27th November 2025 (note – this talk was delayed a week from its programmed date due to weather)
Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson gave an insightful and informative talk on the ‘Scottish Samurai’, Thomas Glover. Glover was a prominent business man who was influential in Japan at a time when that country was going through considerable political and economic change. The speaker explained that Glover helped the rising generation of political and business leaders make contacts in Britain, which among other things led to Aberdeen benefitting from orders for the construction of ships. Glover had many business interests including with Mitsubishi and Kirin beer. In the second half of the talk the North East of Scotland connections were explored, notably in Fraserburgh, where Glover was born, and in Aberdeen where he lived with his parents in ‘Glover House’ in the north of the city.