The following information concerns Austin Spare's father, Philip Newton Spare, and his paternal grandfather, John Spare. The 'events' list for each are essentially based on family information at the time of the 1871, 1881,1891 and 1901 censuses, together with some information on key events (birth, marriage and death) either from the Register Indexes (post 1837) or (pre-1837) from the much less dependable IGI summaries of church registers. A rough family tree for the male line is also available.

Interestingly, the male line of Austin's father has its roots in the area of Atherstone, between Nuneaton and Tamworth, on the Warwickshire/Staffordshire border. However, for some reason, at least three male Spares were in the Pickering area of Yorkshire in the mid-1850s. This is where John Spare married a local farmer's daughter, Esther Newton. His eldest son, Philip, born, in 1858, at Wilton near Pickering, was named after his father-in-law, Philip Newton. Subsequent children of John Spare and Esther were born (according to the 1871 and 1881 Censuses) back in the Atherstone area. However, by 1871 John Spare is back in Yorkshire as a police officer and then appears to stay there for the remainder of his life, moving through a series of postings and promotion to sergeant. His wife dies in 1893 and he subsequently lives in retirement in Pickering until his own death at 74.

Interestingly, Austin's father, Philip is living with his grandparents in 1871 (aged 13) not elsewhere in Yorkshire with his parents. At some stage in the next 8 years he moves to London and marries Eliza Ann Osman in London in 1879 and is listed as a police constable in the 1881 Census.