Engraving from 'Old and New Edinburgh'

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Engraving from Old & New Edinburgh - published 1890
Warriston Cemetery

Warriston Cemetery, just over a mile to the north of Princes Street, covers a large area beside Warriston Crematorium.

The upper part of the cemetery has gravestones laid out in neat rows. The lower part is overgrown, with some large Victorian gravestones, several now damaged.

Questions

I have received an e-mail from somebody who wrote:

Tomb of the Red Lady

1. "Is the building shown in the background of this engraving the shrine known as the tomb of the RED LADY as it was when I was a child?"

2. "I believe the reason for such a fine tomb was that MARY ANN ROBERTSON was murdered by her master who was tried and hanged in Edinburgh. Was that correct?"

Comments and Recollections
1.	Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- Tomb of the Red Lady
2.	Alan Wilson Edinburgh	- Mary Ann Robertson - Vandals
2.	with reply from Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- Vandals
3.	Alan Wilson Edinburgh	- Tomb Desecrated:1978 - More Photos - Warriston Cottage
4.	Tommy (Campbell) Lawson Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia	- The Red Lady's Tomb
5.	Jim Patience Alberta, Canada	- The Red Lady's Tomb
6.	Brian Malcolm Blackpool, Lancashire, England	- The Red Lady's Tomb - Location - The Tomb - Murder?
7.	Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- Recent Photos
8.	Brian Malcolm Blackpool, Lancashire, England	- Monuments
9.	Jim Patience St Albert, Alberta, Canada	- xxxxxxxxxx

Comment

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Tomb of the Red Lady

1. I don't know whether or not the building in the background in this engraving is the tomb of the RED LADY. Unfortunately, that tomb has now been destroyed by vandals, but here is a description of how it once looked

Here is a description that I found when I searched for more information. I don't know the author:

"A Victorian Gothic structure made of iron and glazed with coloured panels; ruby glass roof & green glass walls. Between the roof & the walls there was a frieze effect created with lighter, rectangular glass panels - perhaps milk glass - on which there was an inscription. written in ornate Gothic script and travelling all the way round the structure was The Lords Prayer."

2. It was indeed Mary Ann Robertson (1826-58) who was buried in the tomb of the RED LADY. She was daughter of Brigadier-General Manson of the Bombay Artillery [Alan Wilson]

I don't know whether or not she was murdered by her master who was then hanged.

Perhaps somebody else will provide answers to these questions.

- Peter Stubbs: January 17 2006.

Comment

Alan Wilson

Edinburgh

Thank you to Alan Wilson, Edinburgh, who wrote:

Mary Ann Robertson

"Regarding Mary Ann Robertson, and whether she was murdered - well it looks as though she wasn't.

I was going through some newspaper cuttings the other night and came across an Evening News article dated 3rd August 2006 to publicise "The Edinburgh Graveyard Guide" by TRB Turnbull.

It doesn't say how Mary Ann Robertson died; maybe she contracted her husband's illness, maybe not.

Vandals

"I've heard stories of the tomb being desecrated sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

I was wondering if you could shed any light on the story that her skull was removed by someone high on drink and drugs and that they were subsequently jailed for the offence."

Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh: October 4, 2007.

Reply to Comment

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

This account of Mary Ann Robertson's tomb appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News in 2006, almost thirty years after the tomb was desecrated:

Vandals

"Vandals have destroyed what was once one of Edinburgh's most impressive burial places - an arcaded Gothic shrine of white marble, and roof of ruby-coloured glass, which formed the last resting place of Mary Ann Robertson (d.1858).

Today, all that is left of the chamber, once carved with lilies, palms and oriental patterned glass, are its broken foundations and the smashed marble figure that used to lie inside.

The tomb was erected in her honour as the Manson, of the Bombay Artillery. She had married Captain Alexander Robertson, the 8th King's Regiment.

When he became ill with fever at the siege of Delhi in 1857, he was sent home to be nursed by his wife. Sadly within a few months it was Mary Ann who was dead."

Edinburgh Evening News: August 3, 2006

Comments

Alan Wilson

Edinburgh

Thank you to Alan Wilson, Edinburgh, for writing again:

Alan wrote:

Tomb Desecrated - 1978

"I checked the microfiche of the Evening News in the Central Library. It's a slow process, but I found a report dated 26 June 1979 where 5 youths aged between 15 and 20 where charged with breaking into the crypt (very close to Robertson monument) on 11th September 1978, smashing marble slabs securing a coffin, breaking it open and scattering the remains and carrying away a skull. So it looks as though the story I heard was almost correct."

More Photos

"Also, the RCAHMS Warriston Cemetery web site now includes some photos of the cemetery. After clicking on the link above:

- Click on 'Images on-line' and you will see thumbnails of the photographs.

- Click on a thumbnail and a larger image with all the collection details will appear.

- Click on the image again and the largest version will be shown."

Warriston Cottage

"My next task is to try and find where Warriston Cottage was. Hopefully the Arnott headstone is still standing and will give me a clue!

Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh: December 12, 2007.

The following day, Alan added:

Warriston Cottage

"On the OS map dated 1896 for Inverleith & Canonmills and there's one building I think might be the cottage. It's next to the railway line / cycle path that cuts the cemetery in two.

I know there are the remains of a building down at that part, so I'm hoping that the Arnott grave will be able to confirm it. Being a war grave I trust it's been well looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

If the weather's fine at the weekend I'll probably take a stroll down."

Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh: December 13, 2007.

Three days later, Alan added:

Warriston Cottage

"Well, I went along to Warriston Cemetery yesterday morning and discovered the cottage was where I suspected."

The building can be found within Warriston Cemetery, immediately to the north of the old railway line on this 1915 map (lower centre of the map, above the first letter 'O' of the name 'BROUGHTON' printed in red on this map.

"Only part of the right-hand gable still exists. The Arnott headstone pictured on the RCHMS web site confirmed I had the right the location."

Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh: December 16, 2007

Recollections

Tommy (Campbell) Lawson

Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia

Tommy wrote:

The Red Lady's Tomb

"A lady has asked a question about the Red Lady in Warriston Cemetery. I, with young friends, used to scare ourselves silly late evening looking into the Red Lady's Tomb

I lived in Logie Green Road. During the war years, we had a wee shop there. My friends were David Brown, the Heathcotes and George Reid"

Tommy (Campbell) Lawson, Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia: March 26, 2008

Recollections

Jim Patience

Alberta, Canada

Jim Patience wrote

The Red Lady's Tomb

"The Red Lady brought back memories. I worked as a grave digger in Warriston Cemetery in the early 1960s, after I came out of the Army.

I also cut the grass, planted flowers etc. Mr. Pontin was Supt. then. The RED LADY was well looked after then."

Jim Patience, Alberta, Canada: April 21, 2008

Recollections

Brian Malcolm

Blackpool, Lancashire, England

Thank you to Brian Malcolm who wrote:

The Red Lady's Tomb

"I think I can shed some light on the question, near the top of this page, about the location of the tomb to the 'Red Lady'.

Location

In the foreground of this engraving, you can see the monument to the Rev James Peddie. In the background, you can just make out a large obelisk. This is the tomb to Sir James Young Simpson.

The tomb to the 'Red Lady' that the questioner asked about' is an old long-gone chapel that stood atop the catacombs. It is beyond the obelisk, to the NW end of the vaults.

If you were to continue along the path in front of the chapel, as far as you can to the wall, the 'Red Lady' is on your left as you turn to go down the hill."

The Tomb

"The roof of the tomb was indeed red glass. The rest of the building was white marble, apart from the Iron gate at the front.

The Lord's Prayer was engraved around the bottom of the panels, ending with, 'And the trumpet shall sound three times and the dead shall be risen incorruptible'."

Murder?

"I was not aware of the murder story but that would make sense. I have sensed her presence on many an occasion there.

I have even seen unexplained footprints in fresh snow around the shrine but not leading to or away from it, when no one else was there."

Brian Malcolm, Blackpool, Lancashire, England: October 29, 2010

Brian Malcolm added:

Warriston Cemetery

My Spiritual Home!

"Warriston Cemetery is my Spiritual home. It found me when I was 8 years old. I lived not far from there and 'till this year spent at least 1 hour a day in the place. To say I am attached to it would be an understatement

I find it fascinating. The place has had its share of misfortune over the years with vandalism from thugs and officials alike, glue sniffers and drunks.

It is a very valuable green space in the heart of the city. The fact it has become overgrown adds to the charm and serenity of the place.

I hope it will remain so. Restoration to its former glory would be a fine thing yet it would in some sense be a great act of vandalism.

Brian Malcolm, Blackpool, Lancashire, England: October 29, 2010

Comment

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Recent Photos

I visited Warriston Cemetery a few months ago and took some photos of what I thought might be what is left of the tomb to the 'Red Lady'.

Alan Wilson subsequently emailed me to confirm that this was her tomb.

Please click on the thumbnail images below to see some of these photos:

Please click on this link to see more photos of Warriston Crematorium

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: November 5, 2010

Recollections

Brian Malcolm

Blackpool, Lancashire, England

Thank you to Brian Malcolm for identifying some of the monuments in this old engraving of Warriston Cemetery. This is one of the engravings that appeared in Grant's 'Old & New Edinburgh' published in 1890.

"On this engraving, the following have been marked:

RED:

The Peddie Monument

BLUE:

The memorial to Simpson, founder of the Simpson Memorial Hospital in Edinburgh and discoverer of anaesthetic.

GREEN:

The chapel. At one time, the internment ceremony would have taken place here. There was speculation that the coffin was lowered into the vaults below the chapel, although I have not seen evidence of this from my time spent in the vaults.

I've seen the destruction of the coffins and the bodies strewn about in there, along the front passage. I'd say that 1 in 4 graves are desecrated; it is very sad. Further back into the vaults, there is less destruction. I assume the darkness kept the vandals at bay.

All that remains today of the structure is a raised mound centrally placed lengthways along the vaults. The skylights and ventilation shafts have all been filled in now, none to late, but I remember my mother who would now have been aged 86, telling me how the sunlight used to shine out thru the portcullis windows along the front of the vaults at certain times of the year.

There are two substantial monuments to my family in Warriston, one still stands, sadly the other now lies flat face down."

Brian Malcolm, Blackpool, Lancashire, England: October 29, 2010

Comment

Jim Patience

St Albert, Alberta, Canada

Thank you to Jim Patience who wrote:

Warriston Cottage

"I believe that the building Alan Wilson was talking about (in 'Recollectons 3' above) was the house where the Head Groundskeeper stayed with his wife and son . They were next to the greenhouse.

Vaults

"The vaults at Warriston Cemetery were about halfway down the hill. As far as I remember, there were about a dozen coffins interred in the wall, all sealed with their names on plaques except one in which you could see the coffin quite plainly. We were told that this was because the body had not been claimed.

Edinburgh Cemetery Co

"Then, the cemetery was run by The Edinburgh Cemetery Co. They also ran Corstorphine Hill, Comely Bank and a few others around town. Warriston was one of the best maintained cemeteries in all Edinburgh. It's sad to hear of the mess it is in now."

Jim Patience, St Albert, Alberta, Canada: November 16, 2010

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