Ernest Rogers
Encyclopedia
Ernest Rogers was communist
activist based in Glasgow
during the twentieth century. Towards the end of his life he was known as the last living Oehlerite
.
Rogers was born in 1914 in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a father of Jewish and Gypsy ancestry. His mother became a music-hall dancer, meeting Charlie Chaplin and his half brother, Sid. However family pressure eventually led to her withdrawal from the stage. Rogers’ father was originally a fisherman, but moved on to become a professional gambler. The Rogers family went to Dublin and were there at the time of the Easter Rebellion.
After a brief period back in Glasgow, the family moved to Leeds
, where Ernest attended meetings by Lew Davies and A J Cook
. In 1929 the family returned to Glasgow. here Rogers was influenced by Guy Aldred
and became involved in the free speech agitation in defence of tramp preachers. After a period of unemployment he was sent on a work scheme in Parrish Street, where he was involved in a strike. He subsequently went to Edinburgh
where he worked for his board and lodging at a bookshop run by Frank Maitland.
In 1931 he started reading The Militant, a radical paper published by the Communist League of America
(CLA). By 1932 he became one of the seven founding members of the Glasgow Leninist League
. When the debate about entryism
split the CLA, Rogers and the Lenist League supported Hugo Oehler
and affiliated to the Revolutionary Workers League
.
Rogers was close friends with CLR James and Raya Dunayevskaya
who stayed with him during her trip to England
. He became involved with the Revolutionary History
group in his later years.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
activist based in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
during the twentieth century. Towards the end of his life he was known as the last living Oehlerite
Hugo Oehler
-Biography:An active trade unionist, Oehler joined the Communist Party USA in its early days, and by 1927 was a district organizer for the party in Kansas...
.
Rogers was born in 1914 in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a father of Jewish and Gypsy ancestry. His mother became a music-hall dancer, meeting Charlie Chaplin and his half brother, Sid. However family pressure eventually led to her withdrawal from the stage. Rogers’ father was originally a fisherman, but moved on to become a professional gambler. The Rogers family went to Dublin and were there at the time of the Easter Rebellion.
After a brief period back in Glasgow, the family moved to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where Ernest attended meetings by Lew Davies and A J Cook
A. J. Cook (trade unionist)
Arthur James Cook , known as A. J. Cook, was a British coal miner and trade union leader. He is remembered as one of the United Kingdom's best known miners’ leaders and a key component of the National Minority Movement around the General Strike of 1926.-Early years:A.J...
. In 1929 the family returned to Glasgow. here Rogers was influenced by Guy Aldred
Guy Aldred
Guy Alfred Aldred - often Guy A. Aldred - was a British anarchist communist and a prominent member of the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation...
and became involved in the free speech agitation in defence of tramp preachers. After a period of unemployment he was sent on a work scheme in Parrish Street, where he was involved in a strike. He subsequently went to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
where he worked for his board and lodging at a bookshop run by Frank Maitland.
In 1931 he started reading The Militant, a radical paper published by the Communist League of America
Communist League of America
The Communist League of America was founded by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman and Martin Abern late in 1928 after their expulsion from the Communist Party USA for Trotskyism. The CLA was the United States section of Leon Trotsky's International Left Opposition and initially positioned itself as...
(CLA). By 1932 he became one of the seven founding members of the Glasgow Leninist League
Leninist League (UK)
The Leninist League was Oehlerite organisation set up by Dennis Levin in Glasgow, Scotland in 1932, originally as the Glasgow Leninist League.August Thalheimer of the Communist Party Opposition sent regular reports to the Leninist League while he was in Spain, during the Spanish Revolution.During...
. When the debate about entryism
Entryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
split the CLA, Rogers and the Lenist League supported Hugo Oehler
Hugo Oehler
-Biography:An active trade unionist, Oehler joined the Communist Party USA in its early days, and by 1927 was a district organizer for the party in Kansas...
and affiliated to the Revolutionary Workers League
Revolutionary Workers League (Oehlerite)
The Revolutionary Workers League was a radical left group in the United States. It was led by Hugo Oehler and published The Fighting Worker newspaper.-Origins:...
.
Rogers was close friends with CLR James and Raya Dunayevskaya
Raya Dunayevskaya
Raya Dunayevskaya was the founder of the philosophy of Marxist Humanism in the United States of America. At one time Leon Trotsky's secretary, she later split with him and ultimately founded the organization News and Letters Committees and was its leader until her death.-Biography:Of Jewish...
who stayed with him during her trip to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He became involved with the Revolutionary History
Revolutionary History
Revolutionary History is a British journal dedicated to the history of the far left. It was founded in 1988 by Sam Bornstein and Al Richardson and has maintained an editorial board representing many strands of British Trotskyism. In its articles, it also covers other anti-Stalinist communist...
group in his later years.