Greyfriars Burial Ground is an historic cemetery in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Scotland. Dating to 1580, it is now Category A listed, with its collection of gravestones considered one of the best in Scotland. The cemetery closed to burials in 1978. The cemetery occupies the former location of the Greyfriars Monastery, founded by Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant, in 1496 and destroyed in 1559 at the start of the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

.''The Tourist's Hand-book to Perth and Neighbourhood'' (1849), p. 26 As per documentation dating to 1911, "no burial is permitted of the body of a person who at the time of death resided out of the old parish, excepting that of a widower or widow, son or daughter who have never been married." A superintendent was in attendance every morning between 10 and 11 AM, then between 11 AM and 1 PM at

Wellshill Cemetery Wellshill Cemetery is a 19th-century cemetery in the Scottish city of Perth, Scotland, Perth, Perth and Kinross. Located on Feus Road, the cemetery is still operational and is under the control of Perth and Kinross Council. History The cemetery ...

.''Leslie's directory for Perth and Kinross'' (1911), p. 18
/ref> The cemetery is located at the eastern end of Canal Street, near its junction with

Tay Street Tay Street is a street, part of the A989, in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Planned in 1806 and completed around 1885, it is named for the River Tay, Scotland's longest river, on the western banks of which it sits. The street ru ...

. It has been extended south on two occasions,Perth, Canal Street, Greyfriars Burial Ground
–

Canmore Canmore may refer to: *Canmore (database), a Scottish national online database of ancient monuments; *Canmore, Alberta, a town in Canada; *the House of Dunkeld, a royal house that ruled Scotland in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, including **Malc ...

and it now abuts the bridge carrying the Perth-to-Dundee section of the Scottish railway network. Also on the southern side of the cemetery is a roofed section under which are thirteen early gravestones. Moved for conservation purposes, they include the oldest gravestone in the cemetery (Buchan, 1580). A tablet commemorating John Mylne, who "rebuilt the ancient bridge over the

River Tay The River Tay (, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing' David Ross, ''Scottish Place-names'', p. 209. Birlinn Ltd., Edinburgh, 2001.) is the longest river in Sc ...

," was erected by Robert Mylne in 1784. In 1997, when proposals were made to dismantle and rebuild the cemetery's eastern wall, two test pits were dug by the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust (SUAT). One of the pits found what is believed to be the original monastery wall foundations. A "succession of wall foundations" hinted at several wall replacement and repair efforts undertaken during the monastery's lifespan, each raising the ground level.

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

pottery was also discovered, likely associated with the soil of lower garden abutting the original monastery wall. The other pit demonstrated a lack of a progression of wall foundations, confirming that that area was inside the 1795 graveyard extension and outside the original monastery grounds. The second pit also showed signs of

infill In urban planning, infill, or in-fill, is the rededication of land in an Urban area, urban environment, usually Urban open space, open-space, to new construction. Infill also applies, within an urban polity, to construction on any Greenfield land, ...

ing or levelling layers, possibly from when a

burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...

, which ran along the burial ground's southern wall, was covered with soil. In 2019, several headstones deemed a hazard to passersby were removed and restored."Hazardous headstones marked for removal at historic Perth churchyard"
– '' The Courier'', 4 June 2019 Perth and Kinross Council have left the grass outwith the paths around the graveyard to grow as a

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

plan.

Notable interments

* Adam Anderson, physicist (1783–1846) *

George Ballingall Sir George Ballingall (2 May 1780 – 4 December 1855) was a Scottish physician and surgeon. He was regius professor of military surgery at the University of Edinburgh. Life Ballingall was son of the Reverend Robert Ballingall, minister of ...

, physician (1780–1855) *

William Farquhar Major-General William Farquhar (26 February 1774 – 11 May 1839) was a Madras Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the resident of Malacca from 1803 to 1818 and the resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823. Early life Far ...

, Madras Army officer (1774–1839) * George Haliburton, bishop of Dunkeld (1616–1665) *

Andrew Heiton Andrew Heiton (3 April 1823 – 3 March 1894) was a Scottish architect.Andrew Heiton
- ...

(1823–1894), architect * William Macdonald Mackenzie (1797–1856), architect''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland''

Francis Hindes Groome Francis Hindes Groome (30 August 1851 – 24 January 1902) was a writer and foremost commentator of his time on the Romani people, their language, life, history, customs, beliefs, and lore. He was the son of Robert Hindes Groome, Archdeacon of ...

(1901) * John Mylne (c. 1585–1657), mason File:Tay Street 19th century.jpg, Pre-

Perth, early 19th century, with an unobstructed Greyfriars Burial Ground File:Greyfriars Burial Ground, Perth, Scotland (8924980989).jpg, A 2013 view, with the Church of St John the Baptist in the background File:Prof Adam Anderson's grave, Greyfriars Cemetery, Perth.JPG, 1846 grave of physicist Adam Anderson, architect of

Perth Water Works Perth Water Works (also known as Corporation Water Works)''Official Guide to Perth and Its Neighbourhood by the Tramway Car Routes'' – Perth Town Council (1907), p. 19 is an historic building in Perth, Scotland, dating to 1832. Standing at the ...

, located around south of his resting place File:Greyfriars 2024.jpg, The protective shelter at the cemetery's southern wall File:Greyfriars 2024 2.jpg, An information board within the shelter

References

External links

* {{Find a Grave cemetery Kirkyards in Scotland 1580 establishments in Scotland Category A listed buildings in Perth and Kinross Listed buildings in Perth, Scotland

Notable interments

See also

References

External links