The Ramshorn Cemetery is a cemetery in Scotland and one of Glasgow's older burial grounds, located within the

Merchant City The Merchant City, a new name introduced through urban renewal by the Scottish Development Agency and the city council in the 1980s is one part of the metropolitan central area of Glasgow. It commences at George Square and goes eastwards reachin ...

district, and along with its accompanying church, is owned by the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...

. It has had various names, both official and unofficial: North West Parish Kirkyard; St David's Kirkyard; and Ramshorn and Blackfriars. The latter name tells of its link to Blackfriars Church, linking in turn to the pre-Reformation connection to the Blackfriars Monastery in Glasgow. The burial ground was used from 1719 to 1915. In the 20th century it was remodelled along the lines of the London Improvements Act, moving most stones to the perimeter to create a usable park area. Apart from some flat stones still remaining in-situ this has largely disconnected the stones to the actual spot of interment. In 1813 the body of Janet McAlister was stolen from the graveyard, being found with 4 others in College Street Medical School. In 1824 the church of St David was built on its southern side, designed in a fine Gothic style by the English architect

Thomas Rickman Thomas Rickman (8 June 17764 January 1841) was an English architect and architectural antiquary who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival. He is particularly remembered for his ''Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of English Architecture'' ...

, with modifications by local architect James Cleland. The cemetery is effectively in three sections: the original cemetery; an enclosed central walled area where the old church stood; and two small walled sections flanking the new church. Unusually monuments adopt only two forms: wall monuments and flat slabs, other than a small row of small 18th-century stones upright but partly sunk into the ground, standing in a line to the north-east. Despite its great simplicity, the majority of graves are to rich Glasgow merchants. The austere style is a hangover from Scottish

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

views.

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * John Anderson (jazz trumpeter) (1921–1974), American musician * Jon Anderson (John Roy Anderson, born 1944), lead singer of the British band Yes * John Anderson (producer) (1948–2024 ...

, the founder of ''Anderson's Institute'' - which would evolve into the

Royal College of Science and Technology The Royal College of Science and Technology was a higher education college that existed in Glasgow, Scotland between 1887 and 1964. Tracing its history back to the Andersonian Institute (founded in 1796), it is the direct predecessor instituti ...

and then ultimately the University of Strathclyde, is also interred in the site.

Notable interments

* John Anderson (theologian and controversialist) (1668–1721) *

John Anderson (natural philosopher) John Anderson (26 September 1726 – 13 January 1796) was a Scottish natural philosopher and liberal educator at the forefront of the application of science to technology in the Industrial Revolution, and of the education and advancement of wo ...

(1726–1796) *James Brash (d.1844) and his father James Brash, booksellers *

Andrew Buchanan of Drumpellier Andrew Buchanan of Drumpellier (29 January 1691 – 20 December 1759) was a Scottish tobacco merchant who was one of Glasgow's "Tobacco Lords". He served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1740 to 1742. Buchanan Street in Glasgow is named after ...

(1690–1759), tobacco merchant,

Lord Provost of Glasgow The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Glasgow is the convener of the Glasgow City Council. The Lord Provost serves both as the chair of the city council and as a figurehead for the entire city, and is elected by the city councillors from among i ...

1740–42 * Robert Carrick (1737–1821) banker and millionaire (unmarked grave) a notedly unloved man *Rev Prof James Couper (1752–1836), astronomer *

David Dale David Dale (6 January 1739–7 March 1806) was a leading Scottish industrialist, merchant and philanthropist during the Scottish Enlightenment period at the end of the 18th century. He was a successful entrepreneur in a number of areas, m ...

(1739–1806) merchant and social reformer *Prof. John Alexander Easton (1807–1865) *Rev. Prof. Robert Findlay (minister) (1721–1814) and his son Robert (1745–1862) *Rev. James Fisher, maternal grandfather of Rev. Ralph Wardlaw *

Andrew Foulis Andrew Foulis (171218 September 1775) was a Scottish printer, brother of Robert Foulis. They worked in partnership as printers to the University of Glasgow publishing many books in Latin and Greek. Biography Andrew Foulis was the son of a Gla ...

(printer) (1716–1775) *

Robert Foulis (printer) Robert Foulis (20 April 1707 – 2 June 1776) was a Scottish people, Scottish printer (publisher), printer and publisher. Biography Publishing Robert Foulis was born the son of a maltman. He was apprenticed to a barber, but was encouraged to ...

(1707–1776) *

John Glassford John Glassford ( – 27 August 1783) was a Scottish merchant and planter. One of the most prominent Tobacco Lords of Scotland, Glassford owned tobacco-producing slave plantations in the British North American colonies of Virginia and Maryland, ...

(1719–1783), tobacco merchant *Pierre Emile L'Angelier (1823–1857), the victim in the famous

Madeleine Smith Madeleine Hamilton Smith (29 March 1835 – 12 April 1928) was a 19th-century Glasgow socialite who was the accused in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857. Background Smith was the first child (of five) of an upper-middle-class ...

murder case * John Leitch Esq. of Kilmardinny House (1749–1806), tobacco merchant and his wife

Elizabeth Ironside of Durham Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ( ...

*William Logan and Jane Johnston, founders of Logan and Johnston's Orphan Hospital *

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 ...

(1764–1848), Lord Provost of Glasgow 1814–1816 * Andrew Dryburgh Provand (1838–1915) MP * Rev Alexander Ranken, minister of the adjacent church 1785 to 1827, Moderator in 1811 *

Robert Rodger Robert Rodger MP (c.1650 – c.1720) was a 17th/18th century Scottish merchant who twice served as Lord Provost of Glasgow including the critical junction of the Act of Union 1707 when the overarching power translated to London. He served as MP for ...

Lord Provost 1707–9 and 1711–3 and MP for Glasgow Burghs 1708–10 *Simon Ross (d.1818) *

Robert Simson Robert Simson (14 October 1687 – 1 October 1768) was a Scottish mathematician and professor of mathematics at the University of Glasgow. The Simson line is named after him.Moses Stevens of Bellahouston Moses Steven of Bellahouston FRSE (1806–1871) was a 19th Scottish advocate and philanthropist. Life He was born in Polmadie House in Govan on 21 December 1806 the son of Moses Steven (sic) of Polmadie (1748-1831). His father was originally ...

(1806–1871) *Hugh Wylie (d.1782),

1780–82

Other monuments

A memorial to the Canadian politician,

John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (10 or 11January 18156June 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was the dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, and had a political ...

born in Ramshorn Parish in 1815

References

External links

Ramshorn Graveyard
Find A Grave {{coords, 55.8601, -4.2447, display=title 18th-century establishments in Scotland Tourist attractions in Glasgow 1719 establishments in Scotland Cemeteries in Scotland Presbyterian cemeteries in Scotland