New tours help ‘Tobacco Barons' graveyard give up its secrets
New a newly-formed group is helping the graveyard where many of the merchants are buried give up its secrets.
Friends of the Ramshorn Graveyard has launched free guided tours of The Ramshorn Graveyard, one of Glasgow's most historic burial sites.
Opened in Ingram Street in 1719, the graveyard predates The Glasgow Necropolis by more than 100 years and is the final resting place of many prominent Glaswegians, including John Anderson, founder of Anderson's Institution - forerunner of the University of Strathclyde, industrialist David Dale and tobacco merchants Andrew Buchanan and John Glassford.
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In 1893's Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, Colin Dunlop Donald wrote that, for a long time, the graveyard was "the most fashionable in Glasgow".
He added: "To give a list of all the well-known men who owned lairs or were buried in this kirkyard would be endless, and tend but little to edification, while to write a full notice of them would need a volume."
Other names mentioned by Dunlop Donald include: "Alexander or "Picture" Gordon; John Wilson, of Kelvinbank, the well-known town clerk;
Charles Wilsone, Surgeon; William Angus, probably the most successful teacher ever known in Glasgow; James Henderson, of Enoch Bank; Robert Gray, the great silversmith; and Robin Carrick, of the Ship Bank".
In 1814, Glasgow's own grave-robber, anatomist and surgeon Granville Sharp Pattison was tried over the theft of a body from the graveyard.
Meanwhile, the graveyard is also the final resting place of a man whose death was at the centre of one of Glasgow's most sensational murder trials. In 1857, socialite Madeleine Smith, then 22, was accused of murdering her lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier, by poisoning him with arsenic. Her letters – which contained risqué detail of their relationship – were read out in court and printed in the newspapers of the time.
The tours take place on Wednesdays in June, July and August (Image: MCTCC)
In 2021, fears were raised over the future of the historic greenspace after it was closed off to members of the public during the Covid pandemic. However, it reopened to the public a year later after funds to reopen and maintain it were included in the Glasgow City Council Budget.
Councillor Angus Millar said at the time: "The Ramshorn churchyard is quite an unusual space in the sense that it's a really historic area of the city centre.
"There's so much history in terms of the range of hugely interesting people who've been buried here, and I think the stories that we can tell about the history of Glasgow by welcoming people into the space and perhaps improving the experience so that people can learn more about the history.
"It's a fantastic green space within the heart of the city centre, a quiet space, you can't hear any traffic, anything but the sounds of the birds in the trees and it's a brilliant place for people to come to sit, to enjoy and it's fantastic to see it open again."
Cllr Eva Bolander added: "There are so many people buried in here who have played a huge part in the history of Glasgow, and also history around the world."
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The tours of the graveyard begin outside the adjacent Ramshorn Church on Ingram Street. Originally built as St David's Parish Church in 1826, The Ramshorn replaced a church that had stood on the site since 1720. Now an A-listed building, it was designed by English architect Thomas Rickman in the Gothic Revival style.
The University of Strathclyde bought The Ramshorn in 1983 and it operated as a theatre and performance space from 1992 to 2011. Since 2019 it has been home to Scotland's National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools.
The guided tours, which take place on Wednesdays in June, July and August, are an initiative of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council - a residents' forum and pressure group for the Merchant City and Trongate area of Glasgow.
According to the community council, the guided tours "recount the graveyard's history in the context of the development of Glasgow and include the darker side of its past such as the activities of grave-robbers".
David Hughes, Chairman of Friends of the Ramshorn Graveyard, commented: 'Reaction to the tours has been overwhelming with visitors coming from far and wide, including overseas guests, to discover more about people who made Glasgow one of the leading cities of the world.'
There is a limit of 16 places on the tours, which start at 11am outside the gates of the Ramshorn Church.
Anyone who wants to discover more about the graveyard and the famous individuals buried there can book a tour by sending an email to tours@ramshorngraveyard.org.
Under 18s must be companied by an adult. Donations are welcome.
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The Herald Scotland
13 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
New tours help ‘Tobacco Barons' graveyard give up its secrets
New a newly-formed group is helping the graveyard where many of the merchants are buried give up its secrets. Friends of the Ramshorn Graveyard has launched free guided tours of The Ramshorn Graveyard, one of Glasgow's most historic burial sites. Opened in Ingram Street in 1719, the graveyard predates The Glasgow Necropolis by more than 100 years and is the final resting place of many prominent Glaswegians, including John Anderson, founder of Anderson's Institution - forerunner of the University of Strathclyde, industrialist David Dale and tobacco merchants Andrew Buchanan and John Glassford. READ MORE: In 1893's Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, Colin Dunlop Donald wrote that, for a long time, the graveyard was "the most fashionable in Glasgow". He added: "To give a list of all the well-known men who owned lairs or were buried in this kirkyard would be endless, and tend but little to edification, while to write a full notice of them would need a volume." Other names mentioned by Dunlop Donald include: "Alexander or "Picture" Gordon; John Wilson, of Kelvinbank, the well-known town clerk; Charles Wilsone, Surgeon; William Angus, probably the most successful teacher ever known in Glasgow; James Henderson, of Enoch Bank; Robert Gray, the great silversmith; and Robin Carrick, of the Ship Bank". In 1814, Glasgow's own grave-robber, anatomist and surgeon Granville Sharp Pattison was tried over the theft of a body from the graveyard. Meanwhile, the graveyard is also the final resting place of a man whose death was at the centre of one of Glasgow's most sensational murder trials. In 1857, socialite Madeleine Smith, then 22, was accused of murdering her lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier, by poisoning him with arsenic. Her letters – which contained risqué detail of their relationship – were read out in court and printed in the newspapers of the time. The tours take place on Wednesdays in June, July and August (Image: MCTCC) In 2021, fears were raised over the future of the historic greenspace after it was closed off to members of the public during the Covid pandemic. However, it reopened to the public a year later after funds to reopen and maintain it were included in the Glasgow City Council Budget. Councillor Angus Millar said at the time: "The Ramshorn churchyard is quite an unusual space in the sense that it's a really historic area of the city centre. "There's so much history in terms of the range of hugely interesting people who've been buried here, and I think the stories that we can tell about the history of Glasgow by welcoming people into the space and perhaps improving the experience so that people can learn more about the history. "It's a fantastic green space within the heart of the city centre, a quiet space, you can't hear any traffic, anything but the sounds of the birds in the trees and it's a brilliant place for people to come to sit, to enjoy and it's fantastic to see it open again." Cllr Eva Bolander added: "There are so many people buried in here who have played a huge part in the history of Glasgow, and also history around the world." READ MORE: The tours of the graveyard begin outside the adjacent Ramshorn Church on Ingram Street. Originally built as St David's Parish Church in 1826, The Ramshorn replaced a church that had stood on the site since 1720. Now an A-listed building, it was designed by English architect Thomas Rickman in the Gothic Revival style. The University of Strathclyde bought The Ramshorn in 1983 and it operated as a theatre and performance space from 1992 to 2011. Since 2019 it has been home to Scotland's National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools. The guided tours, which take place on Wednesdays in June, July and August, are an initiative of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council - a residents' forum and pressure group for the Merchant City and Trongate area of Glasgow. According to the community council, the guided tours "recount the graveyard's history in the context of the development of Glasgow and include the darker side of its past such as the activities of grave-robbers". David Hughes, Chairman of Friends of the Ramshorn Graveyard, commented: 'Reaction to the tours has been overwhelming with visitors coming from far and wide, including overseas guests, to discover more about people who made Glasgow one of the leading cities of the world.' There is a limit of 16 places on the tours, which start at 11am outside the gates of the Ramshorn Church. Anyone who wants to discover more about the graveyard and the famous individuals buried there can book a tour by sending an email to tours@ Under 18s must be companied by an adult. Donations are welcome.
Daily Mirror
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Uber driver mum's panic plea caught on camera before passenger shoots her dead
Mum-of-four Christina Spicuzza was trying to earn some extra cash when she was brutally kidnapped and shot xxxx Mum-of-four Christina Spicuzza, 38, was working as an Uber driver to make some extra money for her family. She was engaged to her partner Brandon Marto, and they lived in Monroeville, Pennsylvania with Christina's four children. Christina, known as Christi by loved ones, had been with Brandon eight years. Their relationship had a rocky start because Brandon had struggled with alcohol addiction. But, typical of Christina's compassionate character, she supported him through, and the couple were stronger than ever. Brandon had vowed to spend the rest of their lives making it up to her. On the night of 10 February 2022, Uber driver Christina headed off in her silver Nissan for a busy Friday shift. At 9.15pm, she picked up a male passenger dressed in a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head and also wearing a face mask– as part of the Covid protocol at the time. His name was Calvin Crew. As Christina set off from Pitcairn for Penn Hills, Crew, 22, suddenly pulled out a gun and pressed it to the back of her head. Christina reached around to see what it was and felt the weapon. Dashcam footage was recording the terrifying ride in video and audio. 'You've got to be joking,' Christina said, before realising the severity of the situation. Crew grabbed hold of her ponytail tightly and told her to keep driving. The atmosphere in the car changed, as Christina began to fear for her life. 'Come on, I have a family,' Christina pleaded. 'I'm begging you. I have four kids.' Crew replied, 'I got a family too.' Then he told her to keep driving as he snatched her phone. Christina begged him several times to remove the gun from her head. 'Please take that off of me,' she pleaded. 'Do what I say, and everything will be alright,' he responded. Suddenly, at 9.34pm, Crew spotted the dashcam in the car. He reached out and grabbed it – which is when the recording stopped. That night, when Christina didn't return from work, her worried fiancé reported her missing. Police found Christina's abandoned car the following morning but there was no sign of the mum – and without the dashcam, there was no evidence of her kidnapping. Tragically, later that day, a member of the public reported finding the body of a woman in woodland in Monroeville. It was Christina. She had been killed with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. A 9mm casing lay close by. Christina's loved ones were heartbroken. At her home, a makeshift memorial grew with candles and flowers, while the community were in shock that someone had been killed in cold blood on their doorstep. Criminal record Investigators found the dashcam close to where Crew had wanted to be dropped off. The harrowing footage of Christina's terror ride was examined, and police finally had a picture of what had happened that night. Crew was arrested. He had a criminal record and was banned from owning a firearm due to the seriousness of his offences as a juvenile. Crew claimed that Christina had taken him to where he wanted to go and he'd got out of the car, leaving her alive, and then got a bus later that night. But the dashcam footage was damning and no surveillance captured him getting on or off a bus. He was charged with murder, robbery and tampering with evidence. At first, Crew was facing the death penalty, but Christina's family asked the prosecution to make the maximum sentence life in prison without parole because of Christina's religious beliefs. Her compassion continued to shine from beyond the grave. At the trial this year, prosecutors told the court that Christina had been kidnapped, and GPS proved she had been forced to drive through several neighbourhoods for an hour. The dashcam footage was played and the horror of her final moments was clear to see. Christina had begged for her life and Crew had told her she just had to do what he said – but he killed her anyway. It's unclear what happened when Christina finally stopped the vehicle. The prosecution said it was likely that Crew had marched her into the woods and shot her in the head. Afterwards, he'd accessed several payment and banking apps on Christina's phone to get money. Overwhelming evidence During the trial, the jury were given overwhelming digital evidence of the events. Crew's girlfriend at the time testified that Crew had booked the Uber ride on her account. There was the dashcam footage from inside the car, clearly showing Crew holding a gun to Christina's head. His fingerprint was in the car and mobile phone GPS records mapped the movements. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Crew guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, evidence tampering and firearm charges. The judge noted that the verdict had come three years to the day that Christina had been killed. At the sentencing, Christina's family were given the chance to share their victim impact statements. Crew refused to attend – which fuelled the anger in the court even more. Brandon said that Crew was a 'coward who couldn't be here today to face this'. He added, 'Christi was everything to me.' Christina's mum, Cindy Spicuzza, reminded Crew of his victim's compassion. 'You should have the death penalty, but we showed mercy,' she said, because of Christina's religious beliefs. 'You executed her. No mercy, no remorse. It was abhorrent. It was murder.' Now four children had lost their mother. Crew's lawyer said that he had lived a 'childhood surrounded by violence and neglect' and was 'intellectually and socially challenged'. Crew, now 25,was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. He was given an additional 13 to 26 years for kidnapping and robbery. 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Two popular Livingston pubs have won extensions to their licence to allow outdoor drinking. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The agreement of West Lothian Licensing Board will formalise outdoor drinking at one of the oldest pubs, dating back to the 1760s, as well as one from the development of Livingston as a new town in the 1960s. An agent for the Livingston Inn in Livingston Village's Main Street told the Board that the inn was said to have been visited by 'a certain Rabbie Burns.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The pub currently has outdoor tables front and back. The pub applied for licence variation to formalise occasional licences to use a grassed area behind the pub as a beer garden. Police had no objections and the licence was granted with the usual conditions including limits on outdoor music and no serving beyond 9pm. The Livingston Inn applied for licence variation to formalise occasional licences to use a grassed area behind the pub as a beer garden. | Google Maps The Tower Bar in Craigshill was built in 1968. It has recently developed as popular community hub supporting the people of Craigshill since the Covid lockdown. The owners Fiona McLeod and Frank McAlister applied for variations to their existing licence and an extension to beer garden licence with permit to use outside space until 11pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An agent said the application was largely 'a tidy up' of the existing licence. The Tower has recently undergone renovation and provides a popular restaurant as well as community space. However Police Scotland objected to a beer garden licence extending until 11pm fearing noise disturbance for neighbours and the potential for alcohol related disruption. A police licensing sergeant insisted the force: 'considered the premises to be well-run and an asset to the community' Council Safer Neighbourhood Officers had been called in May following complaints about disturbance from a party in the beer garden at the time it was operating on occasional licences. After going into private session councillors proposed that the variations be allowed on the conditions that standard conditions on outdoor space be applied including the 9pm finish to serving in the beer garden and an additional conditions governing the use of amplified music or live performance beyond 7pm. This was accepted by the agent and owners.
