Eugene Wason
Encyclopedia
Eugene Wason was a Scottish lawyer and Liberal
politician who sat in the House of Commons in three periods between 1885 and 1918.
sometime MP for Ipswich
, his brother was Cathcart Wason
the MP for Orkney and Shetland
from 1900–1921 (and previously an MP in New Zealand 1876-79), first elected as a Liberal Unionist
but later switching to the Liberals and his daughter Minna married John William Crombie
who was MP for Kincardineshire
from 1892-1908. In 1870, Wason married Eleanor Mary from Dolgelly
, the daughter of C. R. Williams, Deputy Lieutenant
of Merionethshire
. They had three sons and two daughters.
who was Liberal MP for Bethnal Green South West
and whose father was a close friend of Wason’s has recorded that Eugene and Cathcart were giants, Eugene being thick set and heavy while Cathcart was willowy and thin. Harris related that the story always told about Eugene was that if he stepped on a weighing machine the hands would go on until they could no farther as he topped the maximum 20 stone mark on the dial. Not surprisingly, according to Harris, Eugene was fond of his food and wine,) although he was also a keen sportsman listing his recreations in Who’s Who
in his younger days as football, shooting, rowing, and fishing although in later life these pursuits turned into reading, bridge, backgammon, and the card game picquet.
, then at Rock Ferry
in Cheshire
before going to Rugby School
. While at Rugby, Wason served in the School Rifle Corps, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He later became a member of the 8th Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers
. After Rugby, Wason went to Wadham College, Oxford
where he gained a BA degree
in 1868 and an MA in 1870. While he was a student at Oxford, Wason rowed in Trial Eights in 1865 and 1866 and was Captain of Wadham College Boat Club
. He was also winner of the University foils
for 1868.
in 1870 and practised on the Northern Circuit. Whether he did not at first take to being a barrister
or perhaps just to gain greater legal experience, in 1872 Wason was disbarred as a barrister at his own request in order to become a solicitor
. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1876, becoming a partner in Williams, James & Wason until 1885. Again at his own request, Wason was struck off the Rolls in 1886, ceasing to be a solicitor, in order to gain readmission as a member of the Bar the following week. This was deemed a unique experience, Wason having been both disbarred and struck off the Rolls, but each time at his own request. From 1878-1882, Wason served as Assistant Examiner to the Incorporated Law Society in Common Law.
for the constituency of Ayrshire South
. This was his local seat as his home was at Blair, Dailly
, a village in the county. He held the seat only until the 1886 election
when he lost to a Liberal Unionist
but regained it at the 1892 general election
and then served as its MP until 1895
when he again forfeited the seat to a Liberal Unionist, Sir William Arrol
.
, J B Balfour
became a judge and resigned his seat. Wason was selected as Liberal candidate and fighting the by-election
against the background of the war in South Africa he managed to hold the seat, beating his Conservative
opponent George Younger
albeit by a marginally reduced majority of 516 - down from 545 at the previous general election.
After his by-election victory, Wason retained his Clackmannan and Kinross seat at the 1900 general election
in a straight fight with the Conservatives by a majority of 351. In the Liberal landslide election of 1906
he increased his majority over the Conservatives to 1,379 and in January 1910 he maintained his advantage by a majority of 1,268. In December 1910 he was returned unopposed. By 1918 Wason was 72 years old and decided to retire from Parliament at the next election. He therefore stood down from Parliament at the 1918 election
.
for Scotland. He presided at the meeting of Scottish Liberal members at the House of Commons which urged the government to implement the motion passed at the Scottish National Liberal Council at Dunfermline on 22 October 1910 which called for Home Rule to enable Scottish reforms to be carried through, adapted to the traditions, circumstances and aspirations of the Scottish people. He served as Honorary President of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture and later led a deputation of Scottish Liberal MPs to prime minister
H H Asquith in his room at the House of Commons on 25 April 1912 urging the introduction of a Bill for Scottish self-government in the next Session. According to another source the delegation saw the prime minister again on 6 May 1912 and, while agreeing there was no groundswell of opinion in Scotland for home rule, there was ‘concern and disgruntlement at the general neglect of Scottish affairs’ and they told Asquith they were worried this might escalate if not dealt with through an element of devolution.
newspaper, he was described as a political Radical
. He was said to be a frequent speaker in the House of Commons (unlike his brother Cathcart) and usually gave expression to advanced radical views. On one important radical issue of the day, women’s suffrage, he himself claimed to have always voted in favour. His support of Home Rule all Round was also indicative of radical sentiments. However after he left Parliament, in the days when the old Liberal tradition was collapsing under the strains and stresses of party splits, the confusion of the electorate as to Liberal policy and the massive expansion of the electorate as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918
, Wason’s radicalism was tested. At the general elections of 1923
and 1924
in Wason’s home area of South Ayrshire no Liberal candidate could be persuaded to stand, leaving a straight fight between Labour
and Conservative parties.
Faced with this choice at a time of polarisation in British politics, with Liberalism at a low ebb in Ayrshire Wason supported the Conservative.
, Andrew Bonar Law and Austen Chamberlain
.
In 1907, Wason was created a Privy Councillor after which he was able to be termed The Right Honourable
and was eligible to receive sensitive government information on highly confidential terms.
In June 1915 he was appointed by the then Secretary for Scotland Thomas McKinnon Wood
as Chairman of a Committee on Food Production in Scotland (under the auspices of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland) to make recommendations about maintaining and increasing food production on the assumption the war would last beyond the harvest of 1916. He also served as a member of the Committee on the Scottish National War Memorial
. In 1917 he was made a Deputy Lieutenant
for the County of Ayrshire
and was for some years a Justice of the Peace
in Ayrshire.
) in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Imperial province of Bohemia
(now the Czech Republic). He was detained there as an enemy alien
until September when he was allowed to travel to neutral Switzerland along with 200 other British subjects who had been taking the waters there and at the other nearby Spa town of Karlsbad (now called Karlovy Vary
). He arrived in Geneva on 4 September and from there returned to England.
at the Criterion Restaurant in London on 25 January 1918 as one of the guests of the London Robert Burns Club. Unfortunately however the guests had to do without the traditional dish of haggis
. The haggis had been ordered but owing to the food restrictions in Scotland caused by the war, the necessary ingredients were not available. This was ironical in view of Wason’s previous role as Chairman of the Committee on Food Production in Scotland. The guests had to make do with what The Times
newspaper report of the event described as ‘an Italian dish’ (otherwise unspecified) but which was properly piped in by the bagpipes.
on 20 April 1927 aged 81 years.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons in three periods between 1885 and 1918.
Family
Eugene Wason came from a Liberal family. His father, brother and son-in-law, were all Liberal Members of Parliament. His father was Rigby WasonRigby Wason
Rigby Wason was a Scottish barrister and farmer, and a Whig politician. He was Member of Parliament for Ipswich in Suffolk from 1831 until his defeat at the 1835 general election...
sometime MP for Ipswich
Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)
Ipswich is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, his brother was Cathcart Wason
Cathcart Wason
Cathcart Wason , generally known as Cathcart Wason, was a Scottish farmer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament in two countries: first in New Zealand and then in Scotland, after the failure of his colonial ventures...
the MP for Orkney and Shetland
Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)
Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
from 1900–1921 (and previously an MP in New Zealand 1876-79), first elected as a Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
but later switching to the Liberals and his daughter Minna married John William Crombie
John William Crombie
John William Crombie was a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
who was MP for Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Kincardineshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament ....
from 1892-1908. In 1870, Wason married Eleanor Mary from Dolgelly
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, the daughter of C. R. Williams, Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
. They had three sons and two daughters.
Stature and character
Wason, like his brother Cathcart, was well over 6 feet tall. He was described by one of the contemporary Speakers of the House of Commons as ‘the largest and tallest man in the House.’ Sir Percy HarrisSir Percy Harris, 1st Baronet
Sir Percy Alfred Harris, 1st Baronet PC was a British Liberal Party politician.Born in Kensington, Harris was educated at Harrow and Trinity Hall, Cambridge and was called to the bar...
who was Liberal MP for Bethnal Green South West
Bethnal Green South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green South West was a constituency in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
and whose father was a close friend of Wason’s has recorded that Eugene and Cathcart were giants, Eugene being thick set and heavy while Cathcart was willowy and thin. Harris related that the story always told about Eugene was that if he stepped on a weighing machine the hands would go on until they could no farther as he topped the maximum 20 stone mark on the dial. Not surprisingly, according to Harris, Eugene was fond of his food and wine,) although he was also a keen sportsman listing his recreations in Who’s Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
in his younger days as football, shooting, rowing, and fishing although in later life these pursuits turned into reading, bridge, backgammon, and the card game picquet.
Education
Wason was educated first privately in France at Boulogne-sur-MerBoulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, then at Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry is an area of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the county of Cheshire...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
before going to Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. While at Rugby, Wason served in the School Rifle Corps, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He later became a member of the 8th Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
. After Rugby, Wason went to Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
where he gained a BA degree
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1868 and an MA in 1870. While he was a student at Oxford, Wason rowed in Trial Eights in 1865 and 1866 and was Captain of Wadham College Boat Club
Wadham College Boat Club
Wadham College Boat Club is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club's members are students and staff from Wadham College and Harris Manchester College. Founded some time before 1837, Wadham has had great success both within Oxford and externally in regattas...
. He was also winner of the University foils
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for fencing in general.- Components:...
for 1868.
Career
Wason’s chosen professions were the law and politics. He was called to the Bar by the Middle TempleMiddle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1870 and practised on the Northern Circuit. Whether he did not at first take to being a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
or perhaps just to gain greater legal experience, in 1872 Wason was disbarred as a barrister at his own request in order to become a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1876, becoming a partner in Williams, James & Wason until 1885. Again at his own request, Wason was struck off the Rolls in 1886, ceasing to be a solicitor, in order to gain readmission as a member of the Bar the following week. This was deemed a unique experience, Wason having been both disbarred and struck off the Rolls, but each time at his own request. From 1878-1882, Wason served as Assistant Examiner to the Incorporated Law Society in Common Law.
MP for South Ayrshire
Wason was first elected to Parliament at the 1885 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
for the constituency of Ayrshire South
South Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1983, when it was abolished...
. This was his local seat as his home was at Blair, Dailly
Dailly
Dailly is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the Water of Girvan, south of Maybole, and east of Old Dailly. "New Dailly", as it was originally known, was laid out in the 1760s as a coal-mining village...
, a village in the county. He held the seat only until the 1886 election
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
when he lost to a Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
but regained it at the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
and then served as its MP until 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
when he again forfeited the seat to a Liberal Unionist, Sir William Arrol
William Arrol
Sir William Arrol was a Scottish civil engineer, bridge builder, and Liberal Party politician.The son of a spinner, he was born in Houston, Renfrewshire, and started work in a cotton mill at only 9 years of age. He started training as a blacksmith by age 13, and went on to learn mechanics and...
.
MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire
Wason returned to Parliament in December 1899. The sitting Liberal MP for Clackmannan and KinrossClackmannanshire and Kinross-shire (UK Parliament constituency)
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire were constituencies of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918....
, J B Balfour
John Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross
John Blair Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross, PC, QC was a Scottish lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1899....
became a judge and resigned his seat. Wason was selected as Liberal candidate and fighting the by-election
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire by-election, 1899
The Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire by-election, 1899 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire on 20 December 1899. The seat had become vacant when the sitting Liberal Member of Parliament John Balfour resigned...
against the background of the war in South Africa he managed to hold the seat, beating his Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opponent George Younger
George Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie
George Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie Bt was a British politician.He was educated at Edinburgh Academy. In 1897, he became chairman of George Younger and Son, the family brewing business founded by his great-grandfather, George Younger , of Alloa, Clackmannanshire...
albeit by a marginally reduced majority of 516 - down from 545 at the previous general election.
After his by-election victory, Wason retained his Clackmannan and Kinross seat at the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
in a straight fight with the Conservatives by a majority of 351. In the Liberal landslide election of 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he increased his majority over the Conservatives to 1,379 and in January 1910 he maintained his advantage by a majority of 1,268. In December 1910 he was returned unopposed. By 1918 Wason was 72 years old and decided to retire from Parliament at the next election. He therefore stood down from Parliament at the 1918 election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
.
Scottish MP
Wason became a veteran MP, serving nearly 25 years in all. He was Chairman of the Scottish Liberal members for ten years from 1908-1918 and was always a keen supporter of Scottish interests. He spoke in Parliament in favour of Home RuleHome rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
for Scotland. He presided at the meeting of Scottish Liberal members at the House of Commons which urged the government to implement the motion passed at the Scottish National Liberal Council at Dunfermline on 22 October 1910 which called for Home Rule to enable Scottish reforms to be carried through, adapted to the traditions, circumstances and aspirations of the Scottish people. He served as Honorary President of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture and later led a deputation of Scottish Liberal MPs to prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
H H Asquith in his room at the House of Commons on 25 April 1912 urging the introduction of a Bill for Scottish self-government in the next Session. According to another source the delegation saw the prime minister again on 6 May 1912 and, while agreeing there was no groundswell of opinion in Scotland for home rule, there was ‘concern and disgruntlement at the general neglect of Scottish affairs’ and they told Asquith they were worried this might escalate if not dealt with through an element of devolution.
Radical MP?
In the obituary of Wason written for The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper, he was described as a political Radical
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
. He was said to be a frequent speaker in the House of Commons (unlike his brother Cathcart) and usually gave expression to advanced radical views. On one important radical issue of the day, women’s suffrage, he himself claimed to have always voted in favour. His support of Home Rule all Round was also indicative of radical sentiments. However after he left Parliament, in the days when the old Liberal tradition was collapsing under the strains and stresses of party splits, the confusion of the electorate as to Liberal policy and the massive expansion of the electorate as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
, Wason’s radicalism was tested. At the general elections of 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
and 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
in Wason’s home area of South Ayrshire no Liberal candidate could be persuaded to stand, leaving a straight fight between Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and Conservative parties.
Faced with this choice at a time of polarisation in British politics, with Liberalism at a low ebb in Ayrshire Wason supported the Conservative.
Other political and public offices
In July 1902, Wason was appointed to be a member of the important Select Committee on National Expenditure. Other members appointed at that time included Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Andrew Bonar Law and Austen Chamberlain
Austen Chamberlain
Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, KG was a British statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and half-brother of Neville Chamberlain.- Early life and career :...
.
In 1907, Wason was created a Privy Councillor after which he was able to be termed The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
and was eligible to receive sensitive government information on highly confidential terms.
In June 1915 he was appointed by the then Secretary for Scotland Thomas McKinnon Wood
Thomas McKinnon Wood
Thomas McKinnon Wood PC was a British Liberal politician. He was a member of H. H. Asquith's cabinet as Secretary for Scotland between 1912 and 1916 and as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between July and December 1916...
as Chairman of a Committee on Food Production in Scotland (under the auspices of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland) to make recommendations about maintaining and increasing food production on the assumption the war would last beyond the harvest of 1916. He also served as a member of the Committee on the Scottish National War Memorial
Scottish National War Memorial
The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle, and commemorates Scottish soldiers, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and in more recent conflicts. The monument was formally opened in 1927...
. In 1917 he was made a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the County of Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
and was for some years a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Ayrshire.
Travel
Wason enjoyed foreign travel throughout his life and twice went round the world; in 1886–87 by India, China, Japan, San Francisco, and America, and in 1896–97 by Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Vancouver, and Canada. His overseas vacationing landed him in serious difficulty at the outbreak of the First World War. In the Summer of 1914, Wason was on holiday in the Spa resort of Marienbad (now called Marianske LazneMariánské Lázne
Mariánské Lázně is a spa town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is a mosaic of parks and noble houses...
) in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Imperial province of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(now the Czech Republic). He was detained there as an enemy alien
Enemy alien
In law, an enemy alien is a citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located. Usually, but not always, the countries are in a state of declared war.-United Kingdom:...
until September when he was allowed to travel to neutral Switzerland along with 200 other British subjects who had been taking the waters there and at the other nearby Spa town of Karlsbad (now called Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
). He arrived in Geneva on 4 September and from there returned to England.
Burns Night, 1918
Wason attended a Burns Night dinner in honour of the Allied NationsAllies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
at the Criterion Restaurant in London on 25 January 1918 as one of the guests of the London Robert Burns Club. Unfortunately however the guests had to do without the traditional dish of haggis
Haggis
Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' , minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.Haggis is a kind...
. The haggis had been ordered but owing to the food restrictions in Scotland caused by the war, the necessary ingredients were not available. This was ironical in view of Wason’s previous role as Chairman of the Committee on Food Production in Scotland. The guests had to make do with what The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper report of the event described as ‘an Italian dish’ (otherwise unspecified) but which was properly piped in by the bagpipes.
Death
Wason died at his London home in Sussex Gardens, Hyde ParkHyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
on 20 April 1927 aged 81 years.