Stanley Spooner


Stanley Spooner, was an editor and journalist. He was originally the creator and editor of an automobile journal called The Automotor And Horseless Vehicle Journal. This became known as The Automotor Journal, from April 1902. In January 1909, he was the creator and editor of the first aeronautical weekly magazine in the world called Flight, now titled Flight International. After the success of Flight, his Automotor Journal was renamed The Auto.

Early life

Stanley was born at Campbell-Lodge, in Rosherville, Northfleet, England, on 20 November 1856 He was the youngest child of Frederick William Spooner, an accountant, and his wife Sarah Ann, who were married on the 20th of October 1841, at the church of St Leonard's, Shoreditch. Frederick was also a Freemason. He was elected as the Worshipful Master of Enoch Lodge, on the 13th of December 1854 at the Freemason's Tavern, Great Queen Street, London. Stanley would later become a Freemason himself.
Stanley Spooner was baptized on the 25th of July 1865 at St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate, London. On the 2nd of April 1871, he was recorded as living with his siblings and parents at "Dashwood Cottage", Gravesend, Kent. He was educated at King's College, London, France and Germany.

Career

In 1876 Stanley was living at 55, Great Percy Street, London, and was a Clerk to an accountant named Robert William Hudswell. His offices were at 23, Martin's Lane, Cannon Street, London. The name of his business was Hudswell & Co. In 1875 Robert took up the position of accountant of the Co-operative Credit Bank, Queen Victoria Street, London. On the 5th of February 1876, Stanley was called as a witness at the Mansion House, London. This was in the trial of Richard Banner Oakley, manager of the Co-operative Credit Bank. Richard was accused of obtaining money and securities through false pretenses.
He became a Freemason, and was initiated into the Chiltern Lodge, on the 21st of December 1880. Stanley's occupation was put down as "Accountant", on entering the lodge, and his address was Little Piazza Tavistock Chambers, Covent Garden, Strand, London. In the 1881 Census taken on the 3rd of April, Stanley was still at this address, with his occupation being a "Newspaper Advertising Manager."
When the Constitutional Club was formed in 1883, he was one of its original members.
Stanley was initiated into the Anglo-American Lodge, on the 21st of May 1889, at their regular meeting place which was the Criterion Restaurant, Piccadilly. His occupation on joining was put down as "Accountant" and his address was 125, Strand, London W.C.
He then applied to be a member of the Stock Exchange, and was posted as a member on the 24th of March 1890.
At first Stanley was a clerk, then a stockbroker and a junior partner of Thomas Toller Hurst Daniell from April 1891.Thomas was Spooner's brother in-law. He was also a member of the Anglo-American Lodge. On the 15th of May 1891, it was reported in the London Evening Standard that they were declared defaulters upon the stock exchange. This was due to the fact that George James, a stockbroker from Southport who Hurst, Daniell, Spooner & Co were acting as agents for, absconded and failed to pay losses he made on his account. George James misappropriated £70,000. He was sentenced to five years in prison at Liverpool assizes on the 28th of July 1891. Thomas Toller Hurst Daniell died in Hastings in 1892.

''The Automotor And Horseless Vehicle Journal''

On the 15th of October 1896, a monthly journal created by Stanley, titled The Automotor And Horseless Vehicle Journal, went on sale. It was published by F.king&Co.Ltd . Underneath the title it stated the magazine was: "A Record And Review of Applied Automatic Locomotion".
The first Sixpenny issue included a portrait and biography of Sir David Salomons, and also information about the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris Automobile race. Along with the latest racing news, and book reviews, the magazine over the years included technical drawings, diagrams, and reviews of the latest forms of automated transport. It also gave general news about the latest laws concerning automobiles, and the latest news on automobile clubs. The journal had a section titled "Correspondence", from the first issue. These were letters from the public, to the editor of the magazine, which Stanley would reply to in print in following issues. When Stanley Spooner started Flight magazine he would also have a "Correspondence" section from the first issue.
Stanley Spooner owned a motor car prior to 1900, and was a member of The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, from its beginnings. He was on that Club's committee from 1900–1904. While on this committee, he became friends with Charles Rolls, and John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara.. The Aero Club of The United Kingdom was formed in 1901, and Charles Rolls was one of its founders. In its early years, this club was closely allied to The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Charles Rolls, and John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara, would go on to become pioneer aviators. Another pioneer aviator who Stanley went on to become friends with was Griffith Brewer. He was originally a Balloonist. On October the 8th 1908 he became the first Englishman to go up in an aeroplane. This occurred when he was a passenger to Wilbur Wright, near Le Mans in France. Griffith became friends of the Wrights, and Spooner was able to keep in contact with them via him.
Charles Rolls on the same day and place became the second Englishman to go up in an aeroplane, after Griffith by also travelling as a passenger with Wilbur Wright.
From around 1900 The Automotor And Horseless Vehicle Journal had a subsection titled Aeronautics. This section published information relating to early accomplishments in aviation. These included experiments by the Wright brothers and their glider in 1903.That section also included articles about Alberto Santos-Dumont, his Airship inventions, and his flight at Bagatelle, on 23 October 1906 in his biplane 14-bis. An issue from 18 January 1908 recorded the success of Henry Farman flying a 1-kilometer course in an aeroplane on 13 January 1908 at Issy, France and winning the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize. The issue of 25 April 1908 showed a diagram of official Wright patent drawings of their aeroplane
From November 1908 eight weeks before Flight was published as a separate magazine, pages of The Automotor Journal that covered aeronautics, were bound in Flight covers. This was in order to establish copyright.

''Flight''

On 2 January 1909 the first issue of Flight went on sale as a separate magazine. It was the official journal of The Aero Club of The United Kingdom. Stanley was on that club's committee in 1909. The magazine recorded information about Aero Clubs throughout the country, ballooning, and model plane aircraft flying competitions, along with other things relating to aviation.
On the first issue front cover was John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara and a photograph of him flying his aeroplane. It recorded his flights at Issy, France, on the 3rd of December 1908. Underneath the main title on the first issue was the sub-heading: "A Second Englishman Flies." The magazine credited Henry Farman as being the first Englishman to fly a heavier-than-air machine. Henry had an English father and was born in France. But he did not take French nationality until 1937.
The first printed letter addressed to the editor of Flight in the "Correspondence" section of that magazine came from Frederick W. Lanchester. He objected against Stanley giving support in his columns to the word "aerodrome", being used to define "a big open space for flying machines." Stanley respectfully disagreed.
During his time as editor, the magazine recorded the aerial accomplishments, among others of Charles Rolls, Louis Bleriot, Roland Garros, and Charles Lindbergh.
He sold Flight to Iliffe & Sons in 1934; Spooner had already sold his magazine The Auto.

Death

Stanley Spooner died of Thrombosis at University College Hospital, Gower Street, London, on the 3rd of April 1940.
He was buried on the 6th of April 1940 at Brookwood Cemetery Probate was granted on the 10th of June 1940, with the value of his effects coming to £116,064, 6 shillings and 9 pence. Along with Stanley's property at 36, Great Queen - street, he was also of The Leys, little Clacton, Essex, at the time of death.
Among bequests in Stanley's Will was one of £5,000 to the Royal Aeronautical Society. This was to set up an aeronautical research scholarship in his name.