Charles Penrose Cawse, later known as Charles Penrose, was a British comedian, actor, and songwriter, born on November 11, 1873, in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England.
As a young man, he began his career as an apprentice in the jewellery trade, eventually rising to the position of jewellery shop manager. However, his true passion lay in music, and he began performing at local concert parties, eventually making his way to the music halls and the West End of London.
It was during this time that he met his first wife, Harriet Lewcock, an architect's daughter, and they married in 1899. However, his second marriage to songwriter Mabel Anderson in 1907 proved to be a significant turning point in his career.
Mabel, who was 14 years younger than Charles and 18 years younger than Harriet, was his most important collaborator, and together they wrote numerous laughing songs, including the famous "The Laughing Policeman," which became a huge success and sold over a million records.
Charles and Mabel also applied for membership of the Performing Right Society in 1943 and registered several pseudonyms, including "Fred D. Arthurs," "Billie Penrose," and "Charles Eric Tann."
Throughout his career, Charles Penrose was a versatile performer, starring in numerous films, television shows, and radio programs. He was one of the first comedians to star on BBC radio and was memorable as Sgt. Bob Evergreen in the wartime series "The Pig and Whistle."
Sadly, Charles Penrose died of heart disease on November 17, 1952, at the age of 79, and Mabel Penrose died of lung cancer on August 18, 1972, at the age of 84. Despite their ages being reduced for publicity purposes, their obituaries announced their ages as 76 and 70 respectively.
