Percival G. Spencer

Percival Spencer (11 November 1864, Islington, London, England – 11 April 1913, Highbury, London^[1]) was a British pioneering balloonist and parachutist.

Spencer was part of the third generation of a family of professional balloonists. He was the eldest son of Charles Green Spencer (1837–1880), who was the son of Edward Spencer (1799–1849).^[1] Edward Spencer, a solicitor, was a friend and trusted assistant of the noted balloonist Charles Green,^[2] ascending with Green 27 times and soloing 40 times.^[1] Charles Spencer founded the balloon manufacturing firm of C. G. Spencer & Sons.^[1] All five of Percival's siblings also followed the family profession.^[1] He and his brothers Arthur (1866–1940) and Stanley (1868–1906) were considered the leading authorities on ballooning.^[3]

Percival first ascended in a balloon at the age of eight with his father over the Crystal Palace.^[3] In a November 1909 letter to the editor of Flight magazine, he claimed to have made eight "Cross-Sea Balloon Voyages", often with passengers.^[4] His February 1898 crossing from England to France, accompanied by Pearson's Magazine journalist George Griffith was reported in The New York Times.^[5]

On 19 March 1889, he made the first successful balloon flight in India.^[6] Ram Chandra Chatterjee took lessons from him and flew with him on 10 April,^[7] becoming the first Indian aeronaut to fly solo later that same month.^[8]

The same year, he was the first to parachute safely in Ireland, at Drumcondra.^[9]

Family life

Spencer married Mary Anne Coleman in 1892 and they had four daughters and a son, his wife died in 1905. Spencer died at his home at Aberdeen Park, Highbury on 11 April 1913 after he had developed bronchial pneumonia.^[10]

References