His father Thomas Espin was Chancellor of the Diocese of Chester and his mother was Elizabeth (née Jessop).
[1] He became interested in astronomy by the appearance of "Coggia's Comet" (C/1874 H1), which he saw while attending Haileybury School.
[3] From 1912 he was assisted in astronomical observing by William Milburn (1896–1982), the grandson of a family friend.
[4] Espin was awarded the Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1913.
He also served as a county magistrate for 35 years beginning in 1891 and was chairman of Stanhope and Wolsingham Sessions.