John Harbottle

John Harbottle (born c. 1851) was a Newcastle businessman, songwriter and angler in the late 19th century. He was also an active member of the Northumberland and Newcastle Angling Clubs and singer/performer at the club meetings. His most famous song is probably "Streams of the North" which won the local newspaper prize in 1891. Life John Harbottle was born in about 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. His poems appeared on a regular basis in the local Newcastle newspapers, and when the Northern Weekly Leader (published from 9 Feb 1884 until 27 Dec 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. This poem is by far his most comprehensive effort.