#canongate graveyard

[scotianostra]

EDINA! Scotia’s darling seat! All hail thy palaces and tow’rs, Where once, beneath a Monarch’s feet, Sat Legislation’s sov’reign pow’rs: From marking wildly scatt’red flow’rs, As on the banks of Ayr I stray’d, And singing, lone, the lingering hours, I shelter in they honour’d shade.

Extract from Address to Edinburgh by Robert Burns.

Pics from a wander on Monday.

[azvolrien]

I've had a moderately busy weekend of Doin' Stuff. I wanted to see the Game On exhibition at the museum on Saturday, but when I arrived the first timeslot they had available wasn't for a few hours yet, so I went off for a wander in the Old Town to kill time. Part of those few hours were spent looking around the old Canongate Kirkyard, which - like many urban cemeteries - makes for a quiet little oasis in the heart of the city. It has a couple of reasonably well-known inhabitants, most famously Adam Smith, the so-called 'Father of Economics', but is also the final resting place of another interesting but much more obscure figure from Edinburgh's history, a man who went by the name of John Sakeouse/Sakaeus/Sackhouse (spellings vary, but apparently he himself usually signed his name with the first version). His grave isn't marked, so I don't know the exact location, but presumably the church records have a note of it and I think it's somewhere in those last three photos. The Portrait Gallery has this nice painting of him by Alexander Nasmyth.

John (there appears to be no record of his name in his native language) was an Inuk from western Greenland, who decided that he wanted to see the world, stowed away on a whaling ship with his kayak and harpoon, and ended up in Leith of all places, where he became a local celebrity demonstrating his skill with said kayak and harpoon. He even accompanied Sir John Ross's 1818 expedition in search of the Northwest Passage as an artist and translator before returning to his new home in Leith, where sadly he passed away of a fever in early 1819.

[halfarsedhermit]

Another set form my Graveyards of Edinburgh series for Halloween over at my insta @hermit.on.tour - this time it’s Canongate Kirkyard (the two Calton Burial grounds are up as well, just one more to go! Do follow if you’re interested in Scotland, Edinburgh, castles, lochs, whisky, prime goth bullshit and drop me a note if you ever need a tour guide as that’s pretty much what I do for a living :)

[the-busy-ghost]

Weird thing about being in Edinburgh on a Sunday in December but only really in the Old Town or in Southside - you only know about the Christmas Market from a distance. You see its lights between gaps in tenements or you get onto a train that is crowded with shoppers even though you never even saw that many people on the Mile or you get asked for directions by confused English people and have to wave them vaguely in the direction of Princes Street. But you don’t really Feel The Buzz in the same way, it’s like a distant monster devouring cash and people and you’re just loitering outside the hairy haggis scottie sporran tartan tourist shops that usually do the same thing in summer like the disillusioned veteran of a far-off war, fighting the urge to disappear down a dark close and never be seen again, living as a myth with the piper lad down in the tunnels, but also like Really Fucking Relieved that it’s drawing all the really big crowds away

[myhauntedsalem]

William Burke and William Hare

Back in 1828 medical science was under rapid advancement. Great discoveries were being made, but unfortunately there were not enough dead bodies or cadavers as they are called, for the scientists/doctors to experiment on. Enter William Burke and William Hare, two Irish immigrants living in Scotland who quickly became entrepreneurs’ of the deadly kind. Within a ten month period, these two men killed at least 16 people and sold their bodies to medical science.

At that time, the main legal supply of corpses for anatomical purposes in the UK were of those condemned to death and dissection by the courts. Although executions were rather plentiful in those days, they still were not frequent enough to keep up with the demand on ‘modern science’ and anatomy studies. 

Body snatching became prominent, and often that would also fail, because after a while graveyards took security measures to ensure the fresh graves were not dug up.

Both Burke and Hare immigrated to Scotland to work as laborer’s on the Union Canal. They met when Burke moved in to the same area as Hare’s wife’s boarding house. Both of dubious character, they quickly became fast friends.

A tenant at the boarding house, an old army pensioner passed away of natural causes. Hare knew that the old soldier didn’t have anyone who would look for him, so he arranged, with the help of Burke, to fill the body with bark and sell the body to Dr. Robert Knox, Edinburgh’s leading anatomist, who drew large crowds to his dissections at the University of Edinburgh, for a fee.

This seemed like such a simple way to earn a good deal of money, that evil plans began to hatch in their heads. Before long they had chosen a victim, Joseph, a tenant at the boarding house who was very ill. They spent some time with him, got him roaring drunk on whisky, and then suffocated him.

The next victim was a woman. Abigail Simpson was an older lady from the village of Gilmerton. They invited her in off the street to spend the night, and then also intoxicated her with alcohol before smothering her. Her body was placed in a tea-chest and a clandestine meeting was arranged with a porter to exchange the body.

Two more murders were committed within relatively quick succession. Hare’s wife orchestrated one murder, ensuring the victim was intoxicated and stayed that way until her husband arrived home to finish the job. The next was murdered by Burke, acting on his own.

Burke then met two women at a part of Edinburgh known as Canongate, Mary Paterson and Janet Brown. It is probably these two ladies were prostitutes. 

Brown was uncomfortable when an argument broke out between Burke and his mistress, so she left. Paterson stayed and unfortunately met her demise.

Effie, a scavenger who sold scraps of leather was the next victim, and the one after that was a drunk woman who was so close to being arrested, only to have Burke save her by saying they knew her and could return her to her lodging. Instead he delivered her body to the medical school.

An old lady and her mute son were the next unfortunates. These deaths differed in that they overdosed the old lady on painkillers, but the boy got stretched over Hare’s knee until his back broke. What a horrible way to die! Hare later said that the way he killed that boy disturbed him the most out of all the deaths he committed.

Next were a Mrs. Hostler and Ann Dougal, a cousin of Burke’s mistress. Mary Haldane, a former lodger who had asked to sleep in their stable was the next victim, and then Mary’s daughter, Peggy, a few days later, when she came around to ask if they had seen her mother.

James Wilson, known as Daft Jamie was the next victim. He was a mentally disabled youth of about 18 years when he was murdered. The mistake they made with this victim was that he was a familiar figure on the streets, so when he went missing, it was noticed, and his body was recognized when Dr. Knox uncovered it. The Doctor denied that it was Jamie and quickly dissected him to make him no longer recognizable.

The last victim was Mary Docherty, who was invited into the lodging house, and given supper and some drinks, but whose death was delayed due to the presence of other lodgers, the Grays, there at the time. neighbor’s reported later in the evening that they heard the sounds of a struggle, and a woman’s voice crying out “Murder!”

Their killing spree was up! The next day the Gray’s returned. Suspicious at the behavior of Burke, who would not let them approach a bed where Mrs. Gray had left a stocking, she checked it later in the evening when they were alone in the residence, and found the body of Mary Docherty under it. They immediately went to the police to report the murder, and that is how Burke and Hare, together with Burke’s mistress and Hare’s wife, were arrested.

Burke and his mistress McDougal faced three charges of murder. Their trial lasted 24 hours, and found Burke guilty, but McDougal not proven so.

At 8.15am on 28 January, 1829 Burke was hanged in front of an enormous crowd. In a show of irony, the next day his body was publically dissected.

So what happened to Hare? Well, he was given the chance for immunity if he served as a witness against his best friend. Naturally he did it, and spent the rest of his life fleeing angry mobs, whenever he was recognized in towns all throughout the United Kingdom.

[simone-whitlow]

Simone's Christmas Carol 2020.

Simone's Christmas Carol 2020. - Merry Christmas All!

John Elwes – The Miser of Marcham Park. Hi all, welcome to the official 2020 Christmas Tale of History and Imagination. Merry Christmas all, I hope this post finds you all well. Today’s post begins in Canongate churchyard, Edinburgh, Scotland. The date is 1841. A young writer meanders through the graveyard, perusing the tales to be seen on the  markers. No doubt he looked on the resting place of…

[singin-in-the-dead-of-night]

Went and hung out in a graveyard today... felt strangely peaceful #graveyard #canongatekirkyard #edinburgh (at Canongate Kirkyard)

[tailormadeitineraries]

Adam Smith's grave, Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh. ****** #adamsmith #economist #royalmile#edinburghhighlights #edinburgh #exploringedinburgh #edinphoto #edinburghlife #thisisedinburgh  #loves_united_scotland #scotlandsites #scotspirit #somewhereinscotland #scotlandexplore #tailormadeitineraries #willjourney #welltravelled #passportexpress #passionpassport #dametraveler #travel #vacation #wanderlust #travelblogger #graveyard #fiftyshades_of_darkness #graveyard_dead #exploringtheglobe #bestvacations #worldunion (at Adam Smith grave)

[scotianostra]

I pride myself in knowing my Scottish history, and especially Edinburgh, not boasting but among my friends on Facebook  I know more than average, Alistair Dawson and Mark McDonald are up there with me, and then there is the main man  in the first pic here, Colin Cargill. Colin took me for lunch on Monday, Haggis Neeps and Tatties at the Guildford Arms, it was delicious. We took a wee walk after to Old Calton Burial Ground on Waterloo Place, that's the one you see when crossing North Bridge, with the obelisk that is The Martyrs Monument, which remembers Scots who  strived for political reform in the 18th century. Anyway, Colin told me the history of the graveyard, after the part of Edinburgh we know as the New Town was built you still had to go through slum areas on the Canongate and High Street to get there, this was until they built a road, which ran/runs from Portobello, London Road. This  now splits at Montrose Terrace going up Regent Road to what is now Waterloo Place, they had a problem here as the graveyard barred their way to Princes Street. They solved this by building the road right through it in 1818. Don;t worry the graves on that part were dug up and moved down Regent Road to a "new" site,  now known as New Calton Burial Ground. Now until Monday it amazes me that I did not know that on the other side of Waterloo Place, next to Howies restaurant is a small part of Old Calton Burial Ground, I can't for the life of me know how I missed this, having more or less walked past the gates on Calton Hill, literary hundreds of times, the entrance is tucked between the rear of Howies and The Parliament House hotel. It's the wee road that comes out at Calton Road/Leith Street is, The Black Bull pub sits there. So it shows that coming up for 58 years old I am still learning things about the city I love. Colin is a guide on the Tour buses you see around Edinburgh, one of the few with a live guide, rather than a recording and headphones. He is also involved with Edinburgh World Heritage an independent charity that aims to ensure the city's World Heritage  status benefits everyone. Colin has also guided tours through Greyfriars Kirkyard, working closely with, now correct me if I wrong Colin, Dr Susan Buckham Graveyards Project Manager with the charity. Colin has invited me to jump on the tour bus with him sometime in the spring, I look forward to doing so and grabbing pics from a perspective I would not normally enjoy.

[scotianostra]

On March 9th 1566 David Rizzio was murdered by in the Palace of Holyrood House.

David Rizzio,( also spelled Riccio) di Pancalieri was born in 1533 in the duchy of Savoy. The son of a poor musician, Rizzio inherited a strong musical talent and a beautiful singing voice. He was hired by the Duke of Savoy as valet and musician and, in 1561, together with his master’s ambassador, the Marquess of Moretto, went to Scotland. Here, the Marquess encouraged Rizzio to try and land a job at court.

Within a few months of Mary’s marriage to Lord Darnley his  true nature became apparent. Mary was pregnant with their child but Darnley spent his nights carousing with disreputable friends in Edinburgh’s taverns and brothels. Mary turned to her close circle of friends for comfort. Among them the small Italian courtier  Rizzio who had become Mary’s private secretary. Rizzio sang and played cards with the Queen and the Four Marys in the evenings in her chambers.

Darnley proved to be spoilt, obnoxious and violent. He grew jealous of the attention that Mary paid to Rizzio and, encouraged by a group of Protestant nobles, came to believe that his wife and Rizzio were having an affair. Darnley and the nobles plotted in secret to murder Rizzio.

On 9th March 1566 Mary, Rizzio and a small group of friends were enjoying a late supper in the small room by the Queen’s bedchamber. Darnley suddenly appeared, speaking to Mary as a group of armed nobles made their way to the Queen’s chambers. Darnley’s accomplices included Lord Ruthven who was suffering from a fever and close to death. He was pale and clammy, and wore a suit of armour beneath a cloak. Ruthven burst into the room, saying, ‘It would please Your Majesty to let yonder man Davie come forth of your presence.’ Mary immediately realised that David’s life was in danger and confronted the plotters - ‘Leave our presence under pain of treason.’ When Ruthven told Darnley to seize his wife a fight broke out. Rizzio hid behind the Queen’s dress as her friends and servants struggled with Ruthven.

The other plotters appeared and tried to stab Rizzio. Mary was six-months pregnant and believed that the men planned to kill her too. As Mary was roughly pushed aside and held by Darnley, a loaded gun was aimed at her pregnant belly to stop her from intervening.

David Rizzio was dragged screaming from the supper room and viciously murdered in the stairway outside the Queen’s chambers. He was stabbed over 50 times before his body was dumped down the stairs. Darnley refused to stab Rizzio but his dagger was left in the body to show his complicity. In the days that followed, Mary skilfully managed to turn her husband away from the plotters. Under cover of darkness Mary and Darnley rode from Holyroodhouse to the safety of Dunbar Castle. She would never forgive her husband’s treachery.

It has been alleged that Rizzio is buried at Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh; this would have required reinterment of a Catholic with no living friends in a Protestant graveyard 120 years after his death. It is considered more likely that he lies in an unmarked grave in the graveyard attaching Holyrood Abbey. The historian George Buchanan wrote in 1581 that David was first buried outside the door of the Abbey, and then Mary arranged for him to be buried in the tomb of her father James V and Madeleine of France within the Abbey.  As Buchanan described this circumstance as reflecting badly on the Queen, while his book was at the printers, a friend James Melville tried to get Buchanan to rewrite the passage, fearing that Mary’s son James VI would suppress the whole book. Buchanan asked his cousin, Thomas Buchanan, a schoolmaster in Stirling, if he thought the story was true, and the cousin agreed. The story was published.

Either some people still believe David Rizzio is buried in Canongate Kirkyard, or at very least the idea that he is, when in I regularly pop into graveyard when in Edinburgh and around the area, or taking friends on a wee tour, I have often seen flowers left on the marker said to be his resting place. The place he died in the Palace is marked, as in the photo, the lore says that, although the floorboards have been replaced, Rizzio’s blood reappeared on them………

[scotianostra]

On March 9th 1566 David Rizzio was murdered by in the Palace of Holyrood House.

David Rizzio,( also spelled Riccio) di Pancalieri was born in 1533 in the duchy of Savoy. The son of a poor musician, Rizzio inherited a strong musical talent and a beautiful singing voice. He was hired by the Duke of Savoy as valet and musician and, in 1561, together with his master's ambassador, the Marquess of Moretto, went to Scotland. Here, the Marquess encouraged Rizzio to try and land a job at court.

Within a few months of Mary's marriage to Lord Darnley his  true nature became apparent. Mary was pregnant with their child but Darnley spent his nights carousing with disreputable friends in Edinburgh’s taverns and brothels. Mary turned to her close circle of friends for comfort. Among them the small Italian courtier  Rizzio who had become Mary's private secretary. Rizzio sang and played cards with the Queen and the Four Marys in the evenings in her chambers.

Darnley proved to be spoilt, obnoxious and violent. He grew jealous of the attention that Mary paid to Rizzio and, encouraged by a group of Protestant nobles, came to believe that his wife and Rizzio were having an affair. Darnley and the nobles plotted in secret to murder Rizzio.

On 9th March 1566 Mary, Rizzio and a small group of friends were enjoying a late supper in the small room by the Queen’s bedchamber. Darnley suddenly appeared, speaking to Mary as a group of armed nobles made their way to the Queen’s chambers. Darnley’s accomplices included Lord Ruthven who was suffering from a fever and close to death. He was pale and clammy, and wore a suit of armour beneath a cloak. Ruthven burst into the room, saying, ‘It would please Your Majesty to let yonder man Davie come forth of your presence.’ Mary immediately realised that David’s life was in danger and confronted the plotters - ‘Leave our presence under pain of treason.’ When Ruthven told Darnley to seize his wife a fight broke out. Rizzio hid behind the Queen’s dress as her friends and servants struggled with Ruthven.

The other plotters appeared and tried to stab Rizzio. Mary was six-months pregnant and believed that the men planned to kill her too. As Mary was roughly pushed aside and held by Darnley, a loaded gun was aimed at her pregnant belly to stop her from intervening.

David Rizzio was dragged screaming from the supper room and viciously murdered in the stairway outside the Queen’s chambers. He was stabbed over 50 times before his body was dumped down the stairs. Darnley refused to stab Rizzio but his dagger was left in the body to show his complicity. In the days that followed, Mary skilfully managed to turn her husband away from the plotters. Under cover of darkness Mary and Darnley rode from Holyroodhouse to the safety of Dunbar Castle. She would never forgive her husband’s treachery.

It has been alleged that Rizzio is buried at Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh; this would have required reinterment of a Catholic with no living friends in a Protestant graveyard 120 years after his death. It is considered more likely that he lies in an unmarked grave in the graveyard attaching Holyrood Abbey. The historian George Buchanan wrote in 1581 that David was first buried outside the door of the Abbey, and then Mary arranged for him to be buried in the tomb of her father James V and Madeleine of France within the Abbey.  As Buchanan described this circumstance as reflecting badly on the Queen, while his book was at the printers, a friend James Melville tried to get Buchanan to rewrite the passage, fearing that Mary's son James VI would suppress the whole book. Buchanan asked his cousin, Thomas Buchanan, a schoolmaster in Stirling, if he thought the story was true, and the cousin agreed. The story was published.

Either some people still believe David Rizzio is buried in Canongate Kirkyard, or at very least the idea that he is, when in I regularly pop into graveyard when in Edinburgh and around the area, or taking friends on a wee tour, I have often seen flowers left on the marker said to be his resting place. The place he died in the Palace is marked, as in the photo, the lore says that, although the floorboards have been replaced, Rizzio's blood reappeared on them...............

[the-busy-ghost]

I think one of the things that’s best (and weirdest) about Edinburgh is that it feels like every single event that’s ever happened in that city could hypothetically be going on at once, especially at night. Like past eras never left, they just tutted disapprovingly, moved up a little and then continued their conversations as the present awkwardly squeezed itself into the next space.

There’s a specific vibe it gives off like, theoretically, there could be old ladies from the 1930s gossiping in tearooms on Princes Street while at the same time fifteenth century alewives haggle at the mercat cross in the old High Street. On a dark February night David Rizzio is murdered while bodysnatchers sneak out of the Calton graveyards and in Leith a modern family tuck into their chips with salt and sauce in front of the tv. 1960s folk singers pass up the Canongate on horseback like the lords riding to parliament three hundred years earlier. A sixteenth century nobleman could be face down in the cellar of a pub in the Grassmarket at any given moment, with a skye terrier nosing hopefully around him for crumbs, even while the crowd over by the bar erupts at the sight of Tony Stanger bringing the ball down over the try line and clinching the Grand Slam. You could walk down the Vennel or Warriston’s Close alone and yet somehow feel like you could be passing the ghosts of merchants and tapsters and poets and soldiers, all going about their business without even noticing you. Glasgow is a city in motion and Stirling has its history in the traditional sense, but if New York is the city that never sleeps, Edinburgh is the city that never quite got round to dying. 

[myhauntedsalem]

William Burke and William Hare

Back in 1828 medical science was under rapid advancement. Great discoveries were being made, but unfortunately there were not enough dead bodies or cadavers as they are called, for the scientists/doctors to experiment on. Enter William Burke and William Hare, two Irish immigrants living in Scotland who quickly became entrepreneurs’ of the deadly kind. Within a ten month period, these two men killed at least 16 people and sold their bodies to medical science.

At that time, the main legal supply of corpses for anatomical purposes in the UK were of those condemned to death and dissection by the courts. Although executions were rather plentiful in those days, they still were not frequent enough to keep up with the demand on ‘modern science’ and anatomy studies. Body snatching became prominent, and often that would also fail, because after a while graveyards took security measures to ensure the fresh graves were not dug up.

Both Burke and Hare immigrated to Scotland to work as laborer’s on the Union Canal. They met when Burke moved in to the same area as Hare’s wife’s boarding house. Both of dubious character, they quickly became fast friends.

A tenant at the boarding house, an old army pensioner passed away of natural causes. Hare knew that the old soldier didn’t have anyone who would look for him, so he arranged, with the help of Burke, to fill the body with bark and sell the body to Dr. Robert Knox, Edinburgh’s leading anatomist, who drew large crowds to his dissections at the University of Edinburgh, for a fee.

This seemed like such a simple way to earn a good deal of money, that evil plans began to hatch in their heads. Before long they had chosen a victim, Joseph, a tenant at the boarding house who was very ill. They spent some time with him, got him roaring drunk on whisky, and then suffocated him.

The next victim was a woman. Abigail Simpson was an older lady from the village of Gilmerton. They invited her in off the street to spend the night, and then also intoxicated her with alcohol before smothering her. Her body was placed in a tea-chest and a clandestine meeting was arranged with a porter to exchange the body.

Two more murders were committed within relatively quick succession. Hare’s wife orchestrated one murder, ensuring the victim was intoxicated and stayed that way until her husband arrived home to finish the job. The next was murdered by Burke, acting on his own.

Burke then met two women at a part of Edinburgh known as Canongate, Mary Paterson and Janet Brown. It is probably these two ladies were prostitutes. Brown was uncomfortable when an argument broke out between Burke and his mistress, so she left. Paterson stayed and unfortunately met her demise.

Effie, a scavenger who sold scraps of leather was the next victim, and the one after that was a drunk woman who was so close to being arrested, only to have Burke save her by saying they knew her and could return her to her lodging. Instead he delivered her body to the medical school.

An old lady and her mute son were the next unfortunates. These deaths differed in that they overdosed the old lady on painkillers, but the boy got stretched over Hare’s knee until his back broke. What a horrible way to die! Hare later said that the way he killed that boy disturbed him the most out of all the deaths he committed.

Next were a Mrs. Hostler and Ann Dougal, a cousin of Burke’s mistress. Mary Haldane, a former lodger who had asked to sleep in their stable was the next victim, and then Mary’s daughter, Peggy, a few days later, when she came around to ask if they had seen her mother.

James Wilson, known as Daft Jamie was the next victim. He was a mentally disabled youth of about 18 years when he was murdered. The mistake they made with this victim was that he was a familiar figure on the streets, so when he went missing, it was noticed, and his body was recognized when Dr. Knox uncovered it. The Doctor denied that it was Jamie and quickly dissected him to make him no longer recognizable.

The last victim was Mary Docherty, who was invited into the lodging house, and given supper and some drinks, but whose death was delayed due to the presence of other lodgers, the Grays, there at the time. neighbor’s reported later in the evening that they heard the sounds of a struggle, and a woman’s voice crying out “Murder!”

Their killing spree was up! The next day the Gray’s returned. Suspicious at the behavior of Burke, who would not let them approach a bed where Mrs. Gray had left a stocking, she checked it later in the evening when they were alone in the residence, and found the body of Mary Docherty under it. They immediately went to the police to report the murder, and that is how Burke and Hare, together with Burke’s mistress and Hare’s wife, were arrested.

Burke and his mistress McDougal faced three charges of murder. Their trial lasted 24 hours, and found Burke guilty, but McDougal not proven so.

At 8.15am on 28 January, 1829 Burke was hanged in front of an enormous crowd. In a show of irony, the next day his body was publicly dissected.

So what happened to Hare? Well, he was given the chance for immunity if he served as a witness against his best friend. Naturally he did it, and spent the rest of his life fleeing angry mobs, whenever he was recognized in towns all throughout the United Kingdom.

[scotianostra]

On March 9th 1566 David Rizzio was murdered by in the Palace of Holyrood House.

David Rizzio,( also spelled Riccio) di Pancalieri was born in 1533 in the duchy of Savoy. The son of a poor musician, Rizzio inherited a strong musical talent and a beautiful singing voice. He was hired by the Duke of Savoy as valet and musician and, in 1561, together with his master's ambassador, the Marquess of Moretto, went to Scotland. Here, the Marquess encouraged Rizzio to try and land a job at court.

Within a few months of Mary's marriage to Lord Darnley his true nature became apparent. Mary was pregnant with their child but Darnley spent his nights carousing with disreputable friends in Edinburgh’s taverns and brothels.

Mary turned to her close circle of friends for comfort. Among them the small Italian courtier Rizzio who had become Mary's private secretary. Rizzio sang and played cards with the Queen and the Four Marys in the evenings in her chambers.

Darnley proved to be spoilt, obnoxious and violent. He grew jealous of the attention that Mary paid to Rizzio and, encouraged by a group of Protestant nobles, came to believe that his wife and Rizzio were having an affair. Darnley and the nobles plotted in secret to murder Rizzio.

On 9 March 1566 Mary, Rizzio and a small group of friends were enjoying a late supper in the small room by the Queen’s bedchamber. Darnley suddenly appeared, speaking to Mary as a group of armed nobles made their way to the Queen’s chambers. Darnley’s accomplices included Lord Ruthven who was suffering from a fever and close to death. He was pale and clammy, and wore a suit of armour beneath a cloak. Ruthven burst into the room, saying, ‘It would please Your Majesty to let yonder man Davie come forth of your presence.’

Mary immediately realised that David’s life was in danger and confronted the plotters - ‘Leave our presence under pain of treason.’ When Ruthven told Darnley to seize his wife a fight broke out. Rizzio hid behind the Queen’s dress as her friends and servants struggled with Ruthven.

The other plotters appeared and tried to stab Rizzio. Mary was six-months pregnant and believed that the men planned to kill her too. As Mary was roughly pushed aside and held by Darnley, a loaded gun was aimed at her pregnant belly to stop her from intervening.

David Rizzio was dragged screaming from the supper room and viciously murdered in the stairway outside the Queen’s chambers. He was stabbed over 50 times before his body was dumped down the stairs. Darnley refused to stab Rizzio but his dagger was left in the body to show his complicity.

In the days that followed, Mary skilfully managed to turn her husband away from the plotters. Under cover of darkness Mary and Darnley rode from Holyroodhouse to the safety of Dunbar Castle. She would never forgive her husband’s treachery.

It has been alleged that Rizzio is buried at Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh; this would have required reinterment of a Catholic with no living friends in a Protestant graveyard 120 years after his death. It is considered more likely that he lies in an unmarked grave in the graveyard attaching Holyrood Abbey. The Protestant historian George Buchanan wrote in 1581 that David was first buried outside the door of the Abbey, and then Mary arranged for him to be buried in the tomb of her father James V and Madeleine of France within. As Buchanan described this circumstance as reflecting badly on the Queen, while his book was at the printers, a friend James Melville tried to get Buchanan to rewrite the passage, fearing that Mary's son James VI would suppress the whole book. Buchanan asked his cousin, Thomas Buchanan, a schoolmaster in Stirling, if he thought the story was true, and the cousin agreed. The story was published.

Either some people still believe David Rizzio is buried in Canongate Kirkyard, or at very least the idea that he is, I regularly pop into graveyard when around the area, or taking friends on a wee tour, I have often seen flowers left on the marker said to be his resting place

[scotianostra]

Continuing our Halloween series and sticking with Edinburgh's Royal Mile tonight.

In the Canongate Kirkyard there is a fascinating gravestone, erected to the memory of the Company of Coachdrivers, a society that operated in Edinburgh in the 1760’s. The society may have been real, but the story of the coach that hurtles passed the graveyard is most definitely the stuff of legend. It is said that The Death Coach; a black carriage pulled by headless black horses and driven by the Devil himself can be seen on dark and gloomy nights. Be careful not to catch sight of it, or you might find you’re taken to your grave a little sooner than expected.

Back up the Mile and into Niddry Street once more, and a bar I know very well, albeit before it became Whistle Binkies, my wee sis worked here. A long-haired gentleman in 17th-century costume known as The Watcher haunts the bar. No-one has ever seen his face. Since the 1990s another entity, The Imp, has also inhabited the bar and storerooms in South Bridge, making mischief by stopping clocks and slamming doors.

Across from Whistle Binkies is The Radisson Hotel, it is on the site of Strichen’s Close, where Bluidy George Mackenzie once lived. The area has been plagued by fires, thought to be caused by Mackenzie’s notorious troublemaking poltergeist., who normally resides in Greyfriars Kirkyard.

[tailormadeitineraries]

Canongate Kirk Graveyard, Edinburgh. ****** #canongatekirk #royalmile #edinburghhighlights #edinburgh #exploringedinburgh #edinphoto #edinburghlife #thisisedinburgh #scotland #scotlandlover #scotlandsbeauty #visitscotland #loves_scotland #tailormadeitineraries #willjourney #welltravelled #passportexpress #passionpassport #dametraveler #travel #vacation #wanderlust #travelblogger #churchporn #instachurch #infinity_churches #churchesofinstagram #capturingbritain_churches #churcharchitecture  #churchdesign   (at Canons' Gait)