In the History, there have been several thespians and even a few with the classification 'Comedian'. One such was Sir Harry Lauder who was a very early member of the Glasgow Club.

Harry was born in Edinburgh on August 4, 1870, his father being a Master Potter. When Harry's father accepted an excellent position at Pearson's Pottery near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, the family moved there but after only a short time, he contracted pneumonia and died aged only 32. Harry and his mother then moved back to Scotland to Arbroath with the rest of the family.

Harry's mother was determined that his schooling should continue beyond the elementary stage, so in order to attend the next school, Harry took a part-time job at the nearby flax mill, which also assisted the large family's income (there were eight children).

However, Harry's uncle Sandy was working at that time in Hamilton in Lanarkshire, where there was enormous industrial activity and towards the end of the 1880s, the family moved to Hamilton where Harry obtained work in a local coal mine. He remained there for about nine to ten years, always determined to leave the mines to start a new career as an entertainer.

In 1891 Harry married Ann (Nance), the eldest daughter of James Vallance, a local Colliery Manager. All the time, Lauder was progressing through the levels of the music halls and by 1912, he was at the top of his profession and so entitled to be elected a member of the Rotary Club of Glasgow. There can be no doubt whatever of Harry Lauder's tremendous popularity. He toured the world for forty years including 22 times to the U.S.A., and several times to Australia where he often stayed with his brother John. In fact, Harry and his wife and son were in Melbourne, Victoria, when the British Empire mobilised for World War One.

Throughout the war, the patriotic Lauder worked unceasingly, raising huge sums of money for war charities, both in Britain and in America, entertaining troops in the trenches in France, where he came under enemy fire, as well as helping to raise morale at home with his many appearances. With his natural humour and lively manner, Harry Lauder was also in great demand as a speaker at Rotary Clubs, and visited several clubs in North America during his tours there during the war years, among them the clubs at Dayton, Springfield, Harrisburg and Terre Haute as well as Toronto and others in Canada. At many he was asked to lead the singing and happily did so. While in Chicago in 1914, Lauder met Paul Harris and the two became good friends. They were to meet again on other occasions both in the USA and in Scotland. He sang at the Chicago club on this visit and addressed them in 1919. Sometimes he performed a song called' In the Rotary' which he had himself written. In the Archives Reference Room at Evanston, is a piece of sheet music of this song by Harry Lauder.

Sir Harry's only child, John, was called up during the war and as Captain John Lauder of the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highland Regiment, was eventually killed at Poiziers in France on 26th December 1916.

Harry Lauder was knighted in January 1919 by King George V and later Winston Churchill referred to him as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador". Harry was the first British entertainer to sell a million records and was a favourite of royalty and an intimate friend of the famous tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton.

In the 1920s, Sir Harry Lauder was a frequent speaker at Rotary functions throughout the world, among them the 10th anniversary of the London Club and bidding farewell in song to the British delegates to the conventions in Los Angeles in 1922 and Toronto in 1924. He also made a special address to the 1921 Convention in Edinburgh as well as helping to lead a boat trip for delegates down the Clyde.

In May 1928 Paul Harris made his first visit to Glasgow but it was not until July 10 that he made his first visit to the Glasgow Club where his address was heard by a gathering of over one hundred members. His speech on 'The Genesis of Rotary', was interrupted by the arrival of his old friend, Sir Harry Lauder. As this meeting ended, the Glasgow Rotarians, led by Sir Harry, rose and sang Burns's 'Auld Lang Syne', followed by the poet's often-quoted plea 'Will ye no' come back again?'

He again entertained troops, and broadcast over the wireless with the BBC Scottish Orchestra during World War II, despite his advanced years. Even towards the end of that conflict and just afterwards Sir Harry appeared at the docks when American food ships came into Glasgow to publicly thank the crews for coming to Britain's assistance in her hour of need.

Eventually on February 26,1950, Sir Harry Lauder died at his home in Strathaven.

At his funeral service the Lesson was read by the Duke of Hamilton, and all shops and businesses in Hamilton closed for the day. The funeral was covered by Pathe News and wreaths were received from all over the world, including one from Queen Elizabeth and another from Mr & Mrs Winston Churchill.

Sir Harry wrote most of his own songs, favourites of which were Roamin' in the Gloamin', I Love a Lassie, A Wee Deoch-an-Doris, and Keep Right on to the End of the Road, and starred in three British films: Huntingtower (1928), Auld Lang Syne (1929) and The End of the Road (1936). He also wrote a number of books which ran into several editions, including Harry Lauder at Home and on Tour (1912), A Minstrel in France (1918), Roamin' in the Gloamin' (1927 autobiography), My Best Scotch Stories (1929), Wee Drappies (1931) and Ticklin' Talks (c.1932).

Among others with a stage background were the dramatic monologist and Dickens specialist, Bransby Williams , the music hall comedian Richard G. Knowles, who was actually a Canadian and former University lecturer, ventriloquist Arthur Prince and Harry Tate all from the London Club. Among the straight actors were two knights, Sir John Martin Harvey and Sir Frank Benson. In America there was the comedian Chick Sale, perhaps better known as the writer of 'The Specialist'.

Basil Lewis

For biographical notes on Sir Harry Lauder, I am indebted to his great nephew, Gregory Lauder-Frost.

Also see Rotary in the UK and Ireland