The third son of James McCance, he was born in Newry, Co Down, on 14 Dec 1864.  He was educated at Harrow and became a Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps in 1914, rising to Captain in 1918.  He co-authored, with A D L Cary, the Regimental Records of the Royal Welch Fusiliers (formerly 23rd Foot).  He also wrote a two volume history of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, published in 1927.  At present, that is all we know of his career.

On 9th Oct 1915 he married Ellen Lavinia New (b.1894), daughter of William Henry New of Gillingham in Kent.  They lived in Markham Square, Chelsea, and St Stephen's House, Westminster.  As far as we know, they had just the one daughter, Ellen, born 8 Feb 1917.

(We believe that he was responsible for a lot of the research done into the family's history, for which we are eternally grateful!)