Shep's Place Family Tree

The Buttfields setted first at Gumeracha, then Kenton Valley and finally at Uley, One Tree Hill, where they lived for ten years. Spencer's father, John, was the schoolmaster at the small school and the preacher at the Uley Chapel.

Spencer's mother died in 1862 when he was fourteen years old. After the Buttfields moved to Port Lincoln in 1864, John wrote to his parents in Jersey to say that Spencer, then sixteen or seventeen, was sailing for Singapore and Batavia ‎(Indonesia)‎ in charge of a cargo of 40 horses on the Omagh for Mr. Thomas Winerah.

When Spencer returned from the trip, he took up his agricultural interests at Uley. From 1871-1875 he spent four years with Mr. William Ifould, Sir Sidney Kidman and Captain Samuel Hübbe to establish cattle stations in the Barrier Ranges. After that he worked for Mr. E.M. Bagot for four years. Other work places included Gympie, Queensland, and Moolooloo Station near Blinman.

For about three years he was in charge of Corryton Park Station near Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley. After that he was in charge of cattle for Mr. William Gilbert, son of Joseph Gilbert, at Macuma.

In 1880 Spencer became manager of Pewsey Vale Station, which was owned by the Gilbert family. In the Art Gallery of South Australia is a large oil painting by Alexander Schramm of "The Gilbert Family 1864". It portrays members of the Joseph Gilbert family at Pewsey Vale.

At Pewsey Vale Spencer had success in sheep raising. He was also involved in viticulture both at Pewsey Vale and Corryton Park.

Spencer married Mary Polden on 19 February 1880, at the Polden family home at Bald Hills, Mr. Crawford, South Australia. At the time of their marriage Spencer was 32 years, although the marriage certificate says 27, and Mary was 19. Mary and Spencer had a family of seven daughters and two sons.

Frank Springbett, Spencer's grandson, remembers Spencer when he came to visit them in Lyndoch:

He would bring my grandmother up mainly to have a talk with Mum ‎(Eva Janet Buttfield Springbett)‎; and to get us out of the way he would take Lillian, Ada and myself for buggy ride around the property. To entertain us he would tell us stories interspersed with a few songs. We also visited our grandparents who lived on the top of the hill behind Lyndoch - the home was named Spion Kop a notable place in the Boer War.

I can recall being there for two wedding receptions - those of Aunt Edith and later Aunt Millie ‎[Mildred]‎. My clearest recollection being of all the goodies there were to eat. On one visit I can recall encountering an old Afghan in the stable. It was rather unexpected and in fright I ran up to the house. Grandfather took me back to the stable and introduced me to the old man who was a hawker who always camped there when in the district. The old fellow gave me a bag of lollies which no doubt improved the relationship.

In about 1920 grandfather suffered a stroke and from then until he died he was confined to bed. I can remember looking in at him, but he never spoke and he seemed to me to be a different person.

My impressions were of a jovial, kind-hearted man with a bit of mystery about him because of his adventures in the far north. His yarns were mainly about that area and his encounters with Aborigines.

William Septimus, Spencer's bushman brother, visited Mary to help her look after Spencer. His daughter Ada's family returned to South Australia from Western Australia to help care for her father.

Spencer died on 9 January 1924 at Lyndoch at the age of 75 years. The cause of death given was "uraemia and chronic nephritis." Both Spencer and his wife are buried in the Lyndoch Public Cemetery.