By Sharon Whitley Larsen
"Where are you taking me?" I complained to my husband, Carl, as I limped behind him.
Normally I'm not a whiner when I travel, but a month-old sprained ankle did not fare well on Edinburgh's historic cobblestone streets, and after a long day of walking I was feeling the pain with each step.
"I'm going to show you a dog's grave!" Carl shouted back to me in the cool air. "Come on! You'll really like it!"
I thought he had lost it. Perhaps he'd had too much whisky or the cholesterol-inducing haggis and mash had constricted the blood flow to his brain and affected his thinking.
But as I limped along in this cosmopolitan city trying to keep up with him, Carl told me the charming, century-old story of Greyfriars Bobby, which has touched the hearts of millions of children around the world, ages 3 to 103. Bobby has been the subject of several books, as well as a 1961 Disney movie.
In 1853, the story reportedly goes, during an unusually cold winter, a gardener named John Gray moved to Edinburgh with his wife and son, 13. After several weeks of unemployment, Gray (nicknamed "Auld Jock") got a job with the police department —even though he was 40 years old, considered a senior citizen in those days. His salary was a modest 13 shillings a week, which included humble housing in the Hall's Court area, dubbed "Hell's Kitchen" by the poor folks who had to live in the rat-infested slum that had poor sanitation and little drinking water.
Gray's beat was the densely crowded, crime-ridden area that included Upper Cowgate, Grassmarket, Greyfriars Kirkyard (the church cemetery), Candlemaker Row, Heriot's Hospital grounds and the Cattle Market. He faithfully patrolled the area by foot on his eight-hour shift, six days a week.
Since the police were assigned dogs to accompany them, Gray was reportedly first given a collie, followed two years later by a Skye Terrier puppy named "Bobby" in honor of being a British police dog. Devoted partners Gray and Bobby would stroll the grimy, smoky streets of Victorian Edinburgh. In a patient manner that earned the respect of the townsfolk, Gray dealt with the criminals and drunks (whisky was cheap then) on bitterly cold, windy nights. After his shift he and Bobby would stop for a bite to eat by the warm fireplace at the Coffee House on Candlemaker Row. (Today it's Greyfriars Bobby Bar.)
When Gray was only 45 he died of tuberculosis — just two years after Bobby had come into his life. During the funeral procession, Bobby, perplexed, scampered along as Gray's fellow police officers carried his coffin to the church cemetery. Not long after, Gray's widow and son moved from the area. But Bobby stayed behind.
Over the next 14 years, Bobby became a beloved canine figure around Edinburgh as word spread of the devoted little dog who kept a daily vigil atop his master's grave.
Each day, at the sound of the 1 p.m. cannon fire at nearby Edinburgh Castle (which to him signaled mealtime), Bobby would scamper into a favorite diner for a bite to eat from the kind owner (he wasn't picky and ate everything from bread to porridge). Now and then, when it was unbearably cold at night, a sympathetic nearby resident would let him sleep indoors.
Bobby never had another master, just friends who would pet and feed him. All was going fine until the day the city of Edinburgh decreed that all dogs must be licensed or risk death. The townsfolk wondered what would happen to Bobby.
Then Lord Provost of Edinburgh, William Chambers, a dog-lover himself, stepped forward to pay for Bobby's license. He also bought him a collar with a brass plate inscribed, "Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost, 1867, licensed." Because of his charm and devotion of sleeping on his master's grave — and heading daily at 1 p.m. for his meal — Bobby was written about in the Inverness Courier on May 10, 1864, and that launched his fame.
In fact, when beloved Bobby died on Jan. 14, 1872, it was noted in The Scotsman newspaper. But that wasn't the end of the story.
British Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, who had heard about Bobby shortly before he died, commissioned a special red granite water fountain (for humans to partake on top, dogs at the bottom) erected in Bobby's memory. It was unveiled on Nov. 15, 1873. Atop the fountain is a life-size bronze bust of Bobby by the sculptor William Brodie. Today tourists from all over the world come to pose for photos in front of the fountain, which has a plaque inscribed: "A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby."
In 1912, American author Eleanor Atkinson wrote a book about Bobby that became a best-seller, even though she had never visited Edinburgh. Since then Bobby has gained more notoriety from books and films.
Those visiting the churchyard cemetery today can see the red granite gravestone for John Gray purchased by American fans. Nearby, in front of the church (not on consecrated ground), on a triangular grass plot — usually covered with flowers of tribute — is the red granite stone for Bobby. It reads: "Greyfriars Bobby, Died 14th January 1872, Aged 16 Years. Let His Loyalty & Devotion Be A Lesson To Us All." It was given by the Dog Aid Society of Scotland and unveiled in 1981 by the Duke of Gloucester.
Today Bobby fans visiting Edinburgh can see not only photos of him but also his metal dinner dish and collar in the Museum of Edinburgh.
David Kusumoto of El Cajon, Calif., a Bobby fan since childhood, notes that the best part of his visit to Edinburgh "was Bobby — seeing the statue, gravestones, and his photo and items in the Museum of Edinburgh. That made the pilgrimage more fun, to tie it all together, validating his life. This is pop culture history, and that's why it's different. It has tremendous emotional resonance for people who go there."
As Fiona McCarroll, an Edinburgh native, notes, "I think the legend of Greyfriars Bobby is a wonderful tale about the loyalty and companionship that we would all like to have in this hectic world, from a pet or even a dear friend. He is a testament to the hard work, tenacity and loyalty so familiar to the Scots as a nation and a race."
WHEN YOU GO
For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com and www.visitbritain.com.
The Greyfriars Bobby Fountain Statue is located at the corner of Candlemaker Row and King George IV Bridge — in front of the Greyfriars Bobby Bar, 34 Candlemaker Row.
Greyfriars Kirkyard, where John Gray's and Bobby's gravestone memorials are located, is behind Greyfriars Bobby Bar.
The Museum of Edinburgh, which houses Bobby's metal dinner dish, collar and photos, is at 142 Canongate, Royal Mile: www.cac.org.uk (click on the Museum of Edinburgh).
We stayed at the Apex Waterloo Place Hotel: www.apexhotels.co.uk/en/hotels/edinburgh
Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
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