Statue of Greyfriars Bobby of Edinburgh.

By Ruth Gordon

Just south of Edinburgh, a litter of Skye terriers was born in 1858. One they called Bobby, named after Bobby Burns This area of Scotland breeds the smallest and shaggiest of all Skyes. "You can scarcely see the dog for the coat," is a common remark about these dogs which used to be the favored pet of nobility because of their alertness, elegance, dignity, and cheerfulness. The Skye terrier is also fearless and loyal, the two characteristics that dominate the story of Bobby.

Bobby's thick thatch of silver gray hair protected him from the harsh winters of northern Scotland. Bobby's body grew only to a little less than two feet long, supported by six inch legs. Growing up, he was pursued, much to his displeasure, by his owner's young daughter who liked to pick him up and hug him. Bobby much preferred to spend his time with Auld Jock, the hired hand, a shepherd who tended sheep, the cattle, and the crops. Bobby loved Auld Jock better than anyone he knew.

Bobby particularly looked forward to going to the city on the hay wagon with Auld Jock. Every Wednesday Auld Jock drove to the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh's Old Town for the family's weekly supplies. When the daily time-gun (a cannon sitting on a high parapet of Edinburgh Castle) cracked through the air of the city at precisely one o'clock, Auld Jock and Bobby made it a custom to go to Ye Olde Greyfriars Dining Rooms owned by Mr. Traill. Mr. Traill was an educated merchant who could converse comfortably with all of his customers, regardless of their station in life. Both Auld Jock and Bobby would be served a warm, nourishing meal at his establishment. The old man and Skye puppy always sat in the same place, a far corner beside the fireplace at a window overlooking Greyfriars kirkyard. This church yard had an immense old cemetery dating back to the 17th century. Its many ornate tombstones, statues time-worn monuments, and eroded tablets were crowded inside a stone wall. Auld Jock would look out the window for as much as a half hour. Sometimes he even seemed to look to the cemetery yearningly.

Before setting out for home after lunch, Auld Jock and Bobby often took a walk past the kirkyard which lay below Castle Rock, surrounded by the backs of shops and high slum tenement buildings that had once been fine mansions. On the other side of the cemetery was Heriot's Hospital which was not a hospital at all. It was a charity school for the care and education of "puir orphans and faderless boys."

At the kirkyard gate was a sign reading "NO DOGS ALLOWED." One day when Auld Jock and Bobby passed by, the gate stood open. Bobby peeked in and spotted a cat. He let out a loud yip and went after the cat, chasing him over headstones, around vaults of illustrious people, and ended up in the play yard at Heriot's Hospital where all the "faderless boys" joined in the chase. When the caretaker, Mr. Brown, heard the commotion, he came running from his house next to the cemetery. When he caught up to the group, he scolded Auld Jock in front of the onlookers. Greatly embarrassed, Auld Jock turned to Bobby and spoke harshly to him. Auld Jock apologized humbly as Mr. Brown quickly ushered them out of the cemetery yard. Months later, it was clear that Bobby never forgot that day.

Late in the fall, the weekly trip to town for supplies was different. Instead of Auld Jock, the landlord of the farm drove the wagon. Auld Jock just rode silently with Bobby at his side. When the time-gun went off, Bobby and Auld Jock went to Mr. Trail's dining rooms as usual.

During these trips to the city, Bobby had developed a fondness for the soldiers parading through the streets with their kilts, white spats and bagpipes. He often left Auld Jock to look on for a while. On this particular day, when Bobby heard the soldiers coming he watched them for almost an hour. As a result, he had to run fast to catch up with the wagon on its way home. The wagon was halfway to the farm when Bobby caught up with it. He jumped on and immediately noticed that Old Jock was not on the wagon. Bewildered and alarmed, he sprang off the wagon and ran frantically back to Edinburgh's Old Town to find him.

Auld Jock was a frail old man who had worked hard all his life for a bunk, his meals, and a few pennies. He had been little more than a tool for most of his employers. He had never owned anything, had no relatives, and had never married. Now that Jock had become Auld Jock, he was no longer useful enough to be kept on at the farm, so he had taken to the city to get along on his own as well as he could.

Bobby ran from one familiar place to another Finally, he started searching in places he had never seen. Late in the evening he came upon a hole that had once been used as a cock-fighting pit. In a dark corner lay Auld Jock sleeping. Bobby barked and barked with joy. He kept running around Auld Jock who did not waken, even when one of the neighbors yelled out a window demanding quiet. Bobby realized his barking was doing no good, so he took a running jump onto Auld Jock's legs, pushed his wet muzzle into his face, and barked in his ear. Auld Jock shook himself awake and finally said, "Eh, Bobby, er ye pleased with yerself? Yer Jock is fair silly today," and gave Bobby a hug. Bobby's world was finally right again.

Soon it started to rain and it kept raining until the pit began to fill with water. Bobby literally barked Auld Jock out of the pit. Because Auld Jocks staggered and kept stopping as he tried to walk, Bobby nipped and begged him to follow. Finally, Bobby got him to Greyfriars Dining Room where he knew there would be food and warmth.

Because of the severity of the storm, Mr. Traill had no business when Auld Jock and Bobby came through the door. Mr. Traill saw immediately that the old man was gravely ill. He gave Jock some dry clothes and fed them both. Mr. Traill offered to get a doctor, but Auld Jock shouted an emphatic, "NO" A doctor was a terrible threat to a poor man in those days. Mr. Traill's offer to take him to an infirmary was met with even greater vehemence.

As the evening wore on, Auld Jock's breathing became increasingly labored. Mr. Traill became so alarmed he decided to go fetch a doctor in spite of Auld Jock's protests and bad weather. He was not gone long, but when he returned with the doctor, both Auld Jock and Bobby were gone. Mr. Traill's guilt about his action remained with him for the rest of his life. He had caused Auld Jock and Bobby to go back out into the storm all because he had insisted on fetching and expensive and much-feared doctor.

Auld Jock somehow managed to get to a slum where he knew a woman who rented rooms. He hid Bobby in the pocket of his great wool cape, knocked on the door, and paid the woman a week's rent. When he got to the room, Bobby jumped out of the cape pocket. To please Auld Jock, Bobby did al of his tricks---rolling over, jumping, turning on his back legs, and begging with a loud series of barks. The latter brought the landlady as well as other neighbors to their door. Auld Jock looked sternly at Bobby and said, "Hod yer gab or they'll put us oot." Bobby was crushed by this stern rebuke, but the agitated neighbors quieted down and Bobby never barked in that room again.

Throughout their first night in this cold, dreary room, Auld Jock slept restlessly as his fever continued to cloud his thinking. Bobby watch closely. Once Auld Jock woke for a short time. While he was awake, he counted the money in his bag "There's enough," he said. Then he read his bible briefly. As his eyes wearied, he put his money in his Bible and laid his head back on a pillow. His breathing stopped several hours later when he went into his final sleep. Bobby was both bewildered and saddened when his beloved Jock no longer talked to him.

Three days later, the landlady realized she had not seen Auld Jock since the night he arrived. She called the sheriff to enter the room. The sheriff was greatly moved when he learned that the man had no relatives. He was also stunned at the sight of the mourning dog and the contrast between the old man's obvious poverty and the amount of money on the Bible. The sheriff did his best to make appropriate arrangements.

They found Auld Jock's real name, John Gray, in the front of the Bible. Two policemen were called to carry Auld Jock's body downstairs where they laid him in a plain pine box. One of the policemen walked through the streets to round up pallbearers who turned out to be an assortment of unclean and indifferent people who needed a shilling. As they carried Auld Jock to Greyfriars kirkyard, Bobby walked under the casket all the way. When they got to the gate, Bobby remembered not to bark or chase anything.

He entered the cemetery with the group. After the casket was lowered into the ground, the gravedigger filled the hole, leaving a mound of fresh earth. He then urged Bobby to leave the kirkyard with him, but Bobby refused. James Brown, the kirkyard caretaker, also tried to get him to leave, but he again refused. Mr. Brown, while sympathetic to the little dog, did not want to lose his job. So he set Bobby outside the age, which he latched.

Bobby started dogging under the gate. But he could not make enough room underneath the gate to get through, even after his paws bled from his efforts. Giving up, he stayed quietly at the gate and waited. Later on in the evening, a woman drove up to the gate in a carriage. She stepped out of the carriage and opened the gate to let herself into the kirkyard. It was then that Bobby slipped in and lay down on Auld Jock's grave for the first time.

Five days later, just after the hour of one o'clock sounded, Bobby sneaked out of the cemetery to find Mr. Traill. Mr. Traill was shocked to see that Bobby was alone and nearly starved. After a dinner of haggis and a nice sleep, Mr. Traill and Bobby left the dining rooms together. Mr. Traill was confident that the "wee dog" would lead him to Auld Jock. He followed him to the kirkyard gate where Bobby danced and begged to be let inside, but he did not bark. Seeing the urgency in the dog's eyes, Mr. Traill opened the gate, and Bobby led him straight to a new unmarked grave. Suddenly, Bobby heard Mr. Brown enter the cemetery yard and quickly disappeared. The two men engaged in conversation. Mr. Traill told Mr. Brown the story of his going for a doctor. It was then that Mr. Brown came to realize that it was Auld Jock and Bobby he had thrown out of the cemetery the previous month.

The two men started searching for Bobby. Some of the slum children had heard the story and came to help in the search for the "puir wee dog." Not finding him, the children finally went home and the two men sat on a tipped slab memorializing a "Mistress Jean Grant" to discuss the situation. Mr. Traill decided to notify the rightful owner of the dog the following week; until then Bobby could stay at the dining rooms if they could find him.

They started whistling and calling him. In just a few moments, Bobby came out from under Mistress Grant's tombstone right where they were sitting! Bobby followed Mr. Traill to his dining rooms for the dinner, but ran to the door as soon as he had finished eating. Mr. Traill refused to let him out. Bobby decided to earn his way by doing Mr. Traill the favor of killing a rat that was in the corner of the dining rooms. But Mr. Traill still refused to let him out. Bobby then began to bark until he created such a disturbance in the dining rooms, that he finally got his way.

When Mr. Traill opened the door to let Bobby out, two slum boys, Geordie Ross and the lame Tammy Barr, on crutches, were outside playing in the street, Mr. Traill asked them if they would sneak Bobby back into the kirkyard for a shilling. They were delighted to be part of such an intrigue and they really wanted to help this little loyal dog. They also knew an inconspicuous way of entering the cemetery, and they certainly could use the money.

The following Wednesday, Bobby's rightful owner, having received the message, went to Mr. Traill's dining rooms and got Bobby. The farmer put Bobby in a basket, strapped the lid down, and put the basket in the wagon. As they rode along, Bobby pushed his nose out a hole in the basket so that he could capture all the smells that would help him return where he belonged once he freed himself. When they arrived at the farm the little girl was ecstatic to see Bobby, but she was told he could not go in the house with her. He had to be kept in a fenced yard for the night so he would not run away again.

The minute Bobby was alone, he started digging and digging under the fence. Fatigue and sore paws did not stop him. Skye terriers are known for their persistence regardless of the odds. Exhausted and aching, he finally squeezed through a little hole and started running back to Greyfriars kirkyard. It was difficult because Bobby often found himself in places he had never been, but at last he reached a hill where the smells of Edinburgh reached him. He slipped into the kirkyard just before Mr. Brown latched the gate for the night. When Bobby lay down on Auld Jock's grave this time, it began to snow. It was the beginning of winter.

Bobby became tired of hiding from Mr. Brown under Mistress Grant's slab, so he started to kill rats and mice, collecting them in a far corner of the yard. One morning he ran straight up to Mr. Brown and showed him his collection. Mr. Brown was overwhelmed, "Guid work, a brae dog, and an uncanny fetcher." Mr. Brown decided Bobby should n meet Jeanie, his wife. From that day forward, Bobby took supper with the Browns and spent his nights on Auld Jock's grave. He no longer had to hide.

As winter invaded Scotland, the cemetery was usually deserted. However, some of the slum children (Ailie Lindsay, Tammy Barr, Sandy McGregor, and Geordie Ross) would slip into the kirkyard and play with Bobby almost every day. Bobby allowed no one but the children to hug and scratch him. He grudgingly let Jeanie Brown give him baths. This little dog found a lot of good friends who would take care of him.

Eventually, the Greyfriars church minister, reverend Lee, was told of the dog's living arrangements. Bobby was not quite as big a secret as Mr. Brown thought. Reverend lee had met Bobby quite by accident one evening and wondered when he would learn about him officially. Reverend Lee was equally sympathetic to the situation, so he spoke to the elders individually, apparently adding them to the growing number of supportive conspirators.

As the years went by, Bobby endeared himself to two generations of slum children and Heriot school lads. He spent his days guarding the nests of wrens, robin redbreasts, and skylarks. Indeed, the birds often fearlessly landed on Bobby's back. They trusted him because he drove off their predators---cats, mice and rats.

Bobby had a routine. He had lunch with Mr. Traill, played in the afternoons with the children, took dinner with the Browns and spent his nights on Auld Jock's grave regardless of the weather. The children called him a "bonny doggie" and a "sonsie (warm hearted) tyke."

When Bobby was about eight years old, two disturbing events happened at Mr. Traill's dining rooms on the same day. Te little dog had become very well known for his one o'clock visits to the dining room corner where he and Auld Jock had once had lunch. One day Sergeant Scott, a soldier in the Queen's army living in the castle, asked to buy the dog. When Mr. Traill said Bobby was not his to sell, the soldier said, "Some day I will kidnap him so he can cheer all the lonely men in the castle." The soldiers loved dogs and even had a canine cemetery on the castle grounds.

The same day, a policeman came in for lunch and commented that Bobby did not have a license. Mr. Traill had an ominous feeling about these events as he locked up his dining rooms that night. A week later, Mr. Trail and Bobby received a summons to appear in court. The magistrate in charge was stern, stating that the dog would be destroyed if Mr. Traill did not get him a license which would cost seven shillings. Mr. Traill said that the person named on a license had to take responsibility for the animal, and he could not be responsible for a dog he saw only one hour a day. This situation reinforced the concern Mr. Traill had about Bobby's fate if something happened either to Mr. Brown or himself. The magistrate was very impatient and about to dispose of the case when a messenger entered the room and handed him a note. After reading it, the magistrate seemed to change his demeanor. He suddenly moved the case to the St. Giles police office for the following week.

The slum children had heard the news and became concerned, especially about the money. They did not realize that Mr. Traill could not only afford the seven shillings, but he would never let Bobby die. However, the children were terrified. They would do anything to see that Bobby would not be put to death for want of seven shillings---which was a fortune for them.

They took action. Ailie and Tammy ran through the sums in desperation. Some children gave their milk money. Everyone who knew Bobby sacrificed something. When Ailie and Tammy finished canvassing the slums, they had only five shillings. In tears, Ailie ran to the dormitory where the University students lived asking "Do ye new the wee Bobby?" Fortunately, she ran into Geordie Ross, a Heriot lad who was studying to be a physician. He said, "Losh! I wish I had as many shillings a I guid times with wee Bobby and paid naething." Geordie gave them two more shillings, and they ran to St. Giles where Bobby's case was being heard.

The prestigious Lord Provost of Edinburgh's courts now had the case. E When the story of Bobby was told to him once again, he smiled and told Mr. Traill that the case had been taken care of. All of this took place not in the court of law but in St. Giles cathedral. While the Lord Provost and Mr. Traill were still talking, the children found them. They came running in, dropping the pennies and half pennies on the alter, hoping they were no too late. When they looked around and saw Bobby, they yelled, "Bobby's no died!"

Tammy, with his crutches, and all the other children in their tattered clothing ran to play with Bobby. The Lord provost dare not refuse the outpouring of so much love. Later, he would find another good cause where the money could be used. The Lord provost lifted Bobby high in the air. He also held up a fine leather collar which he passed to the children so that each could get a close look. The shiny brass plate attached to the collar read "Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 Licensed." The Lord Provost's eyes were misty as he watched firsthand the love and affection this dog had engendered in these unwashed, poverty-stricken children dressed in rags. These children were unaware of all this. They were preoccupied with expressing the tender affection they felt for this little dog who had brought so much to their drab lives.

The Provost spoke to the children about caring for Bobby, now and when he died. Because when Bobby died, he would not be allowed to be buried in the cemetery so the children would need to make appropriate arrangements for him. The children listened to every word. Then the Lord Provost put the collar on Bobby and held him up in the air to show how grand he looked. Finally, Tammy broke the silence and said," We'll gie 'im a grand buryin'. We'll find a spot beneath a hawthorne whar the blackbird whustles." Then they all left St. Giles together. The children understood their responsibility and their eyes shone with pride for having been given this opportunity.

Not long after these events, Bobby spent part of an afternoon at a soldier's parade, bagpipes and all. As he walked along watching the tassles and the spats, the soldier who had threatened to kidnap Bobby did just that. He grabbed Bobby up in his arms and carried him to the castle where all the soldiers enjoyed watching him do all the tricks Auld jock had taught him. As dusk came, Bobby began to run around wildly. He could not find a way out. The dog-lover among the soldiers wanted to show off Bobby's beautiful eyes. He lifted hi to his lap. First, he found the Lord Provost's collar which he decided was some kind of canine Victoria Cross. Then, when he pulled the veil of hair back from Bobby's eyes, he was shocked at the grief he saw. The soldier yelled, " Get him back to the cemetery!"

But because of the thick fog, the soldiers decided to take Bobby back the next morning. However, as the night wore on, Bobby became more and more agitated. Finally, he jumped over a wall that led to a precipice going to the sea. Somehow, Bobby kept finding safer and more familiar ground. It took him hours. His feet bled. After his last jump, his back legs went numb so he had to drag himself painfully along to his destination.

Mr. Brown, Mr. Traill, and the children knew that something had happened to Bobby when he did not appear for supper. They spent the better part of the same evening looking for Bobby, but when the fog became too thick, they gave up. However, hoping he might find his way, Mr. Brown left the kirkyard gate ajar---just in case.

Te next morning, Tammy fond Bobby half-alive on Auld Jock's grave. His screams brought out Mr. Brown, his wife, and the other children. One of the children ran for Geordie Ross, the "Heriot lad" who was now a medical student. Geordie examined him all over, but found only severe bruises and sprains. He prescribed some medicine for pain, and suggested that the children take turns watching over Bobby for a day or so. Mrs. Brown brought him food and water. He was soon restored.

From that day forward, the children started anew ritual that lasted for the rest of Bobby's life. At nightfall, before the drum and bugle sounded from the castle, every child in the tenements opened a window and called out, "A guid nicht to ye Bobby." In the morning, one by one, they called out, "A guid day to ye Bobby." Because Auld Jock was forbidden to speak to him in the kirkyard, Bobby would respond only by wagging his tail.

During the next five years, Bobby's celebrity status grew. He spent more and more time on Auld Jock's grave which was marked only by Bobby's presence. People would pass by, shake his paw and often leave him bits of food. One day, the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, a grand lady who loved animals, came all the way from London especially to meet Bobby. When she entered the kirkyard Bobby sensed her warmth, so he trotted her straight to Auld Jock's grave. While the Baroness was standing at the grave, Ailie, who was now a well-mannered and trained housemaid, came by to see Bobby. She told the Baroness about growing up with Bobby and the pledge the children had taken that day five years ago. The Baroness looked deep into Bobby's eyes and saw the lingering grief that was becoming more and more unbearable. She told Tammy, "Be with him all you can, for I think this beautiful life is near its end. And please don't let him die before I return to London."

When the grand lady returned to Edinburgh a few weeks later, the Lord Provost who had recently been knighted by the Queen, was with her. Together they spoke to the Greyfriars minister and the elders about having Bobby buried with his beloved master, Auld Jock. It took a lot of talking, but was finally agreed to, albeit reluctantly.

The Baroness had made another decision. She decided that there needed to be a monument of Bobby so that future generations would remember what love and devotion a small animal can bring to so many people. She believed that Greyfriars Bobby's life was a testimony to all the best in people and animals. After much work, she was finally granted a place for the monument at the end of the George IV Bridge, opposite the main gateway to the Greyfriars kirkyard.

The Baroness then arranged for both a painter and a sculptor to spend many days with Bobby. A statue of Bobby sitting on top of a fountain and looking toward the kirkyard was planned. The Baroness returned on several occasions to see how the plans were progressing. The last time she returned to Greyfriars to check on the project, she laid a wreath on laurel on Auld Jock's grave. This may have been Auld Jock's only personal recognition. Bobby certainly appreciated the gesture. He gave her a warm thanks with a wagging tail and a warm lick of her hand.

When the Baroness departed, she said, "Goodbye, goodbye to you, the most loving and lovable wee dog in the world." Her tears fell on Bobby's curly coat and she departed. It has now been over a century that visitors from all over the world continue to visit the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the "we dog" whose story is a testimony of love, devotion, bravery, and loyalty.