A Month of Scottish Gravestones - Queen of the Gypsies

Corlinda Lee was the daughter of Charles Lee and Union Chilcott.  The Lees were a very prominent Gypsy family. In 1856, at the age of 25, Corlinda married George Smith. Like the Lees, the Smiths were also a very important Gypsy family. The marriage of Corlinda and George merged two very important gypsy dynasties, making the couple the King and Queen of the Gypsies. 

George was, in fact, head of 10 different gypsy families. He was also a bit of an entrepreneur and decided to use the country’s intrigue about gypsies to the benefit of his families. He and the families toured Great Britain, holding “shows” where the public could pay to see inside the caravans, or have their fortunes read. One such customer was none other than Queen Victoria, who is purported to have had her fortune read by Corlinda herself. Of course, this set about a frenzy for all of the socialites to want to follow suit, much to George’s benefit. 

Corlinda died while in Glasgow and is buried at the Glasgow Necropolis. Corlinda was 68 years old at the time of her death. George had a gravestone erected in her honour. At one time, the stone had a bronze relief in the likeness of Corlinda, but as with many bronze insets, it has been lost to time (likely stolen). However, a faint silhouette still remains. One of the fascinating things about her tombstone is the number of coins that have been left by people who have come to pay their respects.  

 

Glasgow Necropolis

This morning the those who were still with us from the Highland History and Research Tour and new group with the Glasgow Tour had the morning free. Some slept in. Some walked and others went to church. Several of us met up at the breakfast table then we gathered at 1:00 to make our way over to the Glasgow Necropolis for a guided tour of the cemetery. Our tour guide, Jannis, was wonderful and shared some lovely stories about not only those interred but also some of their descendants who have come to pay homage.

The Merchant's House was an influential body in Glasgow in the 1700s. They were responsible for benevolence and as such, they founded the Glasgow Necropolis. A garden cemetery where anyone could be buried regardless of social stature or religion.

These gates were originally built by T Edington & Sons and a few years ago, a descendant of T Edington visited the Necropolis and donated the money to have the gates restored to their original glory.

The Glasgow Crest represents St Mungo's 4 miracles: 

Here is the bird that never flew (Mungo restored life to a Robin that had been killed by some of his classmates

Here is the tree that never grew  (Mungo had been left to tend a fire. He fell asleep and the fire died out. Mungo took a branch of a Hazel tree and restarted the fire)

Here is the bell that never rang (Mungo brought a bell from Rome that was used in services and to mourn the dead)

Here is the fish that never swam (The Queen of Strathclyde lost her ring in the river. Mungo sent a man to fish in the river and upon opening the fish, discovered the Queen's ring)

The Superintendent's Home is just inside the gates of the Cemetery. No longer in use, it has fallen into disrepair

Listening attentively to Jannis

 Crossing the Bridge of Sighs - leaving the World of the Living and Entering the World of the Dead

Bridge of Sighs

The Monteath Mausoleum is the latest restoration project of the Friends of the Glasgow Necropolis

 Inverted lit torches are a symbol of death - lighting the afterlife

 A draped urn - a common symbol. A long drape is meant to mean a long life although that wasn't always the case

Inverted Laurel Leaves another symbol of death

 An hour glass with wings symbolizes that Time Has Run Out

A cracked plinth symbolizes a broken life - a life broken by death

 These incomplete pillars are symbolic of lives that have been cut short

Part of the restoration is the addition of colour on the iron gates to some of the mausoluems. These show that the Victorians did not live in a black and white world, but were actually quite colourful. 

The Jewish Cemetery within the Necropolis

Grave of Corlinda Lee, Queen of the Gypsies

Visitors have left coins on Corlinda's tombstone as a way to show they have paid their respect

Tombstone Tuesday - William Miller - "Wee Willie Winkie"

This monument stands atop a hill in the Glasgow Necropolis.

 

William Miller is perhaps best known for his children's nursery rhyme:

 

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,
Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown,
Chappin' at the window, crying thru the lock,
"Are the we'ans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

Tombstone Tuesday - Symbolism

During my visit last year to the Glasgow Necropolis, I was taken by the symbolism in the monuments. Of course there were the standard ones (Celtic):

But others were less obvious in their meaning. Like these ones, for example:

While these two appear to have been vandalized, they were, in fact, planned this way. The symbolism here is that the person for whom the monument was erected was "cut down in the prime of his life" One being only 37 at the time of his death!

Getting a Head Start

I arrived in Glasgow after a very eventful flight with two medical emergencies - one very frightening - but kept under control by an onboard doctor. The wait at customs was reprehensible. One customs officer for the entire plane. However, after out of the airport, the drama left behind, it was a fresh start not only on the day but also on the research.

Spent some time at the People's Palace, which gives an amazing overview of the early social history of Glasgow.

There is a display on the ``Steamie`where the local ladies gathered to do their washing

Also a wonderful display on life in the tenement flats.

Tenant Rent Books

Kitchen area

Sleeping/Sitting area. All in the same room as the kitchen. After a short wander through Merchant City, we ended up at the Glasgow Necropolis

Old Retail Merchant Buildings

Mercat Building

The famed Barras flea market, which was bustling with activity on a Saturday morning

Street scene along the way

Police Box

Cathedral House hotel in Cathedral Square, opposite the Necropolis

The Necropolis is the oldest and largest cemetery in Glasgow. It spans 37 acres and holds 50,000 burials. Many of Glasgow's best known merchants, businessmen, educators, inventors and ship owners are buried here. There are 32 mausoleums. Many require a great deal of attention and work. The Friends of the Glasgow Necropolis http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/ are a group of dedicated volunteers who are working hard to raise the funds necessary to clean up and restore these amazing structures.

There are also some very ornate tombstones

The founder of Tennents Lager

Many of the stones are symbolic. For instance, the one above was for one of the first theatre actors in Glasgow. His stone depicts a stage, with curtains open:

with his obit/eulogy written below

In these two, the pillar is purposely without a top to depict someone struck down before the end of their 3 score and ten

And of course iconic Scottish symbolism abounds

The headstones are stacked close together

 Up and down the sides of the hill that the cemetery is built upon

 And although there are 50,000 people buried at the Necropolis, only three and a half thousand of them have headstones. The remaining 46,500 are all buried here:

No surprise, then, if you can't find the monumental inscription for your ancestor!