View source for Spencer Allen Hickley

{{CaptRN}} '''Spencer Allen Hickley''', Royal Navy (2 September, 1870 &ndash; 27 September, 1914) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]] with a curious talent for getting in trouble with the Admiralty who died shortly after the start of the First World War.

==Life & Career==
Hickley was the son of Rear Admiral [[Henry Dennis Hickley|Henry D. Hickley]].<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

He entered the Royal Navy on 15 July, 1883, joining the training ship [[H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship)|''Britannia'']] as {{NavCadRN}}. He passed out in July, 1885, with 11 months' time and was rated {{MidRN}} without examination in August.

Having taken five firsts in his examinations for the rank of Lieutenant Hickley was promoted on 2 September, 1890, his twentieth birthday, the earliest possible date.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

On 11 July, 1893, Hickley was loaned to {{UK-1TB34|f=t}} as {{LaCRN}}, for manoeuvres.<ref>"The Naval Manœuvres".  ''The Times''.  Monday, 10 July, 1893.  Issue '''33999''', col D, p. 10.</ref>

Hickley was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 31 December, 1901.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

On 11 December, 1902, he married Winifred Delia Edwards at St. James's Church, Paddington.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

Hickley was appointed in command of the {{UK-Pathfinder|f=t}} on 2 May, 1905.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

Hickley was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 1 January, 1907.  That same month he was scolded for cancelling an exercise in which T.B.Ds. would attack Scouts on account of weather.  He failed to inform the destroyers that the exercise was called off and they wasted the night searching for their prey.  He was superseded in {{UK-Pathfinder}} on 26 January. On 12 February he was appointed to a course at the [[Royal Naval War College]]. On 5 April he was appointed to the {{UK-Illustrious|f=t}} as Flag Captain to Rear-Admiral [[Robert Swinburne Lowry|Robert S. Lowry]], the new Rear-Admiral in the [[Channel Fleet (Royal Navy)|Channel Fleet]]. Lowry struck his flag after an abnormally short period of time, on 1 October, and Hickley gave up command at the same time.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

On 27 November 1908, he was appointed to succeed [[Stuart St. John Farquhar]] in command of the {{UK-Doris|f=t}}.  In May, 1910 he was reprimanded for failing, as prosecutor in a Court Martial, to cross-examine a witness.  Worse, he soon incurred Their Lordships' "severe displeasure for entire lack of judgment and for the inefficient pilotage of the ship" in grounding her on 10 June, 1910 in Gibraltar Harbour.  The Board concurred and acted to have him superseded in July, 1910.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

In April 1911, he assumed command of the {{UK-1Encounter|f=t}}.

On 22 August, 1912, he arrived home in England and wrote an intemperate letter when an allowance for his baggage was not provided him.  He was cautioned as to his conduct in such cases in future.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>

Hickley was appointed in command of the {{UK-Argonaut|f=t}} and for a group of ships of the Third Fleet on 6 December, 1913.{{NLApr14|p. 280}}

In April and May of 1914, he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Talbot|f=t}}.

He died on 27 September, 1914 in England.  Although his death was reported in ''The Times'',{{ToL|Deaths|Tuesday, September 29, 1914, Issue 40650, p.1}} no real detail has been found on his demise.<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/108.}}</ref>{{KindellROH2|p. 21}}

==See Also==
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{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Edward Pauley|William E. Pauley]]'''|'''[[H.M. T.B. 34 (1885)|Captain of H.M. T.B. 34]]'''<br>11 Jul, 1893<ref>"The Naval Manœuvres".  ''The Times''.  Monday, 10 July, 1893.  Issue '''33999''', col D, p. 10.</ref><ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; 17 Aug, 1893<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Colin Stuart Inglis|Colin S. Inglis]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Pathfinder (1904)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Pathfinder'']]'''<br>2 May, 1905<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; 26 Jan, 1907<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Wilmot Stuart Nicholson|Wilmot S. Nicholson]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Osbert Boothby|William O. Boothby]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Illustrious (1896)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Illustrious'']]'''<br>5 Apr, 1907<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; 1 Oct, 1907<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Hugh Henry Darby Tothill|Hugh H. D. Tothill]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Stuart St. John Farquhar|Stuart St. J. Farquhar]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Doris (1896)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Doris'']]'''<br>27 Nov, 1908{{NLJan10|p. 302}}<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; Jul, 1910<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Michael Henry Hodges|Michael H. Hodges]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Philip Howard Colomb|Philip H. Colomb]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Encounter (1902)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Encounter'']]'''<br>4 Apr, 1911<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>{{NLApr11|p. 308}} &ndash; 30 Jun, 1912<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Bertram Mordaunt Chambers|Bertram M. Chambers]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[John Nicholas|John Nicholas]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Terrible (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Terrible'']]'''<br>10 Jun, 1913{{NLJul13|p. 384}}<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; 6 Dec, 1913<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Thomas Francis Tregoye Michell|Thomas F. T. Michell]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Drummond Church|William D. Church]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Argonaut (1898)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Argonaut'']]'''<br>6 Dec, 1913{{NLApr14|p. 280}}<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; 27 Apr, 1914<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Raymond Andrew Nugent|Raymond A. Nugent]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Gerald St. John|Francis G. St. John]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Talbot (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Talbot'']]'''<br>27 Apr, 1914<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref> &ndash; May, 1914<ref>Hickley Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|D7602446}} f. 108.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Lockhart Leith|Lockhart Leith]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickley, Spencer}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1870|1914}}
{{CatCapt|UK}}
{{CatBritannia|July, 1883}}
{{CatGunneryOfficer|UK}}
{{CatRN}}