Letham Glen at Scoonie roundabout is named after John Letham, the retired farmer who gifted money to Leven Town Council in 1925 to help secure the park for the community. His gift of £1000 was invested so that the interest could be put towards the annual feu-duty. John Letham was born at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire in 1863. His father, also John, was an arable farmer (as was his grandfather and great-grandfather, both also named John Letham). His mother was Margaret Ballantine. In his teens, John began working alongside his father at Lairs Farm, becoming at least a fourth generation farmer. John's father died in 1882, aged 52 and he, his mother Margaret and his younger brother Andrew continued in farming, moving to nearby Gill Farm (two miles north of Lesmahagow) by the time of the 1891 census.
However, a decade later John Letham broke with family tradition and left Lanarkshire for Fife. In 1892 Lahill Mains near Largo was advertised to let. John took on the lease and moved to Newburn Parish with his mother and siblings, joining the East of Fife Agricultural Society soon afterwards. Tragically, in 1894, his brother Andrew died at Lahill (also known as Lawhill) aged just 28 from appendicitis and was buried at Newburn Old Church. John continued to farm at Lahill for five further years before a new opportunity presented itself.
In June 1899 John Younger, tenant farmer at Balgrummo Farm by Leven was examined for bankruptcy. The following month, it was announced that John Letham had taken over the tenancy (see the above from 19 July Courier). The piece below from 31 August 1899 Leven Advertiser, describes how Letham set about making alterations at Balgrummo. He converted the property into a dairy farm with the support of Robert Maitland Christie of Durie the landowner. In the 1901 census, a 37-year-old John is listed as joint tenant with his 21-year-old brother William. Also living with them is their widowed mother, Margaret, younger sister Mary Ann, plus a dairymaid and servant.
As a dairy farmer at Balgrummo, just a couple of miles north of Leven, John made frequently trips past the wooded den known locally as Spinkie Den delivering milk. He began to cherish the hope that one day the town would possess the natural beauty spot for the enjoyment of the community. The 1911, census records John and William Letham still as joint tenants at Balgrummo, with Margaret and Mary Ann living in the same household. Sadly, in 1916, John lost another brother when William died aged 36. Now in his fifties, John decided to retire from farming and by 1920 had moved into Fernbank on Drummochy Road, Lower Largo. In census of 1921 John was recorded at Fernbank with his mother Margaret, sister Mary Ann and a servant.
John had never married or had children but was devoted to his mother and siblings, as well as to the agricultural community. He took an interest in wider public affairs and still maintained his personal vision for Spinkie Den. He kept abreast of developments as Leven Town Council negotiated for some years with Robert Maitland Christie to secure the beauty spot for the people of Leven. In 1924 he made a gift of £500 to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution and also a gift of £1000 to the Wemyss Memorial Hospital.
Finally, the opportunity came for John to enable the Council's purchase of the Den. He made a gift of £1000 which was to be invested to contribute long-term to the annual feu-duty for the site. So grateful were the Town Council that ex-Bailie Barron proposed that the name of Spinkie Den be changed to Letham Glen - the name by which the public park still goes to this day (see 9 July 1925 Dundee Courier item below). The advertisement further below for a concert by the Merrymakers is one of the first examples of the new name in use (from 18 August 1925 Leven Advertiser).
In 1926, John Letham's mother, Margaret, died at Fernbank aged 85. He continued to live there with his sister Mary Ann. His support of Letham Glen continued beyond his initial gift and in 1930 he gave a further £600 towards the cost of the stone entrance gates and railings, pictured above. These were given a category C listing in 1999 and are described as follows:
TRIUMPHAL ARCH: keystoned, moulded arch and cornice giving way to deep frieze inscribed '19' 'LETHAM GLEN' '25'. 2-leaf decorative metalwork gates.
E GATEPIERS: square section gate piers with deep cornice and flat coping. 2-leaf decorative metalwork gates.
Although dated 1925, the year that the den was acquired for the town, the arch and gates were not constructed until 1930 as part of the gradual enhancements of the park, under Leven Town Council. The cost of the entrance gates was £550 and this was fully covered by a cheque from John Letham for £600 (the excess amount being used for plants and shrubs).
The retired John Letham also continued to be involved in agricultural matters and in 1939 was made an honorary life member of the East of Fife Agricultural Society, at their AGM, after 47 years as a member. In 1946 John lost his sister Mary Ann who died aged 77 at Fernbank. John died there three years later on 17 March 1949. John Letham was buried at Newburn Old Churchyard, with three of his siblings. The inscription on their headstone, pictured below, reads:
In memory of Andrew Letham, Lahill Mains Died 17th Dec 1894 aged 28 years
William Letham, Balgrummo, Scoonie Died 9th February 1916 aged 36 years
Mary Jane Letham Died 26th July 1947 aged 77 years
John Letham Died 17th March 1949 aged 85 years
Both of Fernbank, Lower Largo