Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles William Beresford a Doctor of Medicine, born 22nd July 1854 in Narborough, Leicestershire, the son of James William Beresford and his wife Frances Brown Beresford (nee Waddington) and his wife Mary Spencer Beresford (nee James, married in the 4th quarter of 1881 in the Birkenhead, Cheshire district), a General Practitioner, born 1850 in Oxton, Birkenhead, Cheshire, and the daughter of Robert James and his wife Leonora. Spencer Charles was born in the 4th quarter of 1882 in East Ilsley, Berkshire and was baptised on the 19th November 1882 in St. Mary’s Church, Ilsley, his sponsors were, Spencer Algernon James, Penrose James, R. G. Hansell, Charles William Beresford and Leonora Frances James, his siblings were Helen, born 1883 in East Ilsley, Nora, born 14th February 1885, Gerald Waddington Beresford, born 22nd April 1886 and Kenneth Hugh, born 1887, the latter three siblings were all born in Markyate, Bedfordshire, in April 1891 the family home was at High Street, Humbershoe, Markyate. In March 1901 Spencer was employed as a banker’s clerk and was residing in the family home at Markyate House, Main Road, Narborough, together with his father, a surgeon, his mother and siblings, Nora and Gerald. In April 1911 Spencer was employed as a bank clerk and was residing in the family home at Markyate House, Main Road, Narborough, together with his father, a surgeon and his mother.
Spencer enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps and first entered the theatre of war in France on the 28th February 1915, he was serving as a Sergeant when he received a commission on the 30th October 1917 into the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
The War Diary records: 5 Jun-18 – LA BAZEQUE. Commanding Officer and one officer per Company reconnoitred forward area prior to relieving Guard’s Division – 2nd Lieutenant’s H. M. AVERY, S. C. BERESFORD, A. L. ROW, MM killed, 2nd Lieutenant (Acting Captain) J. H. SPENCER, MC wounded and died of wounds later in Casualty Clearing Station. Lieutenant Colonel D. J. BRETT wounded. In the evening concert given to Battalion by Divisional troupe and band – Stage erected by Pioneers in the wood.
NOTE: Markyate House stands on the corner of Thornton Drive and the main road running through Narborough village, it was at one time the home and surgery of the late Doctor Trevor Pomfret and his wife. The family history indicates where the name Markyate given to the house originated from. It is also interesting that the connection to the medical profession remained many years after the Great War, Spencer’s brother Gerald was also a surgeon like his father, and his sister Nora was a nurse.