John Bethune (1812–1839) was a short-lived Scottish weaver-poet. He sometimes wrote under the pen-name of the Fifeshire Forester.

Life

He was born in 1812 in a cottage on the estate of Upper (or Over) Rankeilour House (previously known as The Mount) in the parish of Monimail in central

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

. He was the son of Alexander Bethune (d.1838), a farm labourer and weaver, and his wife Alison Christie. He was the younger brother of Alexander Bethune. In 1813 the family moved to Mains of Woodmill for a few months and then to nearby Lochend Farm near

Lindores Loch Lindores Loch is a freshwater loch, situated in North Fife in the Parish of Abdie, in the Central Belt of Scotland. The Loch has for many years been used as a fishery and is well known for its abundant fish life. A curling pond is situated on th ...

in the parish of

Abdie Abdie is a parish in north-west Fife, Scotland, lying on the south shore of the Firth of Tay on the eastern outskirts of Newburgh, extending about 3 miles eastwards to the boundary of Dunbog parish,Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis Groom ...

. He had no school education but was taught to read and write by his mother. His brother Alexander taught him arithmetic. Around 1822 he was apprenticed as a weaver in

Collessie Collessie is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland. The village is set on a small hillock centred on a historic church. Due to rerouting of roads, it now lies north of the A91. Though a railway embankment was constructed through the middle of ...

. He was successful at this and in 1825 set up at least two handlooms in buildings adjoining his father's cottage. However, the timing of this was unfortunate as the handloom industry was soon devastated by the widespread use of power-looms. In 1822 he was employed alongside his brother breaking rocks to create a new toll road in Fife from Lindores to Newburgh. He returned again to labouring after his weaving venture collapsed. From 1829 he worked as a labourer at

Inchture Inchture ( gd, Innis Tùir) is a village in Scotland between Dundee and Perth on the northern side of the Firth of Tay. It is approximately nine miles (14 km) from Dundee city centre and 13 miles (21 km) from Perth. The village is bypa ...

estate near Perth and was promoted to overseer in 1835. He lost this job in 1838 when the estate was sold. He never regained employment and thereafter tried to make a living as a writer. Bethune died of consumption (

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

) on 1 September 1839. His fame was almost entirely posthumous and largely brought about by the efforts of his brother. Bethune is thought to be buried in

parish churchyard.

Publications

*"''Tales and Sketches of the Scottish Peasantry''" (1838) (with Alexander) *"''Lectures on Practical Economy''" (1839) (with Alexander) *"''Poems by the Late John Bethune''" (1841) posthumous publishing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethune, John 1812 births 1839 deaths Writers from Fife 19th-century Scottish poets 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Scotland