A Month of Scottish Gravestones - Symbolism

 October is Family History month in North America and in the past, I have blogged daily on various topics pertaining to Family History. This year, I decided to do something a little bit different and blog on some of the gravestones I have encountered in my travels to various graves in Scotland. 

To start, let's look at some of the meanings behind the symbolism often found on gravestones. 

The most common are symbols that signify death: the skull with or without cross bones, the bell that tolls for thee, the shovels and scythes used by the grave digger. All of these are to remind us of our own mortality, and really just to say "death is coming" 

Here we can see the bell, the skull and cross bones as well 

as the grave diggers shovel 

Here we see the tools of the grave digger

Another common symbol is the urn, which of course holds the remains of the deceased. Sometimes the urn is draped or partially draped with a cloth. This is to signify that the veil between this life and the after life is thin. 

And of course, there is also the Grim Reaper who is coming for all of us. 

Sometimes there are symbols which alert us to the occupation of the deceased:

In the centre, at the top of the other symbols is a ring, signifying that the deceased was a jeweller

I particularly like this one. The anvil symbolizes that the deceased was a black smith but we can also see a horseshoe at the top of the headstone, telling us he made shoes for horses. The crown in the centre symbolizes glory in death 

This one in the Auld Kirkyard in Alloway is in pretty rough shape however, because it is so decorative and so telling, there is also the "pattern" for it next to it

At the top is the crown, signifying glory over death. We can also see the cross bones. But in addition, we see a wrench (spanner) a horseshoe and the person putting a shoe on a horse. So once again, we know the deceased was a blacksmith

This tomb is found in the Glasgow Necropolis and is a monument to actor John Henry Alexander  who owned and managed the Glasgow Theatre Royal. You can see the curtains of the stage. There are also a number of symbols from his theatre life on the headstone. 

And although this monument looks like it has been vandalized but in fact it symbolizes that the deceased was "cut down in the prime of his life" and died as a young man. 

This gravestone in the old Kincardine Cemetery in Grangemouth is also telling. It appears to me that the man who died left behind a wife and possibly a mother or mother-in-law as well as 10 children: one daughter and nine sons. 

What symbols have you come across on gravestones while wandering through cemeteries that have made you stop and take notice?

Tombstone Tuesday: St Cuthberts Cemetery Edinburgh

One of my favourite things to do when I visit Edinburgh each year is to wander around the old cemeteries. I try to pick ones I have not yet wandered through so that the history of the cemetery is new to me each time. Although I must admit, a trip to Edinburgh wouldn't feel complete without a wander through Greyfriars. It has become an annual pilgrimage. And my preference now it to take the guided tour offered by Historic Edinburgh Tours where I can learn the stories behind the people interred. 

One cemetery I have wanted to wander through for some years now is St Cuthberts. My initial fascination with St Cuthberts was my first sighting of the guard tower, watching over the burial sites and protecting them from the notorious grave robbers and body snatchers. 

St Cuthberts is on Princes Street at the far end of the West Gardens. It takes in an amazing expanse of land and while situated on the very busy Princes St, it is surprisingly tranquil. 

Like most of the old cemeteries in Edinburgh, St Cuthberts is the final resting place of some of the elite in Scotland's history. 

I am always in awe, as I wander amongst the headstones, of the wealth of genealogical information that can be gleaned from the old headstones. In the days when paying tribute was the most important part of a headstone and estates and families weren't charged per letter or per word:

Tombstone Tuesday - I Am a Taphophile

I am a Taphophile. Perhaps even at a certifiable level. And as I look back on my life, I'm pretty certain this addiction was passed down from my dad. 

What is a Taphophile?

•A Taphophile is someone with a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries.

•Taphophilia involves epitaphs, photography, brass rubbing, art, and history of deaths.

•A Taphophile describes someone who travels to visit cemeteries for the enjoyment of looking at old and unusual stones.

•Taphophiles are usually more interested in the historical aspects of cemeteries or graves than they are in the people who are buried within.

Most Sunday afternoons, my dad and I hiked the woods along the base of the escarpment and always ended up in the  local cemetery. We would walk the rows of headstones and grave markers, take note of newly laid graves or large amounts of flowers that had been laid, usually signalling that a funeral had taken place in recent days. That was the start of a lifelong addiction.  

And I find as my interest in genealogy grows, my addiction deepens. One of my favourite indulgences when I go to Scotland each year is to take in different cemeteries. To some people, these cemeteries are creepy wee places. Full of horror, ghosts and maybe even the odd poltergeist. As I wander around them, I am in awe at the history laying beneath the earth. The names of major players in Scotland's history. Top scholars, fathers of free thinking, inventors, famous physicians, philosophers, poets, authors. Each cemetery is a history book.  

My addiction has expanded. I am not just using the gateway fixes of cemeteries anymore, but now include battlefields, memorials and even pre-historic cairns. The richer the history, the deeper I am hooked.

Any other taphophiles out there?  I have thought of starting a self help group. But how would we meet? In a cemetery? With a pen and scribbler? Cameras at the ready?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tombstone Tuesday

My annual trips to Scotland to conduct family history research also allow me to tap into my taphophilia. I generally try to pick two or three new (to me) cemeteries to visit and learn about. This year was no exception. I was able to visit four cemeteries:

• Old Calton in Glasgow aka the Weaver's Cemetery
• Old Calton in Edinburgh
• Carlisle Cemetery
• and my old standby, Greyfriars

I am always amazed at the age of the stones and the history of some of the people interred in each cemetery. Many of them key figures in Scottish history. Of particular interest this year was Carlisle Cemetery in Northern England. A cemetery where some of my Lindsley ancestors are buried. The stones were quite ornate. In many ways, they were reminiscent of the stones in the Glasgow Necropolis.

Historic Edinburgh Resurrectionist Tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard

On Wednesday night, we enjoyed a fantastic guided tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard. The tour is run by Historic Edinburgh Tours. Our guide for the Resurrection Tour was Robert. And it was terrific!

 The tour is called the Resurrectionist Tour, not because they dig up bodies, but because the guides resurrect the stories of some of the more interesting characters whose bodies are buried in Greyfriars.

We learned about cemetery symbolism

 These are all symbols of death

Note the ring in the middle of the stone. This is the memorial for George Heriot, a jeweller

We also learned about the importance of Greyfriars in terms of Scottish history and it being the place where the National Covenant was signed. There is a Martyrs Monument dedicated to those who perished for their beliefs

 

 

We peered into a couple of mausoleums

 

 

 

Including the mausoleum for the infamous McKenzie Poltergiest

 

 

 

 

We learned about different forms of torture including thumb screws

 

 

And we learned about body snatchers and mortsafes

 

 

 

In spite of the cold, it was a very enjoyable, very informative tour of old Greyfriars and I look forward to bringing another group next year. Thank you, Robert & Paul and Historic Edinburgh Tours!

 

 

 

 

Old Calton Cemetery Edinburgh

On Tuesday I had the chance to indulge my taphophilia and took a wander around Old Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh's east end.

I was amazed at the size of some of the tombs and mausoleums in the old cemetery.

As well, I was amazed at some of the names of people buried here. Some of Edinburgh's important historical figures.

I wandered over to what I thought was a guard tower (to stand guard against the body snatchers) and discovered that in fact this was a rather large monument for David Hume, one of the fathers of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Although tucked away from the hussle and bustle of its Princes Street entrance, this is one old cemetery worth a wander around.

Tombstone Tuesday - Indulgence of a Taphophile

This week's cemetery jaunt was the Ramshorn Cemetery in Glasgow's Merchant City. Many of the well to do merchants are entombed here.