ref> Spens was a right-handed [[Batsman (cricket)|batsman]] who was an [[Underarm bowling|underarm]] bowler, although with which hand he bowled with and what style he bowled is unknown.<ref name=archive>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.com/Hampshire/Players/6/6862/6862.html|title=James Spens|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=14 February 2010|archive-date=2 July 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070702204842/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Hampshire/Players/6/6862/6862.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Spens was commissioned into the [[85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers)]] on 29 May 1872.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23862|page=2518|date=28 May 1872}}</ref>

After joining the Army, Spens played both cricket and [[rackets (sport)|rackets]] for Army teams, including a match at Lord's in 1887. He was a high scorer, at one point in 1882 hitting 386 in a match.<ref name="obit"/> His cricketing career was interrupted by military duties in 1879–80, when his regiment served in the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]],<ref name="WWW">"SPENS, Maj.-Gen. James", in ''Who Was Who'' (2007). [http://ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U217420/ Online edition]</ref> but after his return to England, Spens made his first-class debut for [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]] against [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]] in 1884. On debut, he scored his maiden first-class half century with a score of 60.<ref name="obit"/>

Two years later Spens made his debut for the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]], making his debut for the club against [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]] and playing two more matches against [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] and [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]].<ref name=archive/>

In 1897, fourteen years after playing his last first-class match for Hampshire, Spens returned to county for the 1897 season, playing his first return match against [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]] and a second match in the same season against the [[Gentlemen of Philadelphia]], which gave Spens his maiden and only first-class century with a score of 118[[not out|*]]. In 1898, Spens played seven first-class matches for Hampshire, with his final first-class match for the county coming against [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]].<ref name=archive/>

==Senior command==

Spens was sent to [[South Africa]] following the outbreak of the [[Second Boer War]] in October 1899. He initially commanded the 2nd Battalion, [[King's Shropshire Light Infantry]], followed by a command of a mobile column in 1901–1902. He was promoted to the [[brevet rank]] of [[Colonel (British Army)|colonel]] during the war, and [[mentioned in despatches]] several times (including by [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]] on 23 June 1902).<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27459 |date=29 July 1902 |pages=4835–4837 }}</ref><ref name="WWW"/> After the end of the war in June 1902, he returned to the United Kingdom in the ''SS Dunottar Castle'', which arrived at [[Southampton]] the following month.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home |date=8 July 1902 |page=11 |issue=36814}}</ref> For his service in the war Spens was appointed a Companion of the [[Order of the Bath]] (CB) in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was backdated to 29 November 1900)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27306 |date=19 April 1901 |page=2696}}</ref> and he received the actual decoration from King [[Edward VII]] at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 24 October 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=25 October 1902 |page=8 |issue=36908}}</ref>

He was placed on [[half-pay]] in August 1902,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27462 |date=8 August 1902 |page=5099 }}</ref> but was back in full service as commander of the Allahabad District in India in August 1903 and the 21st [[Bareilly Brigade]] in India in March 1906.<ref name=commands>{{cite web|url=https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf|title=Army Commands|accessdate=20 June 2020}}</ref> He was given command of the [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|Lowland Division]] in the [[Territorial Force]] in March 1910.<ref name=commands/> He relinquished command and retired from the Army in 1914.<ref name="WWW"/>

On the outbreak of the First World War, however, Spens was recalled to service, and given command of the newly raised [[12th (Eastern) Division]] in the [[New Armies]] in August 1914. He commanded it through its training in England, relinquishing command in March 1915 before it was sent overseas, and in April 1915 was appointed to take over command of the ANZAC Training Depot in Egypt. He remained here until November, when he became [[General Officer Commanding]] Cairo District. Spens left Cairo in April 1916.<ref name="WWW"/>

He was also a member of the [[British Fascists]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j6k_pyJ3ThEC&pg=PA156 |title = British Fascism, 1918-39: Parties, Ideology and Culture|isbn = 9780719050244|last1 = Linehan|first1 = Thomas|last2 = Linehan|first2 = Thomas E.|last3 = Thomas Linehan|first3 = Dr|last4 = Linehan|first4 = Thomas P.|year = 2000}}</ref>

Spens died at [[Folkestone]], [[Kent]] on 19 June 1934.<ref name="cricinfo">[http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/20308.html James Spens] at [[Cricinfo]]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Kelham]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|GOC Lowland Division]]|years=1910–1914}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Granville Egerton]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=New formation}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[12th (Eastern) Division|GOC 12th (Eastern) Division]]|years=1914–1915}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frederick Wing]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spens, James}}
[[Category:1853 births]]
[[Category:1934 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:Hampshire cricketers]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War I]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War]]
[[Category:English fascists]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]

James Spens (British Army officer) - Revision history

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