Rab Ha' the Glasgow Glutton
"A deep silence fell as they sat down to dine
The munch and then crunch and then slurp
They gobbled and gorged at the starter's first sign
They hadn't a moment to burp
They worked for an hour to the cheers of the mob
Then suddenly Pudding turned green
He ran from the room, we was sick of the job
Never again to be seen"
Illustrations by Dorothy Whitaker
Verses by Cliff Hanley
Published:
1979 Glasgow, Glasgow Public Libraries
A youngsters' version in rhyme of the tale of Glasgow's Rab Ha'.
Ha' was well known in 19th Century Glasgow for his ability to out eat everyone in eating competitions. He could put away a stone of potatoes in one sitting or devour an entire calf turned into pies.
One contest pitted him against his English rival - who went by the competition name of the Yorkshire Pudding - at an eating contest whereRab emerged victorious much to the delight of his backers, many from the upper classes, who were fond of betting on Rab’s extraordinary powers of consumption
Rab died in 1843 in a hayloft near the River Clyde following a particularly heavy night of eating.
Copyright 2025, The Estate of Clifford Hanley