Edouard Henri A. Lacaille

(also referred to as Edward Lacaille)

Born: 26 January 1856, Paris, France - Died: 24 February 1926, British Columbia, Canada

Edouard Lacaille was a teacher of French - as were other members of his family - and a sometime commercial agent, probably working with his brother, Fernand Lacaille.

He lived at several addresses in Glasgow over the years; in the 1881 Census he is shown as Edward Lacaille (25), born in France, living at Carrick House, Bruce Road, in Pollokshields; in 1901 he is listed at 7 Louden Terrace, in the Kelvinside area of the city.

In 1905, on 23 February, he married Joannes MacLennan (38), a nurse, of 10 Roclea Terrace, Kelvinside, Glasgow. The registration document shows his initials as E.H.A., the latter probably standing for Armand, his father's name.

Lacaille was a member of several chess clubs, which seems to have been quite typcal of the time. He played for (and was an office-bearer of) Burns CC, a club that was named because of their meeting place, Burns Tea Rooms, 245 Ingram Street, Glasgow (though it later changed locations).

He also played for Helensburgh CC, being a member of the team that won the first Spens Cup competition in 1902. His brother played on the same team that day, as did another pair of brothers, A. Bonar Law, the future Prime Minister, and J.R.K. Law. [The remaining member of the five-man team was Thomas Brash.]

Lacaille was also a member of Hillhead CC, located in the West End of Glasgow, the area where he lived. In 1903 he won the Championship Cup and Medal of that club.

Lacaille played for West of Scotland v East of Scotland in 1899 (his brother Fernand also played).

1905 he played for Burns CC in the Richardson Cup, the premier team competition in Scotland. In the semi-final v Edinburgh CC, Lacaille won his game against G.P. Galloway, and Burns won the match 3-2. However, his club lost the final (on 11 February) to Glasgow CC, though Lacaille again won his game, v J.M. Finlayson.

Lacaille's earlier connections to British Columbia are shown by this game, played by correspondence against his brother.

From the Glasgow Herald chess column of April 3, 1926, p. 4:

'The following game was won by the late Edouard Lacaille, who had Black. It was started in 1887,
played by correspondence, and finished some 3½ years later, the mail taking about three weeks each way.'

F. Lacaille (Glasgow) - E. Lacaille (British Columbia)

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxg5 10. Nc3 Nd7 11. Ne4 Bf6 12. h4 e5 13. g4 exd4 14. Nxd4 Be7 15. g5 Bb4+ 16. Ke2 f5 17. Qb3+ Kh8 18. Ne6 Qe7 19. Nxf8 fxe4 20. Ng6+ hxg6 21. Bc4 Qf8 22. f4 exf3+ 23. Kf2 Nc5 24. Qc2 Ne4+ 25. Kf1 f2 26. h5 Ng3# 0-1

Apart from this early connection to British Columbia, it is recorded in shipping manifests that Lacaille sailed from Scotland to Canada in 1905 and 1911.

The following information has been provided by Stephen Wright, British Columbia chess historian .

  • 1914 - played in cable match for Vancouver against Victoria, draw against Patrick.
  • 1916 - first president of BC Chess Federation.
  • 1918 - played in telephone match for Vancouver against Victoria, losing to H. Sanders.
  • 1919 - listed as playing for Vancouver Central in the Greater Vancouver Chess League, First Division, winning against Millar (Kitsilano) on 2 December 1918; played against Ewing (North Vancouver), submitted for adjudication.
  • 1919/20 - several of his problems appear in the chess column of the Sunday Oregonian, where he is described as "one of the most renowned problemists of British Columbia".

Mr Wright also provided the following information from B.C. records:

  • 1908 - first inclusion in City of Vancouver Directory, Edward Lacaille, bookkeeper, res. 1056 Davie St.
  • 1911 Canadian census: Edouard (55) lives at 1056 Davie St. with wife Joannes, "manager of real estate office," year of immigration 1887, year of naturalization 1890.
  • 1911 - appointed Notary Public.
  • 1914 - manager, BC Trust Corporation.
  • 1922 - secretary, Securities Corporation of BC.
  • 1924 - clerk, Shaw, Salter and Plommer.
  • 1926 - according to death certificate, born 26 January 1856 in Paris, France, father Armand, mother Virginie. Occupation listed as accountant. At place of death 20 years, in province/Canada 26 years (no indication if that is supposed to be continuous).
Lacaille died 24 February 1926 in British Columbia and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver.

Sources
BCM 1903, p. 216.
ScotlandsPeople web site - Census 1881 and 1901; Marriage records.
Glasgow Herald chess column, April 3, 1926, p. 4.
Stephen Wright, Historian of chess in British Columbia.

 

 

Alan McGowan