The statue of Greyfriars Bobby is designated as a Category A listed building.

Greyfriars Bobby (died January 14, 1872) was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland after reportedly spending 14 years guarding his owner's grave, until his own death in 1872.^[1] Download high resolution version (500x739, 70 KB)Statue of Greyfriars Bobby, Edinburgh. ... Download high resolution version (500x739, 70 KB)Statue of Greyfriars Bobby, Edinburgh. ... The Forth Bridge, designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, opened in 1890, and now owned by Network Rail, is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Skye Terrier is a breed of dog that is a long, low terrier that is both hardy and dignified. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ...

A year after the dog died, the philanthropist Baroness Burdett Coutts had a statue and fountain erected to commemorate him. Several books and films have been based on Bobby's life, including Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson and the films Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog and The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2006). The Lady Burdett-Coutts Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts (24 April 1814–30 December 1906), born Angela Georgina Burdett, was the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet, an MP, and the former Sophia Coutts, who was the daughter of Thomas Coutts, the wealthy banker who founded... Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson (1863-1942) was an American author, journalist and teacher. ... The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby is a family-based United Kingdom film released in the USA in 2005 (as Greyfriars Bobby) and the UK in 2006, and directed by John Henderson. ...

The story

The statue is located at the corner of Candlemaker Row (left) and George IV Bridge (right)

Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a night watchman, and the two were inseparable for approximately two years.^[1] On 15 February 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby, who survived John Gray by 14 years, is said to have spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave. A more realistic account has it that he spent a great deal of time at Gray's grave, but that he left regularly for meals at a restaurant beside the graveyard, and may have spent colder winters in nearby houses. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1589x1159, 264 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Edinburgh User:Pschemp/Gallery Old Town, Edinburgh ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1589x1159, 264 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Edinburgh User:Pschemp/Gallery Old Town, Edinburgh ... Lothian and Borders Police is the police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian. ... Night Watchman can mean: Security guard usually hired for the nightime protection of a business premise. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... Photograph dated 1848 by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, showing D O Hill sketching at the Dennystoun Monument, watched by the Misses Morris. ... Castle Ashby Graveyard Northamptonshire A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. ... Greyfriars Kirk, today Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, is a parish kirk (church) of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Ancient unreadable gravestones mark the position of graves in the parish churchyard at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England A grave is a place where the body of a dead animal, generally human, is buried, often after a funeral. ...

In 1867, when it was pointed out that an ownerless dog should be destroyed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers (who was also a director of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), paid for a renewal of Bobby's licence, making him the responsibility of the city council. A Lord Provost is the Scottish equivalent of a Lord Mayor. ... William Chambers (April 16, 1800 - May 20, 1883) was a Scottish publisher, the brother of Robert Chambers. ... The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity to promote animal welfare. ...

Bobby died in 1872 and could not be buried within the cemetery itself, since it was consecrated ground; instead he was buried just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from John Gray's grave.

In memory

Greyfriars Bobby's headstone, located in Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Today, a small statue of Greyfriars Bobby stands in front of the Greyfriars Bobby pub, which is located near Greyfriars Kirkyard. The statue originally faced toward the graveyard and pub but has since been turned around, allegedly by a previous landlord of the pub so that the pub would appear in the background of the many photographs that are taken each year. Photograph dated 1848 by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, showing D O Hill sketching at the Dennystoun Monument, watched by the Misses Morris. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ...

A red granite stone was erected on Bobby's grave by The Dog Aid Society of Scotland, and unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester on May 13, 1981. It reads: "Greyfriars Bobby — died 14th January 1872 — aged 16 years — Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all."^[2] Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of George V. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his fathers death in 1974. ...

Guided tours of the Kirkyard are given by a number of groups, including the Greyfriars Bobby Walking Theatre and the Greyfriars Kirkyard Trust.

Books and films

His intense loyalty made Bobby popular with dog lovers, who spread and embellished the story. Books and films based directly or indirectly on the story include:

• The book Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson, which greatly embellished the story, and made John Gray a farm labourer, known as "Auld Jock".^[3] The 1961 film Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog was based on this book.^[4]

• Another film, The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, was released in the UK in February 2006 starring Oliver Golding and Christopher Lee (released elsewhere in 2005 under the alternative title Greyfriars Bobby).^[5] The famous Edinburgh Castle scenes in this film were actually shot in nearby Stirling Castle, whilst many had reservations on casting a West Highland White Terrier as Bobby, and for adding new characters while leaving out one of the later major characters in Bobby's life, John Traill.^[6]

• Challenge to Lassie (1949), an earlier film based on Atkinson's book, but replacing Bobby with Lassie.^[7]

• In the 1945 film The Body Snatcher, Boris Karloff's character (incidentally named Gray) digs up bodies from graves. One of these bodies is that of John Gray. Bobby tries to stop him from taking the corpse, but is struck over the head by Boris Karloff's character, and killed.

• In the PBS kids' series, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Patty Larceny put a collar on the statue of Bobby and walked him away in the Season 3 episode Little Dog Gone.

Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson (1863-1942) was an American author, journalist and teacher. ... The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby is a family-based United Kingdom film released in the USA in 2005 (as Greyfriars Bobby) and the UK in 2006, and directed by John Henderson. ... For other persons named Christopher Lee, see Christopher Lee (disambiguation). ... The castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline as seen here from Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh Castle is an ancient fortress which, from its position atop Castle Rock, dominates the sky-line of the city of Edinburgh, and is Scotlands second most visited tourist attraction, after the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and... Stirling Castle southwest aspect from the Kings Knot Parterre below the castle crags. ... West Highland White Terriers, commonly known as Westies, are a breed of dog known for their spirited personality and brilliant white coat. ... This article is about the fictional collie dog character. ... The Body Snatcher (also known as Robert Louis Stevensons The Body Snatcher) is a 1945 horror directed by Robert Wise based on the short story The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson. ... Boris Karloff (born William Henry Pratt) (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969) was an English actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s. ... This article is about the PBS game show with this title. ...

See also

• Hachikō, the faithful dog commemorated by a statue at Shibuya, Tokyo.
• List of famous dogs
• Bobbie, the Wonder Dog
• Brown Dog affair

Picture of Hachikō, age 15. ... Shibuya ) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... List of famous dogs is an annotated list of real dogs. ... Bobbie, the Wonder Dog (1921-1927) was a dog from the U.S. state of Oregon who became famous for traveling 2,800 miles to return to his owners in the city of Silverton. ... The Brown Dog affair was a controversy and cause célèbre for a brief period in Edwardian England, from 1903 to 1910, and revolving around vivisection and a statue erected in memory of a dog killed in the cause of medical research. ...

References

is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson (1863-1942) was an American author, journalist and teacher. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... The domain name bbc. ...

External links

• Greyfriars Bobby Walking Theatre
• The Story
• Greyfriars Kirkyard photographs
• Greyfriars Kirkyard Trust
• The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2005) Film website.
• Greyfriars Bobby and other venerable animals @ Ward's Book of Days website.
• Greyfriars Bobby Statue Location at Waymarking.com website.