Glasgow Necropolis heroes' stories that shaped city

Glasgow Times

2 days ago

Annette Mullen, chair of The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis, sets off on the small group tour on a soggy summer's day.
She's no stranger to braving the elements for her love of the place. She proudly shares that she's done tours in all weather, rain, hail, sleet, snow, sunshine - she's faced the lot.
You feel her passion for the Necropolis drip from every word as she rushes from mausoleum to monument, sharing tales of times gone by.
The place is steeped in stories, nearly 52,000 to be precise, and Annette gave the Glasgow Times the inside story of the lesser-known graves.
They include the monument to the man behind one of Glasgow's favourite nursery rhymes, the 'Queen of the Gypsies' and other 'heroes of the city'.
Annette Mullen shared Glasgow Necropolis heroes' stories that shaped city (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) READ MORE: Glasgow charity The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis celebrates 20th anniversary
Annette, 62, who took over the helm of the charity in March from Ruth Johnston, who'd been chair for 14 years, said: "They're not just a bit of stone. These were people. Every single stone in this cemetery has a story.
"Some people might not have the big mausoleums, but they're as important as any of the rest of them in here."
Read on for Annette's guide to the must-see sights of the graveyard:
Stone of Remembrance for Stillborn Children
Stone of Remembrance for Stillborn Children (Image: Robert Perry) The first stone you come to in the Necropolis is for stillborn Children.
"This stone was only raised in 1999.
"This stone is in remembrance of stillborn children. Stillborn and near birth".
"As you can see, it is very well loved".
"This is where people who have suffered the heartache of a baby born of hope will come and remember.
"It's important to stop and remember always".
William Miller - Wee Willy Winkie writer
William Miller's monument in the Glasgow Necropolis (Image: Robert Perry) "William Miller is the man regarded as the laureate of the nursery.
"He's the man who gave the world that nursery rhyme of Wee Willy Winkie - the story of the Glasgow lamp lighter, or a leerie as they were called in Glasgow.
"William Miller lived and worked in Ark Lane, which is just at the corner of the Glasgow Necropolis. He actually dies poor.
"He's buried in the family plot in the east end of Glasgow, Corbett Street Cemetery.
"No stone, no marker. This man was regarded, as I say, as the laureate of the nursery. He poetry was his passion. But poetry didn't pay.
"He was a cabinet maker and wood turner by profession. But his passion is poetry and he gives the world the story of the Glasgow lamp lighter.
"Wee Willy Winkie runs through the town upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown, chapping at the windows, crying at the locks. Are all the children in their beds because...
"It's past 8:00? That's what I got.
"10:00 is what the original is.
"Take it up with your mammy if you don't like it."
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Nurses of the Royal Infirmary
Gravestone for Glasgow Royal Infirmary nurses (Image: Robert Perry) "We are very honoured that one of the projects we took charge of was the conservation of three of the headstones in the Glasgow Necropolis, which are where the nurses of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary are buried.
"The nurses who gave their lives for this city here.
"Some of the nurses we have died because they contracted infectious diseases.
"They gave their lives, dedicating their life to the people of Glasgow. These are the heroes of the cemetery."
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Corinda Lee, Queen of the Gypsies
Corinda Lee, Queen of the Gypsies (Image: Robert Perry) "Corinda Lee comes from a really important family. The Lees still exist in the world of gypsydom today.
"She marries into another gypsy family. His name is George Smith. So the coming together through marriage of the Smiths and the Lees is very, very significant in their world.
"George Smith, her husband, he becomes the head of eight of the most prominent gypsy families. If he's the king, every king has to have his queen. And here she is."
"According to legend, Queen Victoria had her hand read by Corinda Lee.
"This stone tells you about Corinda and her character. It tells you that her love for her children was great. She was charitable to the poor, and wherever she pitched her tent, she was loved and respected by all.
"Isn't that a final message that everybody wants?"
The Buchanan Sisters
The Buchanan Sisters' mausoleum (Image: Robert Perry) Annette's final stop on her lesser-known tour is at the Buchanan Sisters' mausoleum.
The charity restored the memorial, which sits nearly at the top of the hill.
"This monument is in memory of Margaret, Jane and Elizabeth Buchanan, otherwise known as the Misses Buchanan of Bellfield Estate near Kilmarnock.
"They left their £86,000 fortune - that's £11million in today's money - for the feeding, heating and clothing of the poor and elderly of Kilmarnock.
"They also paid for a wing in the Royal Infirmary, which their mausoleum looks onto, a fitting tribute for such generous people."
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The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Volunteers from the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis give tours of the necropolis year-round. They do it "for the love of it" and to keep the site available for education, conservation, and restoration.
They're giving a special 20th anniversary tour with Cemetery Historian and Sculpture Consultant Gary Nisbet on Sunday, June 22nd, at 10:30.
You can find out more about the charity and tours here.