Glasgow Graveyards

[Digitographer]

..celebrity is as celebrity always has been.

Just a pity that some of the current crop of 'celebrities' haven't cottoned on to that yet, especially those famous for nothing more than 'being a celebrity'. But, as they say, "all things pass".

[scaryman2u]

In Cathcart Cemetery – the grave of Mark Sheridan, a music hall comedian, quite famous apparently until his untimely death in 1918, now completely forgotten.





The inscription reads:

Mark Sheridan
Comedian
Died 15th January 1918
Aged 52 years

His real name was Fred Shaw and he was born in Hendon, County Durham. The ‘Mark’ comes from Mark Twain and ‘Sheridan’ appears to have been his mother’s maiden name. He worked briefly in the office of a shipbuilding firm before going on the stage and carving out a very successful career for himself. Emotionally however, he appears to have spent most of his life living on a knife edge. On 14th January 1918 he appeared as Napoleon in a revue called “Gay Paree” at the Coliseum in Glasgow [the word ‘gay’ of course possessing its original meaning in those days]. The reviews in the papers the following morning, although not exactly hostile, do appear to have been somewhat lukewarm. Later that day Mark Sheridan’s body was discovered in Kelvingrove Park. He had a bullet wound in his forehead and a Browning automatic pistol lay nearby. Apparently he had been suffering from deep feelings of insecurity and it is surmised that his allegedly less than glowing stage performance the previous evening had been enough to send him over the edge. A very sad tale indeed.

Great story there Viceroy, you have a disturbing interest in graveyards but it`s good to see the stories behind the person or stone

[scaryman2u]

As ever, Viceroy, a wonderful nugget of Glasgow history.

And it's somehow reassuring to know that celebrity is as celebrity always has been.

Has been being the operative words there Josef ?

[viceroy]

Great story there Viceroy, you have a disturbing interest in graveyards but it`s good to see the stories behind the person or stone

Yes, I suppose my interest in graveyards could perhaps be described as disturbing, but judging by the number of posts on this topic that interest is shared with quite a few others on this forum.

I have always been fascinated by cemeteries and will admit that I do have a certain liking for the macabre. But that is only a very small part of it. Cemeteries are by their nature tranquil places and being a rather neurotic sort of person I always find some of this tranquility rubbing off on me. They also remind you of how transient and precarious human existence is, thus making you conscious of your own mortality. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, although of course one shouldn’t become obsessive about it.

There is also the distinct sense of history you experience as you walk through an old cemetery, as displayed by the variety of monumental stonework indicative of the styles and cultures of different periods. And I’m always curious about the identities and life histories of those commemorated on the stones, no matter how low down the social ladder they were in life, while at the same time aware that the passage of time has more often than not turned their stories into irretrievable mysteries. There is a sadness about that.

Anyway, enough of these verbal meanderings. Let’s have some more pictures. These were taken at Cathcart Cemetery on Monday -

[HollowHorn]

Daldowie Crematorium:

[purplepantman]

What a brilliant thread! Glad someone resurrected it (pardon the pun! )

I had my old maw out at New Monkland Cemetery yesterday.
Thought you might like to see the pics I took of the old "watchmans hut".
A relic of the days of the bodysnatchers - so they say!
Someones obviously been using the roof as a dancefloor.





I also laughed at this....

The property of James Gaff. Is he coming back for it?

Cheers
Matt

[HollowHorn]

Wonderful photographs, give us a map.

[Josef]

Baillieston.

Salonica, France, Scotland - they didn't have to go looking for misfortune.



A cross for Cross. The dollar sign with the three lines through it is intriguing - no doubt everyone knows what it means but me, but...



Machine gun Corps, 1918.

[purplepantman]

Wonderful photographs, give us a map.

Thanks!

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1

Here's what the watchmans hut looks like inside.





At one time you could look in and see the fireplace (note the chimney) where they used to brew up and toast their little arses. Don't know if the bodysnatcher thing is just a local legend thing but I've read about it in a few local history books.

Matt

[tobester]

Few from Cathcart yesterday....

[Toby Dammit]

Hawkhead Cemetery, which of course strictly speaking is not in Glasgow, but since it’s just across the Paisley Boundary I suppose we could stretch a point.

Several months out of the loop, sorry about that, but this fountain is near identical to the one in Dalmuir park, which for decades shared the same sober colour scheme. But not at the moment as its gone all "bling":

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4137&hilit=+dalmuir+park

There's another Glasgow example of a similar pattern of drinking fountain on the thread.

[banjo]

had to look twice there tobes,thought some bugger had started to bury folk in dalmuir park right enough.

[floweredpig]

Machine gun Corps, 1918.

8th November 1918.That is unfortunate.Lions led by donkeys to the end.

[onyirtodd]

Baillieston.

A cross for Cross. The dollar sign with the three lines through it is intriguing - no doubt everyone knows what it means but me, but...

I can't see where this has been answered. It's the letters IHS. In His Service. You'll see it on a lot of religious stuff.

[Josef]

Ah. Thanks, Onny. I'm appallingly underinformed in religious/grave conventions.