Glasgow’s Cathedral & City Necropolis

On March 17th, 2018, Alex and I were taken on a tour of Glasgow’s City Necropolis by Tam McCann of the Parkhead History Group and Peter Mortimer of the Bridgeton History Group. It’s well worth a wander round but if you’re able to get in on a tour, it’s well worth it. Anabel at the Glasgow Gallivanter, a participant of this site, is a Glasgow Women’s Library tour guide too.

Glasgow Cathedral Scenes

Necropolis Monuments & Memorials

Assembling at the St. Mungo Gate to the Necropolis.

Victoria Cross Memorial. Reads:

FOR VALOUR

IN HONOUR OF GLASWEGIANS AWARDED

THE VICTORIA CROSS FOR VALOUR.

THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY

THE CITY COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF

THE CITIZENS OF GLASGOW

IN REMEMBRANCE AND WITH GRATITUDE.

From the Cathedral side of the Bridge of Sighs.

As Tam says in his article:

“The façade was built as a gateway to a subterranean crypt that would hold the bodies of the deceased safely from grave robbers. But the passing of the Anatomy act 1832 meant that bodies could be released for medical science, its now used as a store room.”

Over the door reads:

THE ADJOINING BRIDGE

WAS ERECTED BY

THE MERCHANTS HOUSE OF GLASGOW

TO AFFORD A PROPER ENTRANCE TO THEIR NEW CEMETERY COMBINING

CONVENIENT ACCESS TO THE GROUNDS WITH SUITABLE DECORATION TO THE

VENERABLE CATHEDRAL & SURROUNDING SCENERY TO UNITE THE TOMBS OF MANY GENERATIONS

WHO HAVE COME BEFORE WITH THE RESTING PLACES DESTINED FOR GENERATIONS YET

UNBORN WHERE THE ASHES OF ALL SHALL REPOSE UNTIL THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST WHEN THAT WHICH

IS BORN A NATURAL BODY SHALL BE RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY WHEN THIS CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT

ON INCORRUPTION WHEN THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORALITY WHEN DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

A. D. MDCCCXXXIII

“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTETH IN GOD AND WHOSE HOPE THE LORD IS.”

The formost inscription within the arch is too worn to read here. The marker next to it reads:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

WILLIAM PEDDIE ALEXANDER

OF GLASGOW AND CALCUTTA

BORN IN THIS TOWN 8TH MAY 1848

DIED IN BAD NAUHEIM GERMANY 25TH MAY 1902

The monument to the left is dedicated to ALEXANDER RAMSAY though the inscription is too worn to make out here. The central, very elaborate, monument is unfortunately too faded to make out any names as is that to its right.

It’s a wee bit of a climb to get to the apex of the necropolis. The monument to the right is very faded but the names JAMES MCCLELLAND and WILHELMINA BOYD SIMPSON can still be read.

These 3 monuments used to be 4, if I remember correctly, though that’s all my memory gives me for these. They are related in some way (I will find out!). The only inscription that can be (kind of) read is that of the middle memorial:

ERECTED BY THE CORPORATION

OF THE CITY OF GLASGOW

IN MEMORY OF

ROBERT FORREST

[Lacuna]

WHO WAS KILLED AT [Lacuna] PIT AYRSHIRE

ON THE 20TH OCTOBER 1893.

It seems as though they were victims of some kind of mining disaster.

To the left we have a monument to the Graham family. Names that can be read here are JAMES GRAHAM and MARGARET SCOTT GRAHAM. In the middle is the Malcolm family monument which reads:

MALCOLM

1842

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

There are too many faded bits to attempt to decipher but the names that can be made out are:

WILLIAM MALCOLM

MARY SMYTHE HIS WIFE

CHARLOTTE FERRIER HIS MOTHER

JOHN MALCOLM HIS BROTHER

MARGARET MALCOLM HIS SISTER

MARY MALCOLM HIS SISTER

ALEXANDER MALCOLM HIS BROTHER

GEORGE MALCOLM HIS NEPHEW

———

WILLIAM MALCOLM

AMELIA JANE HOLDSWORTH HIS WIFE

SAMUEL S. MALCOLM HIS BROTHER

———

ELIZABETH LEITH HENDERSON

ELIZABETH AMY MALCOLM

———

BRIGADIER GENERAL

HENRY HUNTLY LEITH MALCOLM CB, CMG, DSO

[Lacuna] HIGHLANDERS, THE BLACK WATCH

[Lacuna] QUEEN’S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

———

FLORENCE MACLEAN

LOUISA HUNTLY DUTTON.

The monument to the right is for the Cassels family and reads:

ROBERT CASSELS

———

ROBERT CASSELS, IRONMASTER,

GLASGOW,

DIED 12TH FEB. 1890, AGED 78 YEARS

MARY WILSON, HIS WIFE,

DIED 22ND AUG. 1890, AGED 73 YEARS

THOMAS WILSON, THEIR SON,

DIED 11TH MAY 1871, AGED 25 YEARS

HELEN RAE COCHRAN

WIFE OF ROBERT CASSELS, J

DIED 7TH APRIL, 1878, AGED 23 YEARS

THEIR SON

ROBERT THOMAS

DIED 16TH APRIL 1878, AGED 17 DAYS

PETER WILSON,

SON OF ROBERT CASSELS,

DIED 8TH JULY 1905, IN HIS 54TH YEAR

AGNES BRYSON,

DAUGHTER OF ROBERT CASSELS,

DIED 20TH NOV. 1940, AGED 82 YEARS

———

JOHN R. CASSELS

———

JANE TORRANCE CROSS

HIS WIFE,

DIED 24TH OCT. 1880, AGED 32 YEARS

JANE CROSS WILSON

HIS YOUNGER DAUGHTER,

DIED 16TH MARCH 1904, AGED 23 YEARS

THE ABOVE JOHN R. CASSELS

DIED 25TH MAY 1906, AGED 62 YEARS

ROBERT WILLIAM CASSELS HIS SON

PRIVATE 10TH ROYAL FUSILIERS

FELL AT THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE

17TH NOVEMBER 1916, AGED 40 YEARS

–

JOHN KNOX’S towering monument. The inscription on one side reads:

TO TESTIFY GRATITUDE FOR INESTIMABLE SERVICES

IN THE CAUSE OF RELIGION, EDUCATION, AND CIVIL LIBERTY;

TO AWAKEN ADMIRATION

OF THAT INTEGRITY, DISINTERESTEDNESS, AND COURAGE,

WHICH STOOD UNSHAKEN IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS,

AND IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGHEST OBJECTS; FINALLY,

TO CHERISH UNCEASING REVERENCE FOR THE PRINCIPLES AND

BLESSINGS OF THAT GREAT REFORMATION,

BY THE INFLUENCE OF WHICH OUR COUNTRY, THROUGH THE

MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES,

HAS ARISEN TO HONOUR, PROSPERITY, AND HAPPINESS.

THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION

TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN KNOX;

THE CHIEF INSTRUMENT UNDER GOD, OF THE REFORMATION IN SCOTLAND,

ON THE 22ND DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1825.

HE DIED REJOICING IN THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL [Lacuna] AT EDINBURGH,

ON THE 24TH NOVEMBER A. D. 1572, IN THE 67TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

   “On Wednesday several potions of the statue of the great Scottish reformer, John Knox, arrived in Glasgow. they were contained in six carts, and the remaining parts of it will occupy the other three. The weight of the entire statue is calculated at between nine and ten tons. Its height is 12 feet. It is composed of nine pieces. The height of the column on which it is fixed is 55 feet. Thursday two of the pieces were fixed upon the pedestal. One of them, weighed at the Gallowgate toll, was found to be 27½, and the other 26 cwt. Mr Forrest, the ingenious artist, superintends in person the placing of the statue. The remaining pieces arrived on Friday morning.”

– Aberdeen Press and Journal, Wednesday 8th February, 1826, p.4. 

A friend had suggested I look out for gravestones with seashells decorating them. He wasn’t sure if they had any particular meaning. I did make a point of asking on the tour but was told they probably really are just for decoration rather than indicating a seafaring link to the occupant.

The inscription on the left reads:

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

JANE FULTON,

WIFE OF

JOHN BUCHANAN, OF GLENLORA.

DIED 29 AUGUST 1852.

AND OF

MARION BUCHANAN,

HIS SISTER

DIED 6TH APRIL 1869.

AND OF

ELIZABETH BUCHANAN,

HIS SISTER

WIFE OF JAMES OGILVY MACK,

DIED 4TH DECEMBER 1867.

AND OF THE ABOVE

JOHN BUCHANAN, LATE OF GLENLORA

DIED 27TH SEPTEMBER 1880

AND OF

JANE BUCHANAN,

HIS SISTER

DIED 19TH JUNE 1883.

That of the marker on the right reads:

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

ANNA BUCHANAN,

WIDOW OF

JOHN MCKERRELL, ESQ.

AND LATTERLY OF

JAMES BROWN ESQ.

DIED 14TH OCTOBER 1880

ALSO OF HER ONLY CHILD

JOANNA

DAUGHTER OF THE ABOVE NAMED

JOHN MCKERRELL, ESQ.

DIED 1ST DECEMBER 1907.

The John Knox monument is to the left here. The letters are disappearing from the Rev. Dr. Duncan MacFarlane’s monument which reads:

IN MEMORY

OF THE VERY REVEREND

DUNCAN MACFARLAN. D.D.

BORN 1771.- DIED 1857

SUCCEEDED HIS FATHER AS MINISTER

OF DRYMEN 1792.

BECAME PRINCIPAL

OF GLASGOW COLLEGE 1823

AND

[Lacuna]

THE ORIGINAL PARISH OF GLASGOW.

ERECTED 1861

Henry Monteith’s monument, on the left side here, reads:

HENRY MONTEITH

OF CARSTAIRS

DIED A.D. 1848

AGED 83 YEARS

[Lacuna] BELOVED DAUGHTER

LORD•JESUS•RECEIVE•MY•SPIRIT

and to the right, reads:

MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

IN

SEVERAL PARLIAMENTS

IN•GOD•HAVE•[Lacuna]

Wingate memorial to the left reads:

IN MEMORY OF

JAMES WINGATE

MERCHANT.

Then it’s very difficult to make out but we have the names JOHN, WILLIAM, MARGARET HILL, AGNES COOK, GEORGE HILL, MARGARET and CHRISTINA.

The extremely ornamental monument to the right is dedicated to:

JOHN HENRY ALEXANDER

DIED

15TH DEC. 1851

Aged 55 Years.

Fallen is the curtain – the last scene is o’er:

The favourite actor treads life’s stage no more.

Oft lavish plaudits from the crowd he drew,

And laughing eyes confess’d his humour true.

Here fond affection rears this sculpted stone

For virtues not enacted but his own –

A constancy unshaken unto death.

A truth unswerving and a christian’s faith.

Who knew him best have cause to mourn him most:

Oh weep the man more than the actor lost.

Unnumber’d parts he play’d yet to the end,

His best were those of Husband, Father, Friend.

William McGavin’s elaborate memorial reads:

To

the Memory

of

WILLIAM MCGAVIN

Merchant, Glasgow.

Author

of the

Protestant

&c. &c.

who died on the XXIII. of August,

MDCCCXXXII.

aged Fifty-nine years.

———

THIS

Monument has been Erected

by his fellow Citizens.

MDCCCXXXIV.

———

William Rae Wilson’s family crypt. Tam tells us in his article:

“No wood, iron or lead has been used in making this monument, all joints are concealed. The family arms of Rae and Wilson are depicted in white marble inside.”

This striking monument reads:

TO THE MEMORY OF

WALTER MACFARLANE, SARACEN FOUNDRY, POSSILPARK, DIED 18TH OCTOBER 1885, AGED 69 YEARS.

MARGARET RUSSELL, HIS WIFE, DIED 3RD MAY 1918, AGED 85 YEARS.

HELEN CROSS, DIED 25TH APRIL 1925, AGED 66YEARS.

WIFE OF

WALTER MACFARLANE, J.P., D.L., SARACEN FOUNDRY, POSSILPARK, DIED 3RD JULY 1932, AGED 79 YEARS.

JESSIE MAY, THEIR DAUGHTER, KILLED BY ENEMY ACTION, 7TH APRIL 1941, AGED 47 YEARS.

MARION CROSS MACFARLANE CASSELS, O.B.E., THEIR DAUGHTER,

AND WIFE OF J. H. H. CASSELS, DIED 31ST DECEMBER 1986, AGED 79 YEARS.

COLONEL WALTER MACFARLANE, D.S.O., D.L., J.P, SON OF WALTER AND HELEN MACFARLANE, DIED 18TH MARCH 1965, AGED 81 YEARS.

Front and back of Glasgow’s lost Firefighters’ memorial which reads (front):

TO THE GLORY OF GOD

AND IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY

OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN

OF THE GLASGOW FIRE SERVICE

AND THE GLASGOW SALVAGE CORPS

WHO PERISHED IN THE

CHEAPSIDE STREET FIRE

28TH MARCH 1960

GLASGOW FIRE SERVICE

SUB OFFICER JAMES CALDER

SUB OFFICER JOHN MCPHERSON

FIREMAN JOHN ALLAN

FIREMAN CHRISTOPHER BOYLE

FIREMAN GORDON J. CHAPMAN

FIREMAN WILLIAM W. CROCKET

FIREMAN ARCHIBALD DARROCH

FIREMAN DANIEL DAVIDSON

FIREMAN ALFRED C. DICKINSON

FIREMAN ALEXANDER A. GRASSIE

FIREMAN GEORGE D. MCINTYRE

FIREMAN EDWARD R. MCMILLAN

FIREMAN IAN A. C. MCMILLAN

FIREMAN WILLIAM R. WATSON

GLASGOW SALVAGE CORPS

SUPT EDWARD C. MURRAY

SALVAGEMAN JAMES A. MCLELLAN

SALVAGEMAN GORDON C. MCMILLAN

SALVAGEMAN JAMES F. MUNGALL

SALVAGEMAN WILLIAM OLIVER

The back of the memorial reads:

IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF

THE OFFICERS AND MEN FROM

THE GLASGOW FIRE SERVICE

WHO DIED TRAGICALLY AND HEROICALLY

WHILST RESCUING A COLLEAGUE

AT A WAREHOUSE FIRE IN

KILBIRNIE STREET

ON THE 25TH AUGUST 1972

———

DIVISIONAL OFFICER ANDREW P. QUINN

LEADING FIREMAN ALASTAIR CROFTS

FIREMAN IAIN R. BERMINGHAM

FIREMAN ALLAN FINLAY

FIREMAN WILLIAM MCL. HOOPER

FIREMAN DUNCAN A. MCMILLAN

FIREMAN JAMES W. ROOK

———

NOVEMBER 18TH 1972 – SUB OFFICER ADRIAN MCGILL

WHO DIED SAVING A MEMBER OF THE

PUBLIC AT A FIRE IN MARYHILL ROAD

———

ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE POSTHUMOUS RECIPIENTS OF

QUEENS COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT

GLASGOW CORPORATION MEDAL FOR BRAVERY

CARNEGIE HERO TRUST AWARD

———

THE OFFICERS OF THE GLASGOW FIRE SERVICE

WHO DIED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF

THEIR DUTY AND ARE INTERRED ELSEWHERE

DECEMBER 2ND 1960 – STATION OFFICER DOUGLAS MEARNS

WHO DIED ON BOARD MV PAGENSAND, PRICE’S DOCK

NOVEMBER 15TH 1967 – STATION OFFICER WILLIAM CLARK

WHO DIED TOGETHER WITH FOUR CHILDREN WHOM HE WAS

TRYING TO RESCUE AT A DWELLING HOUSE FIRE IN CUMBERLAND ST.

NOVEMBER 3RD 1969 – SUB OFFICER ARCHIBALD MCLAY

WHO DIED WHILST FIREFIGHTING AT STV. STUDIOS, HOPE ST.

MARCH 20TH 1971 – STATION OFFICER JAMES MATHIESON

WHO DIED WHILST FIREFIGHTING AT A DWELLING HOUSE IN DEANSTON DR.

The inscription on this Celtic cross memorial reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

WILLIAM HOWAT

8TH JANUARY 1849 – 30TH JULY 1927

AND OF HIS WIFE

ISABELLA MARY MACINDOE

18TH JUNE 1861 – 29TH APRIL 1941

This struck me as particularly pretty Celtic cross. The inscription reads:

TO THE MEMORY OF

WILLIAM GOVAN

BORN 28 OCTOBER 1796

DIED 13 NOVEMBER 1874

JANE FINLAYSON HIS WIFE

BORN 24 JUNE 1798 DIED 11

AUG 1874 JANE STEEL WIFE

OF WILLIAM J GOVAN BORN 12

AUG 1847 DIED 15 NOV 1876

WILLIAM GOVAN BORN 27 NOV

1819 DIED 25 SEPT 1883

———

JAMES MANN

BORN 26 JUNE

1811 DIED 28 FEBRUARY

1884 JANE JESSIE ARTHUR

HIS WIFE BORN 11 OCTOBER

1818 DIED 26 FEBRUARY 1865

ALSO HIS WIFE CATHERINE

CROALL MATHERS BORN

27 JANUARY 1836 DIED 10

OCTOBER 1898

Memorial to members of the WHITELAW family.

The memorial crypt of MAJOR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS MONTEATH of which Tam writes in his article:

“Major Archibald Douglas Monteath served in the East India Company. Allegedly, Monteath made his fortune when an elephant carrying precious gems belonging to a Maharajah was captured and ‘relieved’ of its load by him. When he died £1,000 was left to build his monument. There was a shortfall, however, the Merchants’ House gifted the extra land needed and this spectacular mausoleum was built. Based on the Knights Templar Church of the Holy Sepulchre, though experts dispute whether it is modeled on the Jerusalem Church.”

I love how nature is left to do its thing in the Necropolis. Makes for a more beautiful setting in which to be interred and visit loved ones.

There are lots of nice wee details on this gravestone which reads:

Erected by

ROBERT CHALMERS,

IN LOVING MEMORY OF HIS SONS

JOHN,

BORN 30 AUG. 1872, DIED 3 FEB. 1875.

ROBERT,

BORN 29 JULY 1876, DIED 16 APRIL 1877.

WILLIAM,

BORN 4 MARCH 1875, DIED 22 APRIL 1878.

ALSO HIS FATHER-IN-LAW

WILLIAM BYERS,

DIED 12 MARCH 1884, AGED 58 YEARS.

JAMES, HIS SON,

DIED 20 JUNE 1885, AGED 15 MONTHS.