Chick Henderson’s real name was Henderson Rowntree. It was an unusual forename, having served as a surname previously in the family tree. To his family and close friends he was known as “Hendy”. He was born in the industrial North-East town of Hartlepool on 22nd November, 1912. When he met the girl that he eventually married, she asked him why he was called “Chick”. He told her that he was one of nine children and the youngest boy. His mother hadn’t planned for nine children - nor had she planned for him amongst six daughters and two other sons. When he was born, she had him Christened “Henderson” and, because he was small and in a large “brood”, she referred to him as her “little chick” — (little chicken in a large brood of hens).
Little “Chick” stuck, so he became “Chick Henderson”, though many and varied have been the theories offered by so many people - but that is how he said he got the name “Chick” — his mother called him that from the very beginning of his life. His family, however, had never heard the story. . . his first bandleader boss tells a different story later. He attended Galley’s Field School - and certainly not St. Hilda’s Church of England School, as others have said. He attended St. Hilda’s Church Sunday School and later was a member of the Young Men’s Bible Class.
One hundred years earlier, the population of Old Hartlepool was only around 1,000, whilst nearby Middlesbrough contained only 200 inhabitants. By the start of World War 2, the same area was to boast a population of around ::~ooo. The population was large, and so were the families. Young "Hendy’s” six sisters were — Mary Elizabeth (known as “Tizzie”), Ethel, Hannah (known as Nan), Eva, Hilda and Freda - his brothers were Robert and Richard. The family home was at 62 Frederick Street, in what was known as Old’ Hartlepool. Later, his parents moved to Raby Road, West Hartle- pool Today there is no ‘Old’ or ‘West’ Hartlepool. Both districts, plus other newer suburbs, have become simply the town of Hartlepool.
The Rowntree family were nominal Church of England members, although some of Hendy’s sisters attended the Chapel, having as their favourite hymn tunes those assoicated with evangelical Christianity, such as "Sinking Sands” — otherwise known as “He lifted me”.
Hendy's middle brother, Richard (Dick), was the exception. He spent some in the Army, met a girl of Irish extraction who was a Roman Catho- lic, and, according to the custom of those days, he had to become a Roman Catholic and/or sign away any children, resulting from that union, to the Roman Catholic faith.
His son, Kevin Rowntree, became a radio and television interviewer, first for Metro Radio in Swaiwell (although it insists it is in Newcastle upon Tyne, it is on the County Durham side of the River Tyne in Gateshead), and Tyne Tees Television.
Hendy had joined the Church of England (the Abbey Church of St. Hilda, Hartlepool) of his own choice, and when his singing voice came to the atten- tion of the choir-master, he was asked to join the choir, which had quite a good musical reputation in the town. The evidence of voice training remained with Chick all his life. Good and correct breathing, controlled vibrato, and correct pitch and tuning, are evident on all of his recorded work. His interest in matters spiritual continued after he outgrew the Sunday School, and when his voice broke, he joined the Young Men’s Bible Class under Canon F. T. Salter.
In later life, he continued to attend the Church of England in London, and wherever else his work took him.
Shortly after his marriage, he, his wife, Sandy McPherson the B.B.C. staff organist, Sandy’s lady friend and another friend, came out of morning communion, and he lit a cigarette almost before he had stepped out of the Church door. His wife, seeing the humorous side of this action with his “Holy” smoke, photographed the four of them leaving the Church. In later years she exclaimed - “What a yob he looked, slouching away from Church with a cigarette in his mouth. Still, he liked his ‘Craven A’,” (a cigarette with an imitation tip — brown coloured paper around the end).
Chick (right) leaving Church one Sunday morning, Sandy McPherson, the famous broadcasting and recording organist, is second from the left. (The woman was Sandy’s lady friend at that time).
All through his life he retained the habits and characteristics of his early life. He was very strong willed and determined, and he held positive views.
Once he had made his mind up, he was unshakeable.
He was very attractive to women — magnetic would be a better word, but unlike some of his contemporaries who loved their female fans in the fullest sense of the word, he had firm views on the female species. He put them on a pedestal and if they didn’t live up to the standard he set for ladies, then they were fallen idols. Certainly, as his wife was to recall in 1990, “Chick put me on a pedestal and woe betide me if I ever tottered. He expected women to behave like ladies”.
No matter which female tried to capture him in the years preceding his marriage, they were never allowed to interfere with his work, or try to talk him into quitting the Dance business.
In his own life, he was a very private person. Meticulous in personal matters, even to the extent of shyness or modesty, he was totally extrovert in other matters. He would sing anywhere - anytime.
Walking around the block one New Year’s Eve to “first foot” the house, a relative recalled — “He sang every step of the way!”
His sense of humour was tremendous. He could get a laugh out of any- thing. He would often have friends and family in hysterics merely recount- ing the time his ship sank and he couldn’t swim. Quite often he would lapse into pidgin English, Chinese or Indian when entering a bus, taxi, or restaurant. On other occasions, his wife recalled him talking loudly in the dialect of a Scot, or Weishman. Her embarrassment made him all the merrier, and keener to play even better japes. Once he took her to a restaurant — and walked in on his knees - pretending to be a midget.
Like many people who are basically shy and who live by a strong moral or ethical code, he had an extrovert side which lent itself beautifully to Show- business, and attracted admirers of both sexes by the hundred. He had beau- tiful, expressive eyes — and a beautifully expressive spirit which manifested itself in his artistic faculties. He was, from his earliest schooldays, a good drawer” as they said in those days. Sketching came naturally to him. On one occasion he sketched his wife’s hand with a pencil. It had a life-like quality, and often he took to sketching people’s hands. He loved painting - and in his own style he was an accomplished artist.
Sadly, very, very little of his work remains. Strange to say, his only child has this same flair for sketching.
He was courteous, charming, never crude, but — there again — never prudish. In a letter to a shipmate with its “buggers” and “bastards” and other bits of the vernacular, the meanderings ended with — “and don’t forget to say a prayer now and again!” - and he meant what he said, and lived accordingly.
His Chaplain at the time of his Naval service described him as a “splendid fellow, and one we can ill do without these days”. On “survivor’s leave”, he learned of the death by enemy action of Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson, and, two weeks later, Al Bowlly. Forgetting his own traumatic experiences, he jour- neyed to London to attend their funerals, whilst many parts of the Capital were wrecked and smouldering ruins.
He was only in the ‘flesh-clothed’ world for such a short while — yet his was, and still is, a shining spirit.
Henderson Rowntree was a special man when he was here and yet it is doubtful if his mum and dad saw anything different in him in those first years of his life.
The parents of Chick Henderson are on the right. His sister Freda is beside them circa 1923).