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Fernand Auguste Lacaille
Born: 1867, Hastings, England - Died: 20 May 1926 (age 59), Glasgow
Fernand Lacaille was a businessman and general merchant trading under the name of F. Lacaille & Co., 62 Robertson Street, Glasgow. He was born at Hastings, Sussex, England, his birth being registered in the first quarter of 1867.
Several members of his family were French language teachers, including his brother Edouard (or Edward) Lacaille, who was also an active chess player.
Lacaille married Jessie Barclay in 1898 in Haslingden in Lancashire, England. By 1901, the family had moved to 34 West Montrose Street, Helensburgh. A near neighbour in the town at 18 Stafford Street was A. Bonar Law, a future Prime Minister of the U.K.
Fernand (and his brother) had connections to several clubs; the Burns Chess Club in Glasgow, which took its name from their meeting place at the Burns Tea Rooms, 245 Ingram Street, and Helensburgh Chess Club.
Both Fernand and his brother were on the Helensburgh CC team that won the first ever Spens Cup competition in 1902. They played alongside A. Bonar Law, and his brother J.R.K. Law. [The five-man team also included Thomas Brash.] He was also an office-bearer of the club, being elected secretary at the AGM of 1903, when Bonar Law was elected hon. president.
Fernand played for the West of Scotland team in matches against the East of Scotland in 1899, 1905 and 1923. He also played for Scotland in a match against the Northern Counties of England in 1905, held on 10th June at the Windsor Hotel, Glasgow. He drew his game with E. A. Moore of Manchester.
Lacaille was not just a player at the Burns CC, but also an office-bearer; for example, he was elected President of the club for the 1908-09 season.
He also moved home several times; in the 1911 Census he is shown as living at Wellshot House in Buchanan Drive, Cambuslang. At the time of his death in 1926 - almost four months after his brother Edouard died in British Columbia - he was living at 3 Westbank Quadrant, Glasgow, just off Gibson Street.
The Glasgow Herald reported that in the last few years of his life Lacaille also played for Queen's Park CC, a club on the south side of the city.
A game against his brother, who at the time was living in Canada.
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
Sources
Glasgow Herald chess columns: April 3, 1926, p. 4; May 21, 1926, p. 1; June 19, 1926, p. 4;
Chess Amateur, October 1908, p. 2.
ScotlandsPeople web site - Census 1901 and 1911; Marriage and Death records.
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl - for English records.
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