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Warriston
Cemetery
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For
permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk
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Warriston Cemetery |
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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.
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Tomb of the Red Lady |
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Questions |
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I have received an e-mail from
somebody who wrote:
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?" |
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1.
Comments
from Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh |
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1. I don't know whether or not the building in the
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
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"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." |
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I found this description
on a web search. Author not known. |
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. |
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2.
Comments
and another question
from Alan Wilson, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Alan Wilson, Edinburgh, who wrote:
"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.
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It doesn't say how Mary Ann Robertson
died, maybe she contracted her husband's illness, maybe not.
The notes beneath the picture in the Evening News article read:
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"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." |
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Edinburgh Evening News:
August 3, 2006 |
Alan added:
"I've heard stories of the tomb being
desecrated sometime in the late 70's or early 80'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. |
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3.
Further Comments
from Alan Wilson, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Alan Wilson, Edinburgh, for writing again:
Alan wrote:
Tomb Desecrated - 1978
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"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."
Alan wrote:
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. |
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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. |
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Alan concluded:
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 |
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Recollections
4.
Tommy (Campbell) Lawson
Bribie Island,
Queensland, Australia |
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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 |
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Recollections
5.
Jim Patience
Alberta, Canada |
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Jim 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 |
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