Gilbert Spence (born c. 1834)

This article is about the Hudson's Bay Company post master and factor who died at Fort William in 1912. He is not to be confused with his son Gilbert Spence (born c. 1888), who died at Winnipeg in 1920 at the age of 32.

Gilbert Spence
Born	c. 1834
Died	1912-02-12 Fort William
Occupation	Hudson's Bay Company post master and factor
Children	Nellie Radcliffe Allan Spence Kenneth Spence Peter William Spence Gilbert Spence (born c. 1888) George W. Spence Mary Spence

Gilbert Spence (c. 1834 – (1912-02-12)12 February 1912) was a Hudson's Bay Company post master and factor on the north shore of Lake Superior, serving at Michipicoten in 1869 and 1870 and later at the Pic River post, and afterwards a gentleman of Fort William, in the Thunder Bay District of Ontario. He was the father of the grain elevator worker Peter William Spence.

Hudson's Bay Company service

• Styled post master, Hudson Bay Service at Michipicoten in the Ontario birth registration of 17 July 1870, and Hudson Bay Co., Michipicoten in the Ontario death registration of 1 September 1869.
• Documented in that office at Michipicoten, in the Algoma District, across a span of just over a year, from 12 July 1869 to 17 July 1870.
• Later factor at the Hudson's Bay Company post at Pic River, recorded in 1956 as having then been an important post.
• His son Peter William Spence was born at the Pic River post in about 1882.
• Moved his family to Prince Arthur's Landing, and shortly afterwards to the family homestead at 1051 Dease Street, described in 1956 as one of the historic landmarks of the city.

Registrations informed at Michipicoten

As the Hudson's Bay Company officer at Michipicoten he was the informant of record on six Ontario vital registrations in the Algoma District, five births and one death, all of them for Anishinaabe and Métis families of the Michipicoten River area.

• Jane Matche-Ininil (born 1869) — birth, 12 July 1869; registration 1030-69.
• Amikouse Neikaban (born 1869) — birth, 20 July 1869; registration 1031-69.
• Caibeabanoos (born c. 1800) — death, 1 September 1869, aged 69, a hunter; registration 001010-69.
• Mary Kebecomainse (born 1869) — birth, 15 September 1869; registration 1034-69.
• William Mechekebinaise (born 1869) — birth, 10 October 1869; registration 1035-69.
• George Dubois (born 1870) — birth, 17 July 1870; registration 20324-70.

Family

• Father of Peter William Spence (c. 1882 – 1956), whose 1956 obituary names him as the late Gilbert Spence, factor at Pic River.
• Father of Gilbert Spence (born c. 1888) (c. 1888 – 1920), named as the predeceased brother Gilbert in that same obituary.
• Survived by nine children.

Estate

• Recorded in the probate record as a gentleman of Fort William.
• The estate was probated in the Thunder Bay District surrogate court in 1912 and inventoried at $27,226.39 (equivalent to $706,185 in 2025).
• He died testate, leaving a will.

Newspaper record

• Death notice in Fort William Daily Times-Journal, 1912-02-13.
  • Recorded as occurring 12 February 1912.
  • Place recorded: Fort William.
  • Age recorded as 78 years.
• Death notice in Fort William Daily Times-Journal.
  • Recorded as occurring 12 February 1912.
  • Index note: age 78/ St. Andrew's/ Mtnview Cem.
• Estate notice in Fort William Daily Times-Journal, 1912-04-20.
  • Recorded as occurring 12 February 1912.
  • Place recorded: Fort William.

Death

• Died 12 February 1912 at Fort William, aged 78.
• Service recorded at St. Andrew's; interment at Mountain View Cemetery.