Mark Hatton

Bannatyne v Foulis

03/05/202613/05/2026 Mark Hatton

There is no doubt in my mind that the Foulis Memorial and the Bannatyne are the two most outstanding examples of monumental architecture in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Each stands alone as soaring celebrations of the symbolism of death, resurrection and status. Each is a sermon in stone that speak volumes about the people they were raised to memorialise and the time in which they died. But do they somehow speak to each other ?

The Foulis was commissioned by George Foulis, the son of the deceased and it was created by the finest Master Mason of the period, William Ayton, in 1633/34. The Bannatyne was commissioned by Janet McMath, the young wife of the deceased and also created by William Ayton in 1635. Whilst each monument has much in common, they are different in some obvious and perhaps quite subtle ways.

The Foulis is designed to be a “look at us” monument, with the portraits of the deceased loving power couple taking centre stage. They look down on viewers from their lofty stance, where they are dressed to impress in their grand, perhaps rather haughty, clothing. Despite the inscription describing them as “humble”, there is nothing remotely modest or reserved about this memorial. One can’t help but think the Kardashians would approve.

The Bannatyne on the other hand is designed around the theme of Vanity and the need to avoid it. “Vanitas” is the use of symbolism to convey the meaning that life on earth is but a passing phase in which ambition, and worldly desires are futile, a mere vanity. Vanitas artwork developed and became very popular in Holland in the 16th & 17th centuries, where many Scottish people went to study, trade or escape. They were influenced by this art and inevitably brought it back to Scotland. This genre is depicted on the Bannatyne with symbols showing a Cherub blowing bubbles, amongst flowers and smoke, with the words “Nothing evades Death” and “What is Man’s Life ? A shade, a smoke, a flower ; short to the good, to the bad doth long endure” and “know the vanity of transitory things”.

Perhaps this theme on the Bannatyne serves deliberately to contrast with the excessive flamboyant pretentious pomposity of the Foulis ? So could Janet McMath be speaking to George Foulis, saying “I disapprove of your vanity” in a rather subtle & dignified manner ?

That either Monument was tolerated by a strictly Protestant society in 17th Century Scotland is something of a surprise. Although perhaps Charles I’s attempts to reintroduce colour, style and ceremony in the 1630’s was almost encouraging such elaborate works.

Articles, History, People, Symbolism

The Forrester Lair

02/05/202613/05/2026 Mark Hatton

This enclosure was raised by Rachel Balfour, the widow of William Forrester, a Writer to the King’s Signet who died in 1701. The inscription over the entrance speaks about William’s Mother & Father, of whom he was clearly very proud. William’s mother was Christine MacNeil, who had 8 sons and 3 daughters in 50 years of marriage to his father, Reverend Alexander Forrester. Alexander (born in 1611) was a committed Presbyterian and Covenanter who signed the National Covenant in 1638, served with the Covenanter Army in the 1640’s and steadfastly resisted Charles II’s attempts to impose an Episcopalian Church structure in the 1660’s. Alexander was Minister at St Mungo’s in Dumfriesshire, but refused to conform with Charles II’s “innovations” and so was expelled and subsequently arrested for holding an illegal conventicle. He then spent years imprisoned, firstly on Bass Rock and secondly in solitary confinement in the Edinburgh Tolbooth. He died in 1686 aged 75 and was buried at Greyfriars. His wife, Christine died in 1694 and was also buried at Greyfriars.

William was their 4th son who had a successful career as a Writer to the Signet. When William died in 1701 he left instructions to his Widow to erect this burial lair. When built this lair would have stood alone (like a detached house), with its elaborate external side walls, bearing many mortality symbols, fully visible. In subsequent years further burial lairs were built adjacent to the Forrester, effectively turning it in to a terraced house, with its side walls now less visible, but well worth seeking out. The Forrester Lair became a “Den” for youngsters (quite possibly pupils from Heriot’s School), who between 1710 and 1727, carved some fascinating graffiti on the inner walls, also well worth seeking out.

Articles, History, People

Ann Reid

01/05/2026 Mark Hatton

“the quiet heroine of the Southside”

The thick ledger stone lying in the bottom right of this photo carries a rather special inscription. It tells us about Miss Ann Reid, who dedicated herself to improving the lives of impoverished girls. It reads as follows :

“Sacred to the memory of Miss Ann Reid, a lady of exemplary piety and extensive but unostentatious charity; who died on the 23rd Nov. 1851, aged 90 years. From the savings of a very limited income, she established and endowed in perpetuity Miss Annie Reid’s Free Female School at Wester Newington, for the education of indigent children, without exclusion of sect or persuasion, constituting destitution as the only claim to admission. The school has been carried on successfully since 1815, the girls attending it being about 50. It is now vested in certain of the magistrates of Edinburgh and the Ministers of St Cuthbert’s as Trustees. Reader, mark from this example how much good may be done with small means, by the exertions of a mind devoted to virtue, guided by a benevolent heart !”

What this stone reflects is a period of rapid growth in Edinburgh which also saw a great deal of extreme poverty. The Reid School was one effort to educate the female children living in abject poverty, to enable them to learn to read and write and obtain useful skills and thereby break the cycle of poverty. The Free school operated at 81 Causewayside, in the Newington district to the south east of Edinburgh City Centre. Reid’s School merged with others when the School Education Board took over the provision of education for all children in the late 19th century.

Miss Ann Reid dedicated a great deal of her life to improving the lives of impoverished girls. She wasn’t a wealthy male merchant with all of the power and resources needed to contribute to charity. Instead she used her limited resources, energy and passion to great effect, creating, as the gravestone states, a lovely example of what can be achieved and a lasting legacy by improving the lives of others. Apparently this gravestone was partially paid for by the women who had benefited so much from Ann Reid’s charity.

Rev William Robertson Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, History, People

Rev William Robertson 1721 – 1793

26/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

This large domed mausoleum quite literally sits in the shadow of the Adam Family mausoleum, which is larger, far more ornate and in much better condition. However this remains a particularly note worthy mausoleum because of its design and the person who is buried here.

William Robertson was a prominent Scottish Enlightenment Historian, Minister, and Principal of the University of Edinburgh. His tomb is situated in the southwest area of the Kirkyard, near the entrance to The Covenanters’ Prison.

William Robertson was Minister at Greyfriars Kirk, Royal Chaplain to George III, a leader of the “moderates” in the Church of Scotland and a founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. But it was his work as a Historian for which he will be best remembered. Robertson made significant contributions to the writing of Scottish history and the history of Spain and Spanish America, and his historiographical approach had considerable contemporary influence (particularly his emphasis on the consistency of human nature across different eras and societies). One of his most notable works is his “History of Scotland 1542–1603”, begun in 1753 and first published in 1759. His multi volume history of Spain and of Charles V was translated into Spanish and was recognized by the Spanish authorities, so he was elected to Spain’s Royal Academy of History.

William Robertson was also a member of the famous “Oyster Club” which was founded by James Hutton (geologist), Joseph Black (chemist) and the famous economist and author Adam Smith. The Oyster Club was a weekly meeting for Edinburgh intellectuals as well as visiting thinkers like James Watt and Benjamin Franklin. Other members included David Hume (philosopher) & Adam Ferguson (poet). They were all avid oyster eaters and would meet each week in a different tavern to discuss art, architecture, philosophy, politics, science, history and economics. Each member gave a brief update on their projects. In Hutton’s words the discussions were “informal and amusing, despite their great learning”.

William Robertson gives his name to the William Robertson Building of the University of Edinburgh on Teviot Place, home to the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. There is also an endowed chair at Edinburgh University in his name, the William Robertson Chair of History, for a specialist in non-European modern history.

The Robertson Family were prominent in Edinburgh society for a century. William’s Father was a Minister at Greyfriars Kirk between 1736 and 1745. Three of Robertson’s children reached their own fame and are buried in individual plots directly behind the family’s main mausoleum. These are the Hon. William Robertson, Lord Robertson (a senator), General James Robertson, and Lt Col David Robertson.

Dr Robert Whytt Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, History, People

Dr Robert Whytt 1714 – 1766

24/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

The area of the Kirkyard known as The Covenanters Prison holds the burial place of many of Edinburgh’s most accomplished 18th century scientists, physicians and polymaths. Robert Whytt certainly deserves to be recognised as one of this elite enlightenment group, who advanced human knowledge in many & varied ways.

Whytt studied at St Andrews, Edinburgh, London, Paris, Leiden & Reims, before becoming a physician in Edinburgh in 1738. In 1747 Whytt was appointed professor of the theory of medicine at Edinburgh University. He carried out a great deal of research on the Central Nervous System, disproving many conventional theories and establishing a new understanding of how nerves work to operate muscles. Whytt became one of the most accomplished neurophysiologists of his time. In his research, he outlined the significance of the central nervous system on movement, drew distinctions between voluntary and involuntary actions and clarified the components of the light reflex within the eye.

In 1761 Whytt was made first physician to King George III in Scotland—a post specially created for him—and on 1 December 1763 he was elected president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; he held the presidency until his death at Edinburgh on 15 April 1766 at the age of just 52.

Robert Whytt is buried in his family lair in the south west end of the Covenanters Prison.

William Creech Bookseller Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, History, People

William Creech Bookseller 1745 – 1815

06/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

Twice Lord Provost of Edinburgh, but best known for his work as a publisher, including the poems of Robert Burns. William lived and worked in the Luckenbooths beside St Giles. Here he ran his printing, publishing and book selling business as well as holding his famous parties. These social events brought together the brightest intellects & characters of the time and played no little part in the enlightenment period in Edinburgh. As William’s business and political influence grew he moved to the New Town where he lived at 5 George Street until his death in 1815. William, like many other major figures in the enlightenment, never married. He is buried in the West Yard at Greyfriars.

Articles, History, People

William Inglis Surgeon – 1792

05/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

This burial lair at Greyfriars has no memorials within, just an inscription above the doorway saying “Wiliam Inglis Surgeon 1792”. William Inglis was a prominent Scottish surgeon, serving as Deacon of the Incorporation of Surgeons and twice as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of the City of Edinburgh. As such he was a key figure in late 18th-century Edinburgh medicine, a period in which Edinburgh served as the global leader in medical research, education and practice.

He is also well known for his role as an early captain of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the oldest golf club in the world, famously painted by David Allan in 1787. Allan, a member of the same golf club, shows Inglis, wearing the red colours of the club, with his caddy on Leith Links, where the club was then located (it’s now based at Muirfield in East Lothian). Behind Inglis, the annual trophy presented by the City – a golf club with silver balls attached – is being paraded across the Links. Golf was a popular pastime among Edinburgh’s surgeons and other high ranking professionals, during the peak enlightenment years. This artwork holds historical significance as one of the earliest images of organized golf in Scotland, capturing the sport’s evolution from informal recreation to a structured gentlemanly pursuit on natural links courses like Leith, which featured undulating turf, dunes, and coastal hazards. Golf historians recognise this period in Edinburgh as laying the foundations for the huge growth in popularity of rules based golf played at clubs all over the country and beyond.

William Inglis died in 1792, leaving a legacy that bridged surgical excellence and the foundational years of organized golf.

Previous Events

First Sunday April 2026

05/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

Today’s First Sunday saw us facing a strong & bitterly cold wind, with frequent rain showers. Never the less we did what we had to do in the Kirkyard, before making a beeline for the relative warmth & shelter of the museum. But most of the tourists in town today had the same idea, so the place was heaving. We escaped the crowds by ascending to the rooftop terrace where we got a rather good view back over the Kirkyard.

The next First Sunday is on 3rd May, when it will surely no longer be wintery weather. Hope to see you there.

Articles, History, People

Thomas Hunter Blair 1782 – 1840

04/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

Major General & Commander of The Bath (*), distinguished for his service in The Peninsula, Belgium & Ava. Fought at the battles of Roleija, Vimiera, Lugo, Corunna, Oporto, Talavera, Melloon & Waterloo. Severely wounded twice, he received many medals, some of which are carved on his memorial in his family lair at Greyfriars.

(*) The Order of the Bath is a British order of Chivalry founded by George I in 1725. Recipients are usually senior military officers. The name derives from the medieval ceremony of ritual bathing before being knighted.

William McGonagall Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, History, People

Where is William McGonagall?

29/03/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

One of the most visited memorials in Greyfriars Kirkyard is that of William McGonagall. This is in the West Yard, beside the gates to Heriot’s School. Everyday crowds of folk peer up at this modern shiny black memorial. Most come here because of the association with the Professor of Transfiguration character in Harry Potter, who bears the name Minerva McGonagall (brilliantly played by Maggie Smith in the movies).

Other visitors come here to celebrate the man who proudly bears the title of “Scotland’s Worst Poet”, or who liked to style himself later in his life as “Sir William Topaz McGonagall, Knight of the White Elephant of Burmah”. Well before Harry Potter was written, William McGonagall had legions of adoring fans, many with a rich sense of humour. These fans thought that their poetic hero should be memorialised in both Dundee (where he spent most of his life) and in Edinburgh (where he spent his final years).

He was finally recognised by the people of Dundee in 1997, who said of McGonagall that he was, “So giftedly bad, he backed unwittingly into genius” and then in 1999 they finally achieved their wish for a memorial in Edinburgh, when the shiny black plaque was installed at Greyfriars.

But why is it in this place telling the world that William McGonagall is buried “near this spot”. Let us consider how likely it is that William McGonagall is actually buried anywhere near here at all.

William’s date and place of birth is uncertain (but Ireland in 1825 seems most likely), but we know for a fact that it was in Edinburgh where he died penniless and largely forgotten at 5 South College Street in 1902. The death was duly recorded by the City as being at 4pm on 29th September 1902 as a result of a cerebral haemorrhage. However a search of the City records for details of his burial turns up nothing. Perhaps the least likely place he would have been buried in Edinburgh was the West Yard in Greyfriars. The reason being that the West Yard never had any “common burials” (being burials of the poor in unmarked graves). Furthermore, post 1870 there were no further common burials anywhere in Greyfriars. After that date the only burials here were of individual Family members of those who had long standing burial rights to use their family burial lairs. Such people were the well heeled, not the penniless poets. Non of Edinburgh’s cemeteries have a burial record for William McGonagall. It is possible he was taken to be buried in Dundee, or perhaps he was buried in a Roman Catholic cemetery, possibly Mount Vernon, Edinburgh’s Catholic Cemetery that opened in 1895.

So whilst we don’t know where William McGonagall was actually buried, it seems the most unlikely place of all would be in the West Yard at Greyfriars. So, unless you know differently, I think that modern shiny black plaque is telling us a story. But hey, we all like a good story (or poem), don’t we ?