Jimmy Speirs' family

Elizabeth Lennox Speirs (nee Maben) - Bessie - Jimmy's widow

Having lost her husband in 1917 at the age of 29, Bessie re-married James Batty in the 1920's and moved to the south of England.  Bessie had one child, Constance, by her new husband.  In later life, Bessie retired to Bournemouth, before being widowed again.  She died in the early 1980's, whilst in her 90's, in Shrewsbury, where she had moved to be near Constance and her family.

James Hamilton Speirs, Junior - Jimmy's son, born in 1907

Young Jimmy emigrated from Scotland in 1929, and started a new life in Canada.  He married Edith Stokes Chadwick (b. 1910) in 1932, and the couple had two daughters, Betty (Elizabeth), and Constance.  Jimmy was an accountant by profession, but - after being economic with the truth about his age - he enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1943, when actually aged 36 (below, left).  He was posted to the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment, and saw service in the UK and continental Europe (France, Holland and Germany).  He was awarded the France & Germany Star, the 1939-45 Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

There was  a strong parallel with both father and son.  In 1915, Jimmy Speirs had enlisted voluntarily, despite having a wife and two young children.  In 1943, his son (left) had done exactly the same - in fact, going to some lengths to ensure that he was posted to a combat unit, when he had no need to do so.

Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment - motto: "Everywhere Whither Right and Glory Lead"

Unlike his father, happily, Jimmy returned home at the end of the War, in 1945.  He rejoined his department store employers, T Eaton & Co, and became Head of Eaton's Merchandise Department.  In 1948-9, on behalf of Eatons, he brought the first "Punkinhead" teddy bear into Canada, which he gave to daughter, Constance.  These bears are now highly regarded collectables.  Later, Jimmy became Head of Eaton's Construction Department, where his job involved travelling to the major cities in Canada, arranging for the location and design of new stores.  However, Jimmy never forgot his Scottish roots, nor the father he lost at the age of nine, of whom he was very proud. Jimmy died in 1993 at the age of of 85.

Jimmy's Canadian WW2 medals, and his section of the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment (Jimmy is fifth from the right on the back row) pose for the camera in 1943 at Brampton, Ontario (click on thumbnails to view)

Elizabeth Maben Speirs (Betty) - Jimmy's daughter, born 1912

Betty lost her father two weeks after her fifth birthday. 

She moved to the south of England with her mother, after Bessie re-married.  Betty married Gordon, and had a son, Ian and a daughter, Elizabeth.  Like her brother, Betty also retained her Scottish roots, naming her home Glen Cottage. 

Betty died of cancer in the early 1980's.

Jimmy (on leave from his Canadian Army unit) and Betty pictured in England in May 1945 (click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Bradford City Centenary Exhibition

The Club celebrated its centenary in 2003, and to mark the occasion an Exhibition - "100 Years of Claret & Amber" - was held at the Bradford Industrial Museum.  

A huge success, it attracted over 12,000 visitors, who were able to see a vast range of exhibits, some of which had been loaned from the Club itself, but alongside many from private individuals.  In addition to the many exhibits, there were a variety of pictureboards, which described key events in the Club's history.

Some of these exhibits, and the story of Bradford City's first 102 years, can be seen at www.bantamspast.co.uk . Jimmy Speirs is one of a select few players included in that site's "Front Room of Fame".

Bradford City Museum

Encouraged by the success of the exhibition in 2003, the hope of establishing a permanent "Bradford City Museum" gained momentum.  Many of the items displayed at the Industrial Museum were kindly offered for permanent loan, along with many new exhibits.  On 31 July 2005, The Official Bradford City Museum, sponsored by Bradford's daily newspaper, the Telegraph & Argus, opened adjacent to the club's stadium at Valley Parade.

Prior to the museum opening, the Telegraph & Argus had invited readers to vote for players to be inducted into the Museum's Hall of Fame, with one player being selected for each decade of the Club's existence.  Jimmy Speirs was duly elected, and life-size reproductions of these players, including Jimmy, are sited around the Museum, with short biographies of each on the reverse.

 Views of the Bradford City Museum (click on the thumbnails to enlarge)

Imperial War Museum Exhibition

The Imperial War Museum (North), based in Manchester, held an Exhibition entitled  "The Greater Game: Sport, War and Peace"  from 3 July 2004 to 9 January 2005.  Jimmy Speirs was one of only eleven men featured in a "Sportsmen at War" section.  The Exhibition was extremely popular, and was seen by some 90,000 people, including a large number of schoolchildren.

Photograph included by kind permission of the Imperial War Museum (North)

Family History Monthly

In the July 2006 issue (No. 132) of Family History Monthly, an article appeared entitled "Sporting Heroes".

 Included in the article are the stories of various professional footballers who served in WW1 - including Jimmy Speirs.  Amongst the other players featured are two of Jimmy's former team-mates - Robert Torrance and Evelyn Lintott - who were also killed in action on the Western Front.

Photographs by kind permission of Family History Monthly (click to enlarge)

Memorial Museum Passchendaele

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele, in 2007 a series of events was arranged including an Exhibition at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele, which featured Jimmy.  His life-size reproduction was loaned to the Museum - see below.

Biography of Jimmy on display at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele (click to enlarge)

Photograph courtesy of Memorial Museum Passchendaele

As part of the commemoration of the Battle of Passchendaele, a book was written by staff of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele, arising from the Passchendaele Archives project.  "Passchendaele 1917 - The Story of the Fallen & Tyne Cot Cemetery" sets out to restore faces to the names of those killed.  Jimmy Speirs is one of those covered in the book.

Tyne Cot Cemetery Visitor Centre Exhibition

Tyne Cot Cemetery contains the graves of some 13,000 men (the largest Commonwealth cemetery), and memorials to a further 35,000 missing.  It is close to Ieper (Ypres) and Dochy Farm New British Cemetery, where Jimmy Speirs is buried.  A new Visitor Centre at Tyne Cot was officially inaugurated by HM Queen Elizabeth II & HRH Prince Philip in July 2007, and housed an Exhibition on the Passchendaele conflict.  Jimmy Speirs was amongst those featured in the Exhibition (see below - click on thumbnails to enlarge).

Please use the buttons at the top of the page, or the hyperlinked words in the text,  to navigate around the site

If you wish to use any of the content of this site - other than for private research or study - please contact me

Site last updated March 2008