Mary Brooksbank

Mary Brooksbank was born in an Aberdeen slum, the oldest of either five or ten children, and came to Dundee when she was eight or nine years old. Mary's father, Sandy Soutar (who died in 1953, aged 86), was from St Vigeans, Arbroath, and had been an active trade unionist amongst the dock workers, working with James Connolly. Her mother, Rose Ann Soutar, née Gillan, was a fisher lassie and domestic servant. It is said that the Soutar family was "effectively blacklisted in Dundee because of their trade union activities". == Political life ==

At 21, Brooksbank rejected Roman Catholicism, became an atheist and was inspired by John McLean to join the Communist Party to fight for women's rights, equality, and the demise of capitalism. She is quoted as saying: :“I have never had any personal ambitions. I have but one: to make my contribution to destroy the capitalist system.” She was expelled from the Communist Party in 1933 as she was critical of Stalin, and became more sympathetic to Scottish nationalism. John Maclean, whose classes she attended in Glasgow, was a major proponent of an independent "Scottish workers' republic". She continued to be politically active to the end of her life, in campaigning for better housing and for pensioners' rights. == Music ==

Family sing-a-longs nurtured Brooksbank's love of music. She sang, played the violin and wrote songs. Her most famous song was "Jute Mill Song" or "Oh Dear Me".: :Jute Mill Song (Mary Brooksbank) :Oh dear me, the mill's gannin' fast :The puir wee shifters canna get a rest :Shiftin' bobbins coorse and fine :They fairly mak' ye work for your ten and nine :Oh dear me, I wish the day was done :Rinnin' up and doon the Pass it is nae fun :Shiftin', piecin', spinnin' warp weft and twine :Tae feed and clad my bairnie affen ten and nine :Oh dear me, the warld is ill divided :Them that works the hardest are the least provided :I maun bide contented, dark days or fine :For there's nae much pleasure livin' affen ten and nine :Repeat 1 You can hear it sung by Brookshanks and later folksingers at the Scots Language Centre: Scotslanguage.com - Work Songs. Her original notebook of songs and poems is part of the Kinnear Collection held by the archives at the University of Dundee. The same institution also holds a collection of her papers. Ewan MacColl recorded some of her songs. == Death ==

Brooksbank died at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on 16 March 1978. == Commemoration ==

A rearrangement of the Jute Mill Song or Oh Dear Me was created by the American artists Brian House and Sue Huang of collaborative Knifeandfork for a performance installation at West Ward Works and Verdant Works in 2016 for the NEoN Digital Arts Festival. In 2022, to mark the 125th anniversary of her birth, the Abertay Historical Society published a collection of essays celebrating her life and work. In September 2023, Knights Theatre held a celebration event “Oh Dear Me: The Inspirational Mary Brooksbank” at Dundee Fringe and a creative writing workshop at Verdant Works Museum. == References ==