author
Alexander Somerville
1811–1885
Known as the "Whistler at the Plough," he rose from rural poverty to become a soldier, radical journalist, and vivid chronicler of working-class life. His writing draws on hard experience and gives a lively, firsthand view of 19th-century Britain.
1 Audiobook
Narrative of the Fenian invasion of Canada
by Alexander Somerville
About the author
Born in Oldhamstocks, East Lothian, on 15 March 1811, he worked as a cowherd, ploughman, sawyer, labourer, drainer, and quarryman before joining the Royal Scots Greys in 1831. Those early years shaped the plainspoken, observant voice that made his autobiographical writing so memorable.
He became widely known after protesting the army's flogging system and later built a career as a radical journalist and author. His best-known work, The Autobiography of a Working Man, mixes personal story with sharp social observation, and his reporting on poverty, labour, and reform helped bring working-class experience into public debate.
Somerville later worked with the Anti-Corn Law League and spent part of his later life in Canada. He died in Toronto on 17 June 1885, leaving behind writing that still stands out for its energy, independence, and close attention to everyday life.