The Eight Lancashire Lads

Founders

Former members

• Charlie Chaplin
• Nat Jackley
• Brothers Richard, Eric and Clem White went to Sydney, Australia in the 1910s and formed theatre companies including Edgley and Dawe. They had changed their names from White and the successful Australian theatrical empressarion Michael Edgley is descended from Eric Edgley. His brother, Richard White was for a period the choreographer of the female chorus at the Tivoli revue theatre in Sydney. Michael White an exotic dancer and humorist, who has been resident in Bali since 1973, is Richard White's grandson.
• Percy Joshua Norman was also one the lads. He was in the troupe 1921. His wife Pat Norman is now 91 and living in Bradford. Also his son Chris Norman was in the band Smokie who had some worldwide hits in the 1970s. Chris has had a solo career since the 1980s and is still touring and recording; he resides in the Isle of Man with his wife and family.
• Gabriel Winestein was another of the lads. Born in Leeds, Gabriel joined the troupe in about 1905.
• Percy Frederick Kenyon Connor was in the group and was a friend of Charlie Chaplin's in London. Percy went on to become a professional dancer who danced all over Europe with his wife Edith Elsie Smith. Percy's brother-in-law was Ernest G Roy, the film Producer. When Edith died in about 1925, Percy disappeared and no further information about him is known.

  Records