Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is in the hands of a separate trust from the church. A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead with or without monuments such as Headstones It is usually located near and administered by a Greyfriars Kirk, today Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, is a Parish Kirk ( church) of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. For many people, the graveyard is associated primarily with Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal dog who guarded his master's grave. Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland, after reportedly spending fourteen years guarding his owner's Though Bobby's headstone is at the entrance to the Kirkyard, he is actually buried at a grassy verge by a wall nearby, as the Kirk authorities would not allow his burial on consecrated ground. The dog's famous statue is opposite the graveyard's gate, at the junction of George IV Bridge, and Candlemaker Row.
The Kirkyard was involved in the history of the Covenanters. The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century They began in 1638 with signing of the National Covenant in the Kirk, and in 1679 some 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned in the Kirkyard pending trial.
Many of the plots are enclosed in ornate stone and ironwork cages, called mortsafes, to preserve the dead from the attentions of the early 19th century resurrection men who supplied Edinburgh Medical College with the corpses for dissection. Mortsafes were contraptions designed to protect the bodies of the dead from disturbance Body-snatching was the secret disinterment of bodies from Churchyards to sell them for Dissection or Anatomy lectures in Medical schools The University of Edinburgh Medical School is part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Edinburgh. During the early days of photography in the 1840s the kirkyard was used by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson as a setting for several portraits and tableaux such as The Artist and The Gravedigger. The Scottish painter and arts activist David Octavius Hill (1802 &ndash 1870 collaborated with the engineer and photographer Robert Adamson between 1843 and 1847 to pioneer Robert Adamson, ( April 26, 1821 – January 14, 1848) was a Scottish pioneer Photographer. Tableau vivant (plural tableaux vivants) is French for "living picture
The Greyfriars Cemetery is reputedly haunted. One such haunt is attributed to the restless spirit of the infamous 'Bluidy' George Mackenzie (buried there in 1691), which is said to cause bruising and minor scratches and grazes on those who come into contact with it; few visitors tend to feel any ill effects. Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, Knt (1636&ndash1691 known as Bluidy Mackenzie, was a Scottish lawyer Lord Advocate, and legal writer The Kirkyard is a favourite with ghost tours, which operate during the summer months, generally leaving from the High Street, and it is these which have embellished the reports. The SciFi channel's Scariest Places on Earth features Greyfriars Cemetery in a 2008 episode (This show was a repeat as Scariest Places is only in re-run status. It was only on for 4 years from 1999 to 2003).
The Kirkyard backs on to George Heriot's School, and the pub named Greyfriars Bobby. George Heriot's School is an independent primary and secondary School on Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland, after reportedly spending fourteen years guarding his owner's
A sign at the entrance of the Kirkyard (right) reads as follows
- In Greyfriars Church the National Covenant was adopted and signed 28 February 1638. In the Churchyard are objects of historical interest as the Martyrs' Monument towards the North East and the Covenanter's prison towards the South West. Also the graves of many Scotsmen and citizens of Edinburgh of whom some of the most important are
- James Douglas, Earl of Morton Regent of Scotland died 1581
- George Buchanan, Historian and Reformer died 1582
- Alexander Henderson, Churchman and Statesman died 1646
- Sir George McKenzie, King's Advocate died 1691
- Mary Erskine, School Founder died 1707
- William Carstairs, Statesman died 1715
- George Watson, School Founder died 1723
- Colin MacLaurin, Mathematician died 1746
- Thomas Ruddiman, Grammarian died 1757
- Allan Ramsay, Poet died 1758
- William Robertson D.D., Historian died 1793
- Duncan Ban MacIntyre, Gaelic Poet died 1812
- William Creech, Bookseller died 1815
- Henry MacKenzie, "The Man of Feeling" died 1831
- Thomas McCrie, Historian died 1835
Duncan Ban MacIntyre's memorial was renovated in 2005, after a fundraising campaign of over a year at the cost of about £3,000 [1]. James Douglas jure uxoris 4th Earl of Morton (c 1525 &ndash June 2, 1581) was the last of the four Regents of Scotland during George Buchanan (February 1506 - September 28, 1582) was a Scottish Historian and humanist scholar Alexander Henderson (c 1583 – 19 August 1646) was a Scottish theologian Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, Knt (1636&ndash1691 known as Bluidy Mackenzie, was a Scottish lawyer Lord Advocate, and legal writer William Carstares (also Carstaires) ( February 11, 1649 – December 28, 1715) Scottish Clergyman, was born George Watson, ( 23 November 1654, Edinburgh – 3 April 1723) was born in Scotland to parents John Watson (a merchant Colin Maclaurin (February 1698 &ndash June 14, 1746) was a Scottish Mathematician. Thomas Ruddiman (October 1674 - 19 January 1757) was a Scottish Classical scholar. Allan Ramsay (15 October 1686—7 January 1758 was a Scottish Poet. William Robertson ( September 19, 1721 – June 11, 1793) was a Scottish Historian and Principal of the Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (usually Duncan Ban MacIntyre in English; 1724&ndash1812 is one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets and formed William Creech ( 12 May 1745 – 14 January 1815) was a Scottish bookseller Henry Mackenzie (August 1745 - January 14, 1831) was a Scottish Novelist and miscellaneous writer was born in Edinburgh Thomas M'Crie was the name of two Scottish Seceder ministers and historians father and son Thomas M'Crie the Elder (1772&ndash1835
Other people buried in the kirkyard include:
- Joseph Black (1728–1799)
- William McGonagall (1825–1902)
External links
Joseph Black ( April 16, 1728 &ndash December 6, 1799) was a Scottish Physicist and Chemist, known for his William Topaz McGonagall (1825 &ndash 29 September, 1902) was a Scottish weaver, Actor and Poet.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic