Background
John Harbottle was born in 1851 in Newcastle, the eldest son of Mr Thomas Harbottle, a respected tradesman who carried on business also in Newcastle.
John Harbottle was born in 1851 in Newcastle, the eldest son of Mr Thomas Harbottle, a respected tradesman who carried on business also in Newcastle.
He took up poetry at a very young age and had written many poems and acrostics before he reached his twenties. This poem is by far his most comprehensive effort. He was an extremely enthusiastic angler, fishing in most of the local rivers and streams, but mainly in the Coquet, Tyne and Tweed and wrote many songs about his (and other people’s) exploits on the rivers.
His most famous song is probably “ Streams of the North" which won the local newspaper prize in 1891. His poems appeared on a regular basis in the local Newcastle newspapers, and when the Northern Weekly Leader (published from 9 February 1884 until 27 December 1919), in 1889, ran a competition offering a prize for the best poem about the River Tyne, John Harbottle entered his "Streams of the North" and won the first prize.
He was also an active member of the Northumberland and Newcastle Angling Clubs and singer/performer at the club meetings He was an active member of the Northumberland Angling Club, and also wrote many, sometimes racy, poems and songs intended to be used at their annual meetings
