Who is Greyfriars Bobby

Bobby was a small terrier that was owned by one John Gray, a 19th century gardener who became a policeman when unable to find work in Edinburgh. Gray bought Bobby to accompany him on his rounds of the city - the name "Bobby" being Bitish slang for policeman.

Gray died in 1858 and was buried in the Greyfriars church graveyard. Bobby remained loyal even after his master's death - he sat on the grave and refused to move. The only time he left was once a day when the Edinburgh one o'clock gun fired. Then he would go to a nearby coffee house that Gray used to frequent where the owners would feed him.

The loyal Bobby kept up his vigil until his own demise some fourteen years later. There is now a statue of the faithful little dog outside of the Greyfriars church entrance.

For much more about the great city of Edinburgh and is stories see Edinburgh on Wyrdology

There have been a number of films made about Greyfriars Bobby over the years. However the simplicity of the basic story means that these usually need to elaborate and expand on the facts. Very often the basic setup is changed. For example, in the 1961 Disney movie Bobby's owner becomes a shepherd. The movie captures the spirit of the real story if not the letter.

Picture: Greyfriars Bobby