Greyfriars Bobby

"Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all".

In the early 1800's a man called John Gray, a gardener, arrived in Edinburgh with his wife and son looking for work. The weather was cold, however, and the ground was hard, so there were no gardening jobs available. He took what work he could find, and became a member of the Edinburgh Police Force - a Constable.

As a condition of his job, John Gray was required to have a dog. He bought a Skye Terrier and named him Bobby (Bobby was the nickname for Constables in the Police Force). Bobby became a beloved and loyal companion.

Unfortunately, after a few years as a policeman, John Gray became ill with tuberculosis, and died in February 1958. He was buried in old Greyfriars Kirkyard (Churchyard) in an unremarkable grave with no gravestone.

For the next fourteen years, Bobby sat and kept guard over his master's grave. He left the grave only for food, waiting patiently until the one o'clock gun was sounded, when he visited the cafe at 5/6 Greyfriar's Place which he used to frequent with his master. There the owners (who changed over the years) would feed him his dinner. The last owner to feed Bobby, John Traill, had a special dish made for him (engraved "Bobby's Dinner Dish"), which can be seen in the Museum of Edinburgh.

The gardener and keeper of Greyfriars, James Brown, tried often to remove Bobby from the Kirkyard, but finally gave up and provided a shelter instead, by placing sacking beneath two tablestones at the side of John Gray’s grave.

Bobby’s fame spread throughout Edinburgh. On a daily basis the crowds would gather at the entrance of the Kirkyard waiting for the one o'clock gun and a glimpse of Bobby leaving for his meal.

In 1867 a bye-law was passed that required dogs to be licensed or destroyed. Sir William Chambers (The Lord Provost of Edinburgh) paid Bobby's licence himself, and presented him with a collar with the brass inscription "Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed". This can also be seen at the Museum of Edinburgh.

The people of Edinburgh looked after the faithful Bobby while he watched over his master. to his master. Bobby died in 1972.

Greyfriars Bobby, Scotland's most famous dog, is not forgotton. Heaing the story, the President of the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA, Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts, asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain with a statue of Bobby placed on top. A statue was commissioned and sculpted by William Brody and unveiled in November 1873 opposite the Kirkyard, on the corner of Candlemakers Row and King George IV Bridge.

Bobby's grave can be found in Greyfriars Kirkyard, about 75 yards from John Gray's grave. Theheadstone is engraved with these words: "Greyfriars Bobby - died 14th January 1872 - aged 16 years - Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all".

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