James Spencer

Spencer, James, was born at Mire River, near Louisburg, Island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Oct. 13, 1816. He followed mercantile pursuits for several years, and it was not until 1853 that he entered the Baptist ministry at Chester, Nova Scotia. His hymn, “Jesus, while life's seas we sail" (For use at Sea), appeared in The Canadian Baptist Hymn Book, 1888. (Burrage's Baptist Hymn Writers, 1888, p. 391.)

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Spencer, James. (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, October 13, 1816--1893, St. John, New Brunswick). Anglican/Baptist. Trained as a lay-reader under Rev. Charles Inglis, rector of Sydney, Cape Breton's main town, who later succeeded his father as bishop of Nova Scotia. Ordained to Baptist ministry at Chester, N.S>, 1853. Pastorates at Chester, N.S., 1853-1855; Lower Granville, N.S., 1955-1861; Digby, N.S., 1861-1864; St. John, New Brunswick, 1864-?; also Hillsburg, Litchfield, and Hillgrove. In St. John he worked as a city missionary 1866-1893 and seaman's chaplain. Has three hymns in the Canadian Baptist Hymnal (1888). Two of these were written for seaman's services. One hymn, written in 1869 on the occasion of the departure of Rev. William George to enter missionary service in Burma, begins:

Constrained by love, go and proclaim
to distant heathen, veiled in night,
the potency of that blessed name,
Which turned our darkness into light.

--Alan Wingard and Hugh D. McKellar, DNAH Archives, DNAH Archives