The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbisho ...

(St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only a small percentage are named on monuments and not every grave has a stone. Approximately 3,500 monuments exist here.

Background

Following the creation of

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...

in Paris a wave of pressure began for cemeteries in Britain. This required a change in the law to allow burial for profit. Previously the parish church held responsibility for burying the dead but there was a growing need for an alternative. Glasgow was one of the first to join this campaign, having a growing population, with fewer and fewer attending church. Led by Lord Provost

James Ewing of Strathleven James Ewing of Strathleven MP FRSE LLD (1775–1853) was Lord Provost of Glasgow (1832–1833), and MP for Glasgow (1832–1835), a plantation owner, slave-holder and West Indies merchant. Family and early life Ewing was born in Glasgow on 5 ...

, the planning of the cemetery was started by the Merchants' House of Glasgow in 1831, in anticipation of a change in the law. The Cemeteries Act was passed in 1832 and Glasgow Necropolis officially opened in April 1833. Just prior to this, in September 1832, a Jewish burial ground had been established in the north-west section of the land. This small area was declared "full" in 1851.

History

The grave of William Rae Wilson, Glasgow Necropolis

Predating the cemetery, the statue of

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

sitting on a column at the top of the hill, dates from 1825. The first burials were in 1832 in the extreme north-east on the lowest ground and were exclusively for Jewish burials (see section below)

Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was l ...

designed a number of its tombs, and John Bryce and David Hamilton designed other architecture for the grounds. The main entrance is approached by a bridge over what was then the

Molendinar Burn The Molendinar Burn is a burn in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the site of the settlement, Mellingdenor, that grew to become the kernel of Glasgow, and where St Mungo founded his church in the 6th century. It was later used to power the growing town ...

. The bridge, which was designed by David Hamilton was completed in 1836. It became known as the "Bridge of Sighs" because it was part of the route of

funeral procession A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or place of worship to the cemetery or crematorium. In earlier times the deceased was typically carried by male family members on a bier or in a cof ...

s (the name is an allusion to the

Bridge of Sighs The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: ''Ponte dei Sospiri'', vec, Ponte de i Sospiri) is a bridge in Venice, Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Priso ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

). The ornate gates (by both David and James Hamilton) were erected in 1838, restricting access onto the bridge. Three modern memorials lie between the gates and the bridge: a memorial to still-born children; a memorial to the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

; and a memorial to Glaswegian recipients of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

. Across the bridge the original scheme was to enter the area via a tunnel but this proved unviable. The ornate entrance of 1836 remains. The cemetery, as most early Victorian cemeteries, is laid out as an informal park, lacking the formal grid layouts of later cemeteries. This layout is further enhanced by the complex topography. The cemetery's paths meander uphill towards the summit, where many of the larger monuments stand, clustered around the

Monument. The Glasgow Necropolis was described by

James Stevens Curl James Stevens Curl (born 26 March 1937)Contemporary Authors, vols. 37–40, ed. Ann Every, Gale/Cengage Learning, 1979, p. 110 is an architectural historian, architect, and author with an extensive range of publications to his name. Early life an ...

as "literally a city of the dead". Glasgow native

Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter. He is sometimes known, especially in his homeland, by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his ...

has said: "Glasgow's a bit like

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

: it doesn't care much for the living, but it really looks after the dead."

Notable statues and sculptures

Monument in Glasgow Necropolis to John Henry Alexander, d

Lords Provosts in the Necropolis

The grave of James Dunlop of Tolcross, Glasgow Necropolis

Peter Clouston Peter Clouston (1807–1888) was a Scottish insurance broker and philanthropist who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1860 to 1863. Life He was born in Greenock on 10 August 1807. His father died when he was an infant and his widowed ...

* William Collins *

Sir Thomas Dunlop, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Dunlop, 1st Baronet (2 August 1855 – 29 January 1938) was a Scottish businessman. Life Dunlop was the eldest son of Thomas Dunlop (1831–1893), a grain merchant and founder of the shipping company, Thomas Dunlop & Sons, and hi ...

* Sir William McOnie *

Sir David Mason Sir David Mason (11 May 1862 – 1 April 1940) was a Scottish merchant who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1926 to 1929. Life Mason was born in Tradeston, Glasgow, the son of George Johnston Mason and Agnes Allison.''Scotland, Select ...

Matthew Walker Montgomery Sir Matthew Walker Montgomery DL (18 April 1859''Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950'' – 8 August 1933) was a Scottish businessman who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1923 to 1926. Life He was born in Hutchesontown, G ...

Henry Monteith Henry Monteith of Carstairs (1764–1848) was a Scottish businessman and Tory politician who twice served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1814 to 1816 and 1818 to 1820, and as MP for Linlithgow 1820 to 1826 and 1830 to 1831. Life He was ...

* Sir David Richmond

Other burials of note

* Alexander Allan, ship owner * William Burns, historian *

Hector Clare Cameron Sir Hector Clare Cameron (born 30 September 1843 in Demerara, Guyana, died 22 November 1928 in Glasgow) was a surgery, surgeon who was most notable for being Emeritus Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Glasgow and President of t ...

Charles Connell Charles Connell (1810 – June 28, 1873) was a Canadian politician, now remembered mainly for placing his image on a 5-cent postage stamp. Born in Northampton in the then-British colony of New Brunswick to a family of Loyalists who had fled ...

, shipbuilder * Very Rev James Craik, moderator for 1863/4 *

William Doleman William Doleman (16 September 1838 – 8 July 1918) was a Scottish amateur golfer. Doleman placed sixth in the 1865 Open Championship. He placed fifth in the 1869 Open Championship and was third in the 1872 Open Championship. He is reputed to ...

, golfer *

John Gibb Dunlop John Gibb Dunlop (1844–1913) was a Scottish engineer and shipbuilder who ran John Brown Shipbuilders for many years. He is best remembered as the person in charge of the building of the ill-fated RMS Lusitania and the renowned RMS Aquitani ...

, engineer *

Nathaniel Dunlop Sir Nathaniel Dunlop (1830–1919) was a 19th-century British businessman, shipowner and philanthropist, linked to the Allan Steamship Line. He was the longest serving Chairman of the Clyde Navigation Trust. He was also the first Scottish Chairma ...

* John Elder, shipbuilder, and his philanthropist wife

Isabella Elder Isabella Ure Elder (15 March 1828 – 18 November 1905) was a Scottish philanthropist who took a particular interest in education, especially of women, and in the welfare of the people of Govan in Glasgow. In Govan alone, Elder was responsi ...

* John Graham Gilbert, artist *

John Honeyman John Honeyman (1729August 18, 1822) was an American spy and British informant for George Washington, primarily responsible for spreading disinformation and gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton. ...

, architect * John Inglis, shipbuilder *

James Jeffray James Jeffray (1759–1848) was Professor of Anatomy and Botany at Glasgow University from 1790 until 1848. This 58 years of professorship is one of the longest in Scottish history. In around 1830 he is credited with invention of the surgical ...

, anatomist * William Keddie, founder of the Scottish Sunday School system * William Logan, temperance campaigner *

David MacBrayne David MacBrayne is a limited company owned by the Scottish Government. Formed in 1851 as the private shipping company David Hutcheson & Co. with three partners, David Hutcheson, Alexander Hutcheson and David MacBrayne, it passed in 1878 to David ...

* James McCall, veterinary surgeon *Very Rev

James Duff MacCulloch James Duff McCulloch or MacCulloch (1836–1926) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1901/02. Life He was born on 28 April 1836 at Logie Easter in Ross and Cromarty, the son of A ...

*Sir James MacFarlane (1857–1944), of

MacFarlane Lang United Biscuits (UB) is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of McVitie's biscuits, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In No ...

Biscuits * John Macgregor, shipbuilder * David Prince Miller, magician and theatre owner * William Miller, poet *

George Arthur Mitchell Sir George Arthur Mitchell FRSE MIME (1860–1948) was a Scottish mining engineer and company director. He was Director of both the Clydesdale Bank and Midland Bank and of several collieries. He endowed the Mitchell Lectures at Glasgow Universit ...

, mining engineer * Sir James Roberton * Alexander Stephen, shipbuilder *Peter Stewart, engineer – subject of a bronze sculpture by

James Pittendrigh Macgillivray James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856 – 29 April 1938) was a Scottish sculptor. He was also a keen artist, musician and poet. He was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, the son of a sculptor, and studied under William Brodie and John Mossman ...

* John Strang, writer *John Templeton and James Stewart Templeton, each of James Templeton & Co carpet makers (the latter grave was originally coloured to look like a carpet) *Charles S. P. Tennent and his brother Hugh Tennent and son

Hugh Tennent Hugh Tennent Tennent (29 August 1863 – 20 April 1890) was a Scottish brewer, the great-great-grandson of the founder (also Hugh Tennent) of the Wellpark Brewery now known as the Tennent's brewery. He began production of Tennent's lager in 1885 ...

all of

Wellpark Brewery Tennent Caledonian is a brewery based in Glasgow, Scotland. The Wellpark Brewery is situated in the city's East End, between the Townhead and Dennistoun districts along Duke Street. It was founded in 1740 on the bank of the Molendinar Burn ...

(the graves face the brewery) *

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 53 years, he did important ...

*Rev Ralph Wardlaw * James George Wilson

War graves

Glasgow Necropolis holds graves of 19 Commonwealth service personnel, 15 from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and 4 from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, that are registered and maintained by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

. The first, and highest ranking, of those buried here is Lieutenant-General Sir James Moncrieff Grierson, who died in August 1914 in France and whose body was repatriated. His grave is in section Primus 38.

Jewish section

As Jewish people were not allowed to be interred within Christian burial grounds, a small area outwith the boundary of the main cathedral graveyard was allocated to them. The ground contains 57 burials. Jewish burials took place here from 1832 to 1855, after which they were in the Eastern Necropolis. The cemetery is now part of the expanded Necropolis and due to its low location its significance is often unrecognised. The Jewish cemetery was restored in 2015. More information about Jewish history in Scotland is available from the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre: https://www.sjac.org.uk/ .

Other memorials

Cheapside Street whisky bond fire The Cheapside Street whisky bond fire in Glasgow on 28 March 1960 was Britain's worst peacetime fire services disaster. The fire at a whisky bond killed 14 fire service and 5 salvage corps personnel. This fire was overshadowed only by a similar ...

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army a ...

memorialWilliam Wallace memorial
- Canmore.org.uk

References

External links

Glasgow Necropolis Photographs

Glasgow Necropolis Heritage Trail
PDF
Friends of Glasgow Necropolis

Video footage of the Lady Well

Glasgow Necropolis
Find A Grave {{Cemeteries in Scotland Cemeteries in Scotland Buildings and structures in Glasgow Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Category A listed buildings in Glasgow Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Scotland Monumental masons Tourist attractions in Glasgow 1832 establishments in Scotland Necropoleis