August 4 in Scottish History

On 4 August 1870 Sir Harry Lauder, Scottish music hall comedian, was born in Portobello. The biggest Scottish entertainer of his age, his most popular songs included "I Love a Lassie" and "Roamin' in the Gloamin'. Lauder was the first entertainer to perform for soldiers at the front line during the First World War and earned a knighthood in 1919 for this and for his work in recruiting Scots for the army, including paying for 100 pipers to march through Scotland as a recruitment drive. His signature tune was "Keep Right on to the End of the Road", supposedly written after he lost his only son during the Great War.

Today in 1588 saw the death of Archibald Douglas, the 8th Earl of Angus, the Scottish aristocrat and soldier. Douglas became a formidable power in Scotland under the patronage of his uncle, the earl of Morton, the regent for young King James VI. However, after Morton's death his fall from grace was just as rapid. In 1581, the vengeful king charged him with treason and he was forced to flee to England. Douglas was a fierce Presbyterian and came to lead (with covert assistance from the English Queen Elizabeth) the other Protestant Scottish exiles in England. He was reconciled with the king in 1584 and returned home, but his strong religious views excluded him any position of power and influence under James.

On this day in 1792 Edward Irving, the noted cleric, was born. Irving was expelled from the Church of Scotland for preaching the sinful side of Christ's humanity, and His imminent Second Coming. He founded the 'Holy Catholic Apostolic Church', popularly known as the "Irvingites". His friends and supporters included Charles Lamb, Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

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