Greyfriars Bobby: The Faithful Dog, Legend and Record
Contents
At the top of Candlemaker Row in Edinburgh, a small bronze Skye terrier sits on a granite fountain, its nose rubbed bright gold by tourists. This is Greyfriars Bobby, who, the story says, guarded his master's grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard for fourteen years, until his own death in 1872. His loyalty moved Victorian Edinburgh, a Lord Provost paid for his licence, and a baroness paid for his statue. He has been the subject of novels and a Disney film. Some historians, though, have questioned whether the story is quite what it seems. This card weighs legend against record.
TL;DR
- established Bobby was a Skye terrier who lived around Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh in the 1860s and became famous for apparently guarding a grave there. He died in 1872.
- shared He is usually said to have belonged to John Gray, a police night watchman who died in 1858, and to have kept watch over his grave for fourteen years. Some accounts make his master a farmer.
- established In 1867, when a new dog licence law threatened unlicensed dogs, the Lord Provost, William Chambers, paid for Bobby's licence and gave him a collar, now in the Museum of Edinburgh.
- established A statue and fountain by William Brodie, paid for by Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, was unveiled in 1873.
- shared The historian Jan Bondeson has argued that Bobby's story was promoted to attract visitors, and that the original dog may have been replaced by a second. Others reject this.
Key Facts
- Breed
- Skye terrier
- Location
- Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh
- Master (usual version)
- John Gray, police night watchman, died 1858
- Vigil
- About 14 years
- Died
- 1872
- Licence and collar
- Paid for by Lord Provost William Chambers, 1867
- Statue
- William Brodie, 1873; funded by Baroness Burdett-Coutts
- Novel
- Eleanor Atkinson, Greyfriars Bobby (1912)
- Film
- Disney, 1961
- Sceptical view
- Jan Bondeson (2011)
A Note on Claims and Evidence
Each major claim carries one of three labels. established means supported by primary records, official bodies or several independent reliable sources. shared means the core fact is sound but sources disagree on details, dates or interpretation. traditional means widely repeated but not traceable to a primary or independent source.
Bobby's existence and fame in the 1860s are documented in newspapers, the licence and the collar. The details of his master and his vigil are less certain, and later retellings, especially the 1912 novel and the Disney film, added invented details.
Timeline
John Gray dies and is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard (usual version).
The dog licence law; William Chambers pays Bobby's licence.
Newspapers spread Bobby's story.
Bobby dies.
The statue and fountain unveiled.
Eleanor Atkinson's novel published.
Disney's Greyfriars Bobby.
A headstone for Bobby erected in the kirkyard.
Jan Bondeson publishes his sceptical study.
Details
The story
shared According to the usual story, Bobby belonged to John Gray, a police night watchman in Edinburgh, who died of tuberculosis in 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby refused to leave his master's grave and lived in the kirkyard for fourteen years, fed by local people, especially the owner of a nearby eating house, and sheltering in bad weather. He left each day at the sound of the one o'clock gun to be fed. Some earlier accounts said his master was a farmer called Gray.
The licence
established In 1867 a new law required dogs to be licensed, and unlicensed dogs could be destroyed. The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, William Chambers, a director of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, paid for Bobby's licence and gave him a collar inscribed "Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed". The collar is preserved in the Museum of Edinburgh.
Fame and statue
established Newspapers spread Bobby's story in Britain and abroad, and he became a tourist attraction. After his death in 1872, Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, a philanthropist, paid for a granite drinking fountain with a statue of Bobby by William Brodie, unveiled in 1873 at the corner of Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge. In 1981 a headstone for Bobby was placed near the kirkyard gate.
Doubts
shared In Greyfriars Bobby: The Most Faithful Dog in the World (2011), the historian Jan Bondeson argued that Bobby was a stray encouraged to stay in the kirkyard by the curator, James Brown, and local businesses to attract visitors, and that the dog who died in 1872 may have been a second dog that replaced the first. He also pointed out that "cemetery dogs" were a common Victorian phenomenon. Others dispute his conclusions, and the evidence does not settle the question.
Bobby today
established Bobby's statue is one of Edinburgh's best-loved landmarks. Visitors have rubbed his nose for luck, wearing the patina away, and the city has asked people to stop. Visitors leave sticks and toys at his headstone.
Did You Know?
- Bobby was a Skye terrier.
- The Lord Provost paid his dog licence in 1867.
- His collar is in the Museum of Edinburgh.
- Visitors rubbing his statue's nose have worn the bronze shiny.
- A historian has argued there may have been two Bobbies.
FAQ
1Was Greyfriars Bobby real?
Yes. A dog called Bobby lived around Greyfriars Kirkyard and was famous in the 1860s.
2Did he really guard a grave for 14 years?
That is the story; some historians question details.
3Who was his owner?
Usually said to be John Gray, a police night watchman.
4Where is his statue?
At the top of Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh.
5Should I rub his nose?
The city asks people not to, to protect the statue.
Sources and Further Reading
Scholarly/Critical
- Jan Bondeson, Greyfriars Bobby: The Most Faithful Dog in the World (Amberley, 2011)
- Forbes Macgregor, Greyfriars Bobby: The Real Story at Last (Gordon Wright, 1981)
General
- Eleanor Atkinson, Greyfriars Bobby (1912), a novel
Caveats: Myths and Disputed Claims
- Disputed: the fourteen-year vigil and John Gray. Bobby's existence and fame in the 1860s are documented in newspapers, the licence and the collar. The details of his master and his vigil are less certain, and some earlier accounts made his master a farmer called Gray.
- Disputed: whether Bobby was promoted to attract visitors. Jan Bondeson argued that Bobby was a stray encouraged to stay by the curator and local businesses, and that the dog who died in 1872 may have been a second dog. Others dispute his conclusions, and the evidence does not settle the question.
- Myth: the novel and the film give the true story. Later retellings, especially the 1912 novel and the Disney film, added invented details.
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