Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Clunie, John
CLUNIE, JOHN (1757?–1819), the supposed author of the beautiful Scotch song ‘I lo’e na a laddie but ane,’ was born about 1757. He was educated for the church of Scotland, and licensed by the presbytery of Edinburgh on 29 Dec. 1784. He then became schoolmaster at Narkinch, Fifeshire, and possessing a fine voice and some musical skill acted as precentor in the parish church. In 1790 he was presented by the Duke of Buccleuch to the parish of Ewes, Dumfriesshire, and on 12 April 1791 to that of Borthwisk, Midlothian; he was also chaplain of the eastern regiment of Midlothian volunteer infantry. His reputation for the rendering of Scotch led to an a uaintanceshi with Burns, who highly appreciated his singing. He also composed several songs of his own to the old tunes, but did not take the trouble to publish them. The first two stanzasof the song ‘I lo’e na a laddie but ane’ are attributed to him by Burns, a better authority than Ritson, who in his ‘Collection of Scotch Songs’ prefixes to them the initials J. D. The four supplementary stanzas beginning with ‘Let others brag weel o’ their gair’ were added by Hector MacNeil. The song ‘Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes’ was taken down by Stephen Clarke when he and Burns were spending a night with Clunie in 1787. Writing to Mr. Thomson in September 1794, Burns says: ‘I am Battered at your adopting "Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes," as it was owing to me that it ever saw the light. About seven years ago I was well acquainted with a worthy little fellow of a clergyman, a Mr. Clunie, who sang it charmingly, and at my request Mr. Clarke took it down from his singing.’ Burns added two stanzas to the song and made several alterations in the old verses. These old verses, as taken down by Clarke, are printed in Stenhouse’s edition of Johnson’s ‘Scots Musical Museum.’ Clunie was the author of the account of the parish in Sinclair’s ‘Statistical Account of Scotland.’ He died at Greenend, near Edinburgh, on 14 April 1819, in his sixty-second year. He was married to Mary, daughter of the Rev. Alexander Oliphant, minister of Bower, and left a family.
[Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scot. i. 268, 637, Conolly's Dictionary of Eminent Men of Fife, p. 125; Stenhouse's edition of Johnson's Scots Musical Museum (1853), pp. 248-9; Works of Robert Burns.]