So many gullible tourists had done this that Bobby’s nose began to acquire a certain bronzy patina and began to wear away. The statue had to be reconditioned. And apparently even that didn’t last long… He came to the Wednesday agricultural markets in the city and took his mid-day meal at a restaurant in Greyfriars Place. Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First Puffin edition, 1962. Illustrations from Walt Disney's film. Priced 3/6 on front wrapper. Paper covers a little rubbed and marked and paper toned, but generally a VG, sound copy.

Greyfriars Bobby – shedding new light on an old story Greyfriars Bobby – shedding new light on an old story

In 1867 a new bye-law was passed that required all dogs to be licensed in the city or they would be destroyed. Sir William Chambers (The Lord Provost of Edinburgh) decided to pay Bobby’s licence and presented him with a collar with a brass inscription “Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed”. This can be seen at the Museum of Edinburgh.The statue was paid for by the (necessarily very very rich) philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts. (Amongst her many good works was a close involvement with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the RSPCA.) With 60 breeders in the Edinburgh area, the dandie dinmont terrier was extremely popular in Scotland at the time, whereas skye terriers – now one of the most endangered dog breeds in Britain – tended to be confined to the Isle of Skye, about 250 miles away.

Greyfriars Bobby: A Heartwarming Tale Story of Greyfriars Bobby: A Heartwarming Tale

Bobby is a Skye Terrier who makes his abode in Greyfriars, Scotland. (When you say his name, make sure to pronounce it in a British/Scottish accent. Sounds better like that, of course.) This happy "little ruffian of a terrier" lived during Queen Victoria's reign--his true story begins in 1858 and takes the course of many years thereafter. Bobby has a very courageous story...

In 1867 the lord provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers, who was also a director of the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, paid for Bobby's licence and gave the dog a collar, now in the Museum of Edinburgh. [3] [4]

Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson - Pan Macmillan

According to records, policemen patrolling the city market beat were obliged to have watchdogs with them – so we can say that it is likely Bobby was a policemen’s dog. Anyway, whatever the breed, take a look at the 1981 red granite memorial in Greyfriars, just round the corner from the dog’s statue, and you’ll see Bobby is as popular as ever. a b c Jan Bondeson, Greyfriars Bobby: The Most Faithful Dog in the World, Amberley Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978-1445607627 In any case, the ‘faithful dog stays by master’s grave’ is a kind of folk-motif that repeats itself in various locations far beyond Edinburgh – all over northern Europe, in fact. A common discussion is over which of two people named John Gray was the real owner of Bobby (one being a night watchman and the other a farmer). [4] In Councillor McLaren's account, Mr Traill in 1871 had spoken about John Gray the farmer. [19]Much of the film location work was actually around Stirling Castle. Stirling Old Town kirkyard even stood in for Greyfriars. The story has attracted the attention of many other authors, among them the Scottish writer and historian, the late Forbes Macgregor, who published ‘Greyfriars Bobby: the Real Story at Last’, revised in 2002. Traditional view [ edit ] Albumen print (c. 1865) thought to be of Greyfriars Bobby Greyfriars Bobby's collar The City of Edinburgh is abundantly rich in culture and history, but surely there is nothing that touches the heart like the loyalty and devotion of this wee Skye Terrier.

Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson | Goodreads

The Scottish dialect was difficult to discern at times and, I admit, I had to reread a few times. That was the main thing that hindered my enjoyment. Another objection to the story of Greyfriars Bobby is that it is part of a pan-European myth of extreme canine fidelity, a sentimental notion that after the master had died and been buried, the mourning dog would keep vigil on the grave. This notion was taken advantage by some canine vagabonds roaming into cemeteries, and remaining there because they were taken care of by kind people who thought the cemetery dog was keeping vigil on the grave of its departed master.In short, the dog took residence in and around Greyfriars kirkyard, where his master had been laid to rest – but did not necessarily stay each night below a table gravestone adjacent to his master’s grave.