Born in North Bay, Ontario, William Sprenger was educated in private schools in England and Saint John, New Brunswick. He earned his B.A. from McGill in 1931 and his B.C.L. in 1934. During his university years, and afterwards when he worked in the legal section of Canadian Industries, Ltd., he was an outstanding champion swimmer. He was also an amateur pilot, and at the outbreak of World War II, he joined the No. 1 Fighter Squadron of the R.C.A.F. He was killed during the Battle of Britain when his plane was shot down near Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Born in Québec City, Eric A. Sprenger was educated at Rothesay Collegiate School, in Saint John, New Brunswick, and at Hoscote School, Montréal. He enrolled at McGill in Mechanical Engineering in 1931 and obtained his Bachelor of Engineering in 1940. His brother was William P. Sprenger.

Rev. William Archibald Spooner was born on July 22, 1844, in London, England.

He was a clergyman. He was educated at Oswestry School and New College, Oxford. He remained at New College, Oxford, for over sixty years, serving as a fellow (1867), lecturer (1868), tutor (1869), dean (1876–1889), and warden (1903–1924). He lectured on ancient history, divinity, and philosophy. He was most notable for his absent-mindedness and for supposedly mixing up the syllables in a spoken phrase with unintentionally comic effect. These phrases became known as spoonerisms.

In 1878, he married Frances (Frank) Wycliffe Goodwin (1852–1939). He died on August 29, 1930, in Headington, Oxfordshire, England.