A Month of Scottish Gravestones - Edinburgh Graveyards

Edinburgh's Old Town is my very favourite place to wander. It is so full of history. With Edinburgh having been the seat of royalty, so much of Scotland's history played out on the Royal Mile and the closes that run from it. 

As well as wandering the streets and visiting the museums, I love to visit the graveyards that are in the Old Town. This week we will look at five of the Old Town cemeteries that are within an easy walk of one another.

First up is Greyfriar's Kirkyard. The kirkyard sits on the site of a former Franciscan friary. Franciscans wear grey cloaks, thus the name Greyfriar's. In 1562, it was recognized that the kirkyard at St Giles was full to overflowing, Mary, Queen of Scots granted the land that once housed the friary to be used as a graveyard. The church came after the cemetery, being established in 1620. It has seen continuous worship since and has been the witness to some of Scotland’s history, including the reading of the National Coventant, subsequently being a prison for covenanters, and perhaps best known for the story of wee Bobby, the watchman’s loyal dug.  

Some major players in Scottish history are buried within the kirkyard including:

George Heriot who was a jeweler and who left his fortune to form a boys school. The school stands next to the kirkyard.

George MacKenzie, King’s Advocate and ruthless jailor

Architect William Adam

Publisher, Printer and Bookseller William Creech

Robert Sibbald, Royal Physician and founder of the College of Physicians

A Month of Scottish Gravestones - George "Bluidy" MacKenzie

George MacKenzie was born in Dundee in 1636. He was educated at King’s College, University of Aberdeen, then at the University of St Andrews followed by an education at the University of Bourges in France.

 In 1659, he was elected to the Faculty of Advocates. From 1661-1663, he acted as Justice Depute and was involved in several of the Witch Trials of the time. In 1677, MacKenzie became Lord Advocate as well as a member of the Privy Council.

He was charged with persecution of those opposed to Charles II and as such was notorious for rounding up, imprisoning and or executing the Covenanters. Following the Battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679, he “imprisoned” 1200 Covenanters in a mock jail on the grounds of Greyfriars Kirkyard. This was simply a field, open to the elements. The prisoners were routinely executed, beaten and starved. Many of these men died of starvation or exposure.

Due to his nasty treatment of the Covenanter Prisoners, he was given the nick name of "Bloody MacKenzie" In a twist of irony, his mausoleum/tomb is adjacent to the prison he ruled with an iron fist. It is said that his ghost is unsettled at this juxtapostion and so he regularly roams the graveyard as a poltergeist.

A Month of Scottish Gravestones - Duncan Forbes of Culloden

Perhaps my very favourite graveyard in Scotland is Greyfriar's Kirkyard in Edinburgh's old town. I am forever fascinated by the people who are interred there. Some remarkably notable figures from Scotland's history. One such gravestone belongs to Duncan Forbes of Culloden. 

Duncan was born Nov. 10, 1685 in Culloden House near Inverness. He was the second son of Duncan Forbes and wife Mary Innes. 

                                                                    Culloden House

Forbes trained in law and then entered the world of politics. He was instrumental in the Hanoverian cause in both the 1715 and 1745 risings. 

Forbes was elected to Parliament in 1722. He became lord president of the Court of Session in 1737. There is a monument to him in Parliament Hall in Edinburgh

When Charles Edward Stuart came on the scene in 1745, Forbes, a staunch Hanoverian persuaded the chiefs of two powerful clans,  the Macdonalds and the Macleods to take the field on the side of the King and not the side of the Jacobites. In fact, Forbes was the main representative of the government in northern Scotland. 

Forbes was financially ruined by the Rising. His estate was badly damaged during the battle and he was never reimbursed for the money he had spent on behalf of the government. 

Duncan Forbes of Culloden died on 10 December 1747. He is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, near the grave of his brother, John.

Scottish Covenanters

At the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679, over 1200 covenanters were taken prisoner and taken to Edinburgh. Approximately 400 of these prisoners were held in the Covenanters Prison in Greyfriars Churchyard. 

Here they were kept out in the open, exposed to the elements for the winter months. They were kept under guard by tyrant George "Bluidy" MacKenzie. 

The prisoners were given 4 ounces of bread and water each day. Those that died under these conditions were buried in the part of the kirkyard reserved for criminals. Those that survived the winter were either executed come spring, or shipped off to Barbadosas slaves.  Of those who were executed, some 100 were burned and their ashes buried under the Martyrs Memorial. 

Although quite weathered, the inscription reads:

Halt passenger take heed what thou dost see

This tomb doth shew for what some men did die

Here lies interr'd the dust of these who stood

Gainst perjury resisting unto blood

Adhering to the Covenants and Laws

Establishing the same which was the Cause

Then their lives were sacrificed unto the Lust

Or Prelatist's abjur'd though here their dust

Lies mixt with murders and other crew

Whom justice did justly to death pursue

But as for this in them no cause was found

Worthy of death but only they were found

Constant and steadfast zealous witnessing

For the prerogatives of CHRIST their king

Which truths were feared by famous Guthrie's head

And all along to Mr Ranwick's blood

They did endure the wrath of enemies

Reproaches torments deaths and injuries

But yet they're these who from such troubles came

And now triumph in glory with the LAMB

From May 27th 1661 that the noble Marquess of Argyle suffered to the 17th of Febr 1688 that Mr James Ranwick suffr'd were executed at Edinburgh about an hundred of Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers & others noble martyrs for JESUS CHRIST. The most part of them lies here.

This Tomb was erected anno 1706.

If you have covenanter ancestors:

http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=7021

The 1833 Death of Tom Williams, Edinburgh's Hangman

A great piece of social history from the National Library of Scotland on the death of Edinburgh's hangman, Tom Williams. Tom had been in the job for 12 years. His body is interred in Greyfriar's Church Yard cemetery.

Happy Reading!