The Spreat Family
Frank Arthur Spreat
9 June 1861, in St
James Westminster district, Middlesex, England
John Henry Spreat
Harriette (Jones) Hulke
Aldenham
school, St
Bartholomew's Hospital
Edith
Backhouse Hulke on 9 July 1890, in Kensington
district, London, England
Frank was a doctor and
medical officer for the district of Friern Barnet. He was a Fellow of the
Royal College of Surgeons.
Plarr's
Lives of the Fellows Online
Born in London on 9 June 1861, the sixth child
and fourth son of John Henry Spreat, jeweller, and Harriet Jones, his
wife. He was educated at Aldenham School until he entered St
Bartholomew's Hospital. He acted for a time as resident medical officer
at the Metropolitan Hospital before settling at Finchley, where he
practised during the rest of his life. Here he became medical officer of
health for Friern Barnet, was medical officer to the Maternity and Child
Welfare service at Friern Barnet of the Middlesex County Council,
medical officer to the Post Office, and medical officer and public
vaccinator to the Barnet 4th district. When the Finchley Memorial
Hospital was founded as the Finchley Cottage Hospital he qualified
himself to act as surgeon by obtaining the diploma of FRCS, no easy task
for a man of forty in a large and prosperous practice. From that time
onwards for many years he made a practice of attending one of the large
general hospitals on one day in each week, and thus acted at different
times as clinical assistant in the outpatient department, nose and
throat, and assistant medical officer in the electrical department at St
Bartholomew's Hospital, and clinical assistant at the Royal London
Ophthalmic Hospital, Moorfields.
He married on 9 July 1890 Edith Backhouse Hulke, a member of the Hulke
family who have practised at Deal for many generations. She survived him
with a son and daughter, a second son having been killed in action
during the first world war. He died on 24 April 1934, and Mrs Spreat
died at Whetstone, London, N on 23 June 1948. Spreat was a general
practitioner of a very high type. Absolutely honest in thought, a loyal
friend, and a good counsellor, he watched the neighbourhood where he
practised grow from a village to a huge suburb of London. The increasing
population led to an increasing number of doctors. His example and
precept kept them together, formed them into a family circle, and
maintained the high tradition of his own ideals.
Sources used to compile this entry: [Information given by his son,
Shirley H Spreat; personal knowledge; Brit med J 1934, 1, 876].
24 April 1934, in Barnet
district, Middlesex, England, aged 72
British
Medical Journal 12 May 1934 pp876-7
The death of FRANK
A. SPREAT, F.R.C.S., which occurred on April 24th, came
as a great shock to his medical colleagues and many friends. Although it
was known that he had not been in good health for some time, his death
occurred very suddenly. Frank Arthur Spreat, who was 72 years of age,
was educated at the Aldenham School and St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
Qualifying in 1884, he settled in practice in Friern Barnet very shortly
afterwards, and for a good many years was one of the best-known
practitioners in North London. Dr. Spreat was a man of most unbounded
energy, and performed the somewhat remarkable feat of passing his first
and final Fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons after
the age of 40, and also taking his D.P.H. while in general practice.
During the greater part of his professional life he made a point of
attending one of the teaching hospitals one day a week, and even when he
was nearly 60 years of age he still continued to take special courses in
clinical work. Dr. Spreat held many public appointments. He was medical
officer and public vaccinator for the Friern Barnet district, medical
officer for the maternity and child welfare centres under the Middlesex
County Council, and he was also medical officer to the Post Office. For
many years he was medical officer of health to the Friern Barnet
district, during which time he kept himself thoroughly conversant with
the ever-increasing public health problems, and was the means of
instituting many admirable reforms. For over forty years he was a member
of the British Medical Association, in which he had always taken the
greatest interest, and he had been chairman of the Finchley Division.
Dr. Spreat was greatly respected by all the medical men with whom he
came into contact, and his loss will be much felt by his fellow
practitioners. He married Miss Edith Hulke, daughter of the late Dr.
Hulke of Deal, and she survives him with a son and a daughter. His
younger son was lost in the war.
1871: Chorlton
upon Medlock, Lancashire
1881: Highbury N
P, Islington, Middlesex
1891: The Firs,
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
1901: Clydesdale,
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
1911: Burrington, Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex: Frank Arthur
Spreat is aged 49, born in London
1934: "Burrington", Oakleigh Avenue, Whetstone, Middlesex (London Gazette 19 June 1934 p3945)
Joyce Hulke Spreat
24 September 1892, in Friern Barnet,
Middlesex, England
Frank Arthur
Spreat
Edith
Backhouse (Hulke) Spreat
1978, in Elstree
& Potters Bar district, Hertfordshire, England
1901: Clydesdale,
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
1911: Burrington, Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex: Joyce Hulke
Spreat is aged 18, born in Friern Barnet, Middlesex
Leicester Hulke Spreat
August 1897, in Friern Barnet,
Middlesex, England
Frank Arthur
Spreat
Edith
Backhouse (Hulke) Spreat
Officer in the Royal Field
Artillery, "A" Battery, 91st Brigade.
Leicester was a gentleman cadet from the Royal Military Academy when he was
commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 10
May 1916 (London Gazette 9 May 1916 p4560). He was
awarded the Military Cross, posthumously, on 25 November 1916.
London Gazette 24 November 1916 p11544
His Majesty the
KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Military Cross on the
undermentioned Officers and Warrant Officers in recognition of their
gallantry and devotion to duty in the Field:—
...
2nd Lt. Leicester Hulke Spreat, R.F.A.
For conspicuous gallantry in action. He carried out a daring
reconnaissance and obtained most valuable information. Later, he
observed under intense fire with great courage and skill. He was
severely wounded.
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|
Memorial plaque to Leicester Hulke Spreat
in All Saints Church, Friern Barnet
|
8 October 1916, of wounds received
the previous day at Lesboeufs, while observing for his battery during the
Battle of the Somme, aged 19 years and 6 weeks.
Extracts from letters of his Commanding Officers:
He was wounded in the front trenches during a
battle. He showed great devotion to duty and gallantry both on that
occasion and on the day before. When he was wounded he was saving the
lives of wounded men by bringing them into the trench from the open. This
he did after he had completed his own duty.
The day before he was wounded Lieut. Spreat voluntarily did a very useful,
accurate and very gallant reconnaissance of the enemy wire.
|
|
Grove Town cemetery, Meaulte, Somme,
France, where Leicester Hulke Spreat is buried
|
Grove Town cemetery, Méaulte, Somme,
France. Grave reference I. J. 26
A
memorial plaque to Leicester Hulke Spreat is located in All Saints
Church, 122 Oakleigh Road North, London.
1901: Clydesdale,
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
1911: Burrington, Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex: Leicester Hulke
Spreat, son, is aged 13, born in Friern Barnet, Middlesex
Shirley Hulke Spreat
 |
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Second Lieutenant Shirley Hulke Spreat
|
18 March 1894, at "Clydesdale",
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex, England
Frank Arthur
Spreat
Edith
Backhouse (Hulke) Spreat
Merchant
Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School Register, 1851-1920
p373 (1923)
Spreat, Shirley
Hulke, b. 18 March, 1894, s. of Frank A. (Surg.) and Edith B.,
Whetstone. Left 1910. European War:
Capt. Worc. Regt. att. Tank Corps; wounded—S.
H. Spreat, Esq., Marshmede, Uphill Rd., Mill Hill, Midd'x
Laura Gwendoline Allom on 7 March
1918, in Barnet, London, England
Laura was born on 12 August 1898 in Willesden, Middlesex, the daughter of
Sir Charles Carrick Allom and Laura Ann Tatham. She died on 24 August 1984,
in Hillingdon
district, Greater London.
Census & Addresses:
1901: 35 Mowbray
Road, Willesden, Middlesex
1911: Fairlawn, Totteridge, Hertfordshire: Laura Gwendoline Allom, daughter,
is aged 12, born in Willesden, Middlesex
1966: 2 Oak Court, Green Lane, Northwood, Greater London (Tatham
family history citing telephone directory)
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Officers of the Worcestershire Regiment
Lieutenant Shirley Hulke Spreat is middle row, third from left
|
Army soldier and officer,
reaching the rank of captain. Later, director of an aircraft company.
At the start of the 1st World War, Shirley was a private in the Honourable
Artillery Company, landing in France with the H.A.C. on the 18th
September 1914. In 1915 he returned to the UK and was commissioned a second
lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, the Worcester
Regiment, on 18 April 1915 (London Gazette 16 April 1915 p3812). He
embarked with the 2/7th Battalion from Southampton on the SS Cesarea
and reached Havre, France on the 25th May 1915. After a night in
rest camp at Havre they were moved by train to Berguette, and marched to
billets in Vieille Chappelle. The battalion marched to the line on 1 June
and attached to battalions of the 104th Brigade at Richebourg St. Vaast
where they were trained in trench warfare. The 2/7th Worcestershire were in
support at Pont du Hem, then took over the trenches facing the Bois du Biez,
holding them until June 21st before marching back to billets at La Gorgue.
Shirley was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 15 September 1915 (London Gazette 18 January 1916 p744).
Shirley was seconded to the Machine
Gun Corps on 17 May 1917 (London Gazette 1 June 1917 p5507) and
appointed acting captain on 26 May 1917 (London Gazette 26 June 1917 p6364). He was
made temporary lieutenant on 1 June 1917 (London Gazette 10 July 1917 p6980), then on
21 June 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant, with precedence from 15 December
1916 (London Gazette 19 June 1917 p6151). Shirley
became part of the Tank
Corps, which was formed from a section of the Machine Gun Corps in
July 1917, and was wounded in late 1917 (Worcester
Herald 8 December 1917 "Capt S. H. Spreat attd Tank Corps -
Wounded"). From 24 January 1918 to 26 September Shirley was second in
command of a company retaining the acting rank of captain. During this time
he wrote a letter to the parents of one of his men who had been killed in
action.
Who Do You Think You Are? January 2009 p7
Dear Mr
Lakeman,
I am writing to tell you about the death of your son, I am the second in
command of his company.
We were trekking by night and your son was leading his tank and
tripped over some barbed wire, his fall was unseen by his driver who
missed him a second or so after, during this time the tank had passed
over the body of your son, they were travelling fast at the time and
Lakeman could have known very little of anything of what was happening.
He was killed instantly. I was present at his burial next day, he was
buried by Capt W K Roberts, the Padre attached to HQ 5th Tank Brigade.
His grave is in St Pierre Cemetery, Amiens Map reference 62D G.32 d5.8
Row D, Plot 14 Grave No 1. I and his brother officers want to express
our sympathy in our loss as well as yours. I shall be only too pleased
to answer any enquiries you would like.
Yours sincerely
Shirley H Spreat
Shirley was promoted to temporary captain on 19 October 1918 (London Gazette 7 February 1919 p2061). He
relinquished the temporary rank of captain on ceasing to be employed by the
Tank Corps on 12 February 1921 (London Gazette 11 February 1921 p1251) and
was restored to the 7th Battalion of the Worcester Regiment (London Gazette 11 February 1921 p1263) and
on 1 March 1921, Shirley resigned his commission and was granted the rank of
captain (London Gazette 25 February 1921 p1688).
In 1938, Shirley was named a director of the newly formed White Allom
Aircraft Ltd, a private company formed "to carry on the business of
manufacturers and repairers of and dealers in aircraft and motor vehicles or
boats of all kinds, etc" (Flight 11 August 1938 p134). The company
was a subsidiary of White Allom Ltd, a well known firm of decorators and
furnishers founded by Shirley's father-in-law, Sir Charles Carrick Allom,
who also founded the Gosport Aircraft Company in 1914.
Flight 11 August 1938 p123
One of the
directors of [White Allom Aircraft], Capt. S. Spreat, was associated
during the war with Mr. M. H. Volk (now of Brighton-Hove-Shoreham
Airport fame) in the building of flying boats. Mr. Volk has been invited
to join the board of the new company as technical director in an
advisory capacity. There is a large and well-equipped factory, and Mr.
Volk states that they are now ready to consider aviation propositions
requiring development.
White Allom Aircraft was wound up voluntarily on 24 March 1948 (London Gazette 16 April 1948 p2424)
12 September 1959, at "Larches", 18
North Approach, Moor Park, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England, aged 65
The Times 17 September 1959
On September 12, 1959, at his home, suddenly,
Shirley Hulke Spreat, Freeman of the City of London, loving and dearly
loved husband of Gwen. Cremation private. No flowers and, please, no
letters.
Shirley died at the same date and place as his 33 year old son, Martin.
Martin's death notice in The Times 17
September 1959 contains the additional information that his death was the
result of a shooting accident.
The Times 17 September 1959
On September 12, 1959, at his home, as a result
of a shooting accident, Martin Leicester, very dearly loved second son of
Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Hulke Spreat. Cremation private. No flowers and,
please, no letters.
granted 15 October 1959
Spreat Shirley Hulke of Larches North Approach
Moor Park near Northwood Middlesex died 12 September 1959 Probate London
15 October to Shirley Carrock Allom Spreat civil servant John Cedric
Spreat of no occupation and Laura Gwendoline Spreat widow. Effects £72501
3s. 11d.
1901: Clydesdale,
Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex
1911: Burrington, Oakleigh Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex: Shirley Hulke
Spreat, son, is aged 17, born in Friern Barnet, Middlesex
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