CITY OF THE DEAD

"This area, the Necropolis and the cathedral precinct, is symbolic, emblematic, part of the common lot of every Glaswegian. No one comes here unaware of its history and its part in a legacy of Glaswegian lore and tradition." (Ian Spring, Phantom Village: The Myth of the New Glasgow)

There are many interpretations of the meaning of the name "Glasgow", the most commonly accepted of which is "dear green place". However, there is a constituency which argues for another interpretation: "the place of the grey rock". This refers to a particular locality which was called for a while the Fir Park, and is now known as Glasgow Necropolis. This site is as old as Glasgow itself and overlooks the Molindinar burn where St Mungo baptised his Christian converts in the sixth century CE. It is said that in earlier times a druidical grove crowned the brow of the Grey Rock. The Necropolis has been described as a "unique representation of Victorian Glasgow, built when Glasgow was the second city of the empire. It reflects the feeling of confidence and wealth and security of that time." It is a memorial to the merchant patriarchs of the city and contains the remains of almost every eminent Glaswegian of those days, especially the new class of merchants and entrepreneurs who had made vast fortunes in tobacco, spices, coffee and cotton. The Necropolis (which is modelled on Mount Louis, Pere Lachaise in Paris) remains one of the most significant cemetries in Europe, exceptional in its contribution to the townscape, its symbolic realtionship to Glasgow Cathedral and to the medieval heart of the city. It is a major attraction to visitors from throughout the UK and from overseas.

Arguably the most prominent single monument in the Necropolis is that dedicated to John Knox (1505-1575), most significant indigenous figure in the Reformation and its aftermath in Scotland - and one of the most influential figures in all Scots history. His imposing 70-foot monument was erected in 1825. This stunning monument predates the use of the Necropolis site as a cemetery and was originally intended as the centrepiece of the Fir Park. the haunting image of John Knox overlooking the cathedral has deep religious and political connotations and the monument has become an iconic image of Glasgow.

As well as showcasing the Protestant enterprise of the city, the Necropolis also records the existence of a settled and significant Jewish community in Victorian Glasgow. The first interment, on 12 September 1832 (half a year before authority was given by the Merchant Houses to dispose of burial places in the Necropolis and the cemetery was formally opened as a burial ground), was that of a Joseph Levi, a Jewish jeweller. Due to the Jewish custom of burying bodies one per grave, the available space was soon used up and by 1851 there was no more room for burials in this section.

The outcrop on which the Necropolis stands is a volcanic plug of igneous rock in the very centre of the city. It has a special significance for merchants of Glasgow, among whom I count myself, as Merchant is my middle name.

Much of the copy in this blog entry has been adapted from the pamphlet, "Glasgow Necropolis Heritage Trail", produced by Glasgow City Council.