Glasgow Graveyard Guide

by Jimmy Black

In Glasgow, death is always fatal. Students of glasgowness agree that there's a distinctive Glasgow 'take' on mortality. The visitor making the journey through the graveyards of Glasgow will surely become aware of a special Glaswegian condition -- apart, that is, from the common condition of death. You feel it when you start to absorb the atmosphere of the city -- its elements of the sad, the arrogant, the courageous, the righteous, the hilarious and the hideous, blended in strange proportions, all to be assimilated and enjoyed along with the weird and wonderful stories of the occupants of those quiet places of timeless repose. The journey can be a heady experience. It starts with the resting-place of Mungo's bones, then passes on to surgeon extraordinaire Maister Peter Lowe, to John Henry Alexander, the actor-manager credited with inventing the Great Gun Trick in which the trickster seems to catch a bullet in his mouth; past the grave of Pierre emile L'Angelier (allegedly poisoned by Madeleine Smith) and beyond to the headstone of Benny Lynch, World Flyweight Boxing Champion. The choice of graveyards in this book will hopefully catch the fancy and stir the imagination. Glasgow writer, the late Jimmy Black conducts this unusual tour of Glasgow's historic graveyards. The journey is a heady experience, taking you round the Cathedral, the Necropolis, St David's (Ramshorn); Sighthill, the Southern Necropolis; Calton, Jocelyn Square; the Western Necropolis; St Peter's (Dalbeth); St Kentigern's and Cathcart (today in East Renfrewshire). Just enjoy the fresh air and expect the unexpected.

169 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

Reviews

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to live near Glasgow, I wish I knew about this book when I was in Scotland.
Even if I couldn't walk around the graveyards anymore it help me to understand some of the things I saw.