John Farquharson (Jesuit) facts for kids
John Farquharson (1699–1782) was a Scottish Jesuit. Jesuits are members of a Catholic religious order called the Society of Jesus. They are known for their work in education and missionary activities.
Early Life and Education
John Farquharson was born on April 19, 1699, in the beautiful valley of Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. When he was older, he joined the Society of Jesus in Tournai, which is now in Belgium.
He studied theology, which is the study of religious faith, at the Scotch College, Douay. This college was in France and trained Scottish priests. John finished his studies in 1729.
Serving the Community
In October 1729, John Farquharson returned to Scotland, landing in Edinburgh. He was sent to work in Strathglass, a region in Inverness-shire. There, he became very good at speaking Gaelic, the traditional language of the Scottish Highlands.
On February 2, 1735, he made his final vows as a Jesuit. This was a very important step in his religious life.
Facing Challenges
Around 1745, John Farquharson faced a difficult time. He was arrested while leading a religious service. He was taken to Edinburgh while still wearing his special religious clothes. Despite the hardships he faced, he was later set free.
A Passion for Poetry
After his religious order, the Jesuits, faced some challenges, John Farquharson mostly lived in the Braemar valley. He passed away there on October 13, 1782.
One of his most important contributions was collecting a huge amount of Gaelic poetry. In 1772, he placed his original handwritten collection, which was a large book, in the Scotch College at Douay. Sadly, this valuable collection was not kept safe and was eventually lost.
This collection included all the famous poems of Ossian, a legendary Gaelic poet. It also had other poems that were not known to James Macpherson, who published some of Ossian's works. The loss of Farquharson's collection means many ancient Gaelic poems are now gone forever.
