Greyfriars Bobby
Who Was Greyfriars Bobby?
The tale of Greyfriars Bobby is essentially a true story, known in many forms. The details vary - especially in the 1961 Disney movie/DVD version which took many liberties with the facts - however the basic principle remains. It's a story of loyalty even after death.The story begins with John Gray, variously said to be either a gardener or a shepherd. Unable to find work in his chosen profession Grey joined the Edinburgh police force. To accompany him on his city rounds, Gray bought a small Skye terrier that he named Bobby. An appropriate name as British police were often referred to as "Bobbies". (In some versions of the story Gray is said to have brought Bobby with him to Edinburgh).
Gray and Bobby were inseparable and became a familiar sight in the city. Unfortunately Gray was struck down with tuberculosis (TB). He died in 1858 and his body was buried in the Greyfriars Kirkyard (churchyard).
The Faithful Dog
What makes this story so different from many others of the time is that Bobby refused to leave his master, even after Gray was laid to rest. Instead Bobby lay on his master's grave and refused to move, except once a day: when the Edinburgh one o'clock gun fired Bobby would get up and trot round the corner to a local coffee house where he and Gray used to eat lunch. The good owners of this place continued to feed Bobby after Gray's death.Bobby became almost as famous in his own time as he is today. At one point a law was passed requiring all dogs to be collared and their owners to pay for a licence, effectively making Boby a stray, so the Edinburgh Lord Provost stepped in personally to buy Bibby's license.
Today there is a statue of Bobby near to the Greyfriar's Kirkyard and the well known "Bobby's Bar", a short walk from the Royal Mile.
