Product Description

Forbes Macgregor's bestselling book 'Greyfriars Bobby: The Real Story at Last' contains previously unpublished information which explodes many of the myths concerning the famous Skye terrier and his master, John Gray. The framework of the story is fully documented but reports from contemporary newspapers of the 1850s and 1860s and other historical sources have been used to provide an intriguing and colourful background of life in the Old Town of Edinburgh in the early Victorian era. This book includes actual photographs of Bobby and eyewitness accounts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #232225 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

From the Inside Flap
This new edition of Forbes Macgregor's bestselling book contains previously unpublished information which explodes many of the myths concerning the famous Skye terrier and his master, John Gray.
The framework of the story is fully documented but reports from contemporary newspapers of the eighteen fifties and sixties and other historical sources have been used to provide an inriguing and colourful background of life in the Old Town of Edinburgh in the early Victorian era.
Published here for the first time are actual photographs of Bobby and eye-witness accounts.

Excerpted from Greyfriars Bobby: The Real Story at Last by Forbes Macgregor. Copyright © 2002. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The kirk bells of Edinburgh were calling the faithful. The ladies in dark Sabbath crinolines, and the gentlemen, with Sunday black suits and tall hats, were gathering to worship God. It was such a fine, bracing day, with the salty wind from the sea and the birds singing, that everyone sang the psalms and hymns loudly and cheerfully.
Next day, John Gray's condition deteriorated. Bobby lay at the foot of his bed. Every few minutes he looked up, expecting his master to get up for dinner then go for a walk.
The sun blinked in, throwing a pale light across the room. Shouts of children at play came from the court, and the high-pitched noises of the sawmill filled the air now and again.
Dinner-time was long past, but Mrs Gray remembered Bobby and gave him a few bites of bread and cheese.
Shortly after five o'clock darkness fell. Mrs Gray lit a candle and put it on the table. Bobby left the bed and lay by the fire, for he knew that there would be no walks that evening.
Young Jock came home from work and in a whisper asked how his father was. Mrs Gray shook her head.
At a quarter to nine, Constable John Gray ended his duties in this world.
In the first morning light Young Jock went down to John Raeburn the undertaker's shop in the Cowgate to ask him to make urgent arrangements for his father's funeral, as there was no room in the house for both the living and the dead.
Throughout the following night Mrs Gray, Young Jock and Bobby sat by the fire, the candles burning low and new ones being lit. It was an old custom to sit up all night in the room where the dead lay and keep candles constantly burning. It was called a 'wake' and the idea was to ward off evil spirits. Now and then Mrs Gray made a cup of tea to keep them from falling asleep. Bobby got a piece of bread and butter. He sensed that something strange and unusual was going on but he did not know what it was. He often looked at the long wooden box and whimpered as if to ask, 'Why have they put my master in that queer bed?'
Wednesday, 10th February, was a busy day. John Raeburn, the undertaker, had not been idle. He had visited Greyfriars Kirkyard to see Bailie James Campbell, the Mortality Recorder, who kept a record of all burials. A piece of ground was purchased for John Gray's grave. It had to be in the Heich Yard because Gray was resident in the district of St Giles and had a right to be buried beside Greyfriars Kirk. The Greyfriars gardener, James Brown, had known Auld Jock and he helped to choose a good site for the grave in the shelter of two enormous table-stones beside the main path.
The head graveman was old John Haywood but he was not present as he was lying at home very ill. His assistant, James Dunn, took over his duties although he was well over seventy. Luckily, he had hired two strong young gravemen who were quite pleased to earn a day's wages. In a short time they had dug the grave to the required depth. James Brown did not dig graves but his job was to see that everything was neatly done. In his youth he had had a good training as a gardener at Dalkeith, seven miles from Edinburgh. He knew all about plants and trees and kept the Kirkyard in repair, pruning the ornamental shrubs and lopping large branches off the sycamore and ash trees that grew rapidly in the rich soil of the Greyfriars.
In the previous century the yard had been allowed to grow wild, but there was no untidiness in James Brown's time. The grass was regularly cut by skilled men with scythes and shears. The edges of the paths and graves were trimmed. The gravestones were not allowed to fall over. And, more important, the gates were locked to keep out children and dogs.
The Burial Gate and the steps leading up into the kirkyard were at the foot of Candlemaker Row near some quaint old houses known as the Cunzie Neuk. These gates and steps had been completely renewed in 1854. The other larger gate was at the top of the Row close to Ramsay's Eating House. The Burial Gate was only opened for funerals. The Kirk Gate was opened for Church services.
John Gray's funeral set off from Hall's Court in the forenoon about eleven o'clock. All the neighbours turned out to watch the policemen shoulder the coffin and carry it up the Cowgate. A large number of police constables who were off duty formed a procession behind the coffin, following Young Jock and a few friends. But, almost unnoticed, there was another mourner trotting alongside Young Jock. It was wee Bobby.

Customer Reviews

excellent little story that tells the truth
This is a very well written account of the true facts behind the story of the wee Skye Terrier "Greyfriar's Bobby".
Whilst the original story by Eleanor Atkinson, which spawned the film made by Disney in 1960, are based on facts, there are a number of liberties taken with the truth presumably to make for a better story.
Forbes Macgregor has dispelled the mis-truths with this finely written account. There are also genuine photographs of "Bobby" which for some reason have never been seen before.
As a child, the tale of Greyfriar's Bobby had me enthralled at the loyalty and devotion the little dog showed, and the romanticism of the tale appealed to me like no other.
As I got older, for some reason I believed that he probably wasn't a skye terrier at all, and more likely a Cairn terrier ( whose breed associations are oft to claim "Bobby" as their own!). But he was it seems DEFINITELY a Skye.
I won't spoil the story here by spilling the beans in a review but I'd highly recommend this book, not only for the story, and how well its written but it tells of an Edinburgh thats gone forever, old, smelly, decrepit, its inhabitants crippled by abject poverty, and its streets paved with crime and misfortune.

Forbes Macgregor,, Raconteur and Gentleman Does it Again
Forbes Macgregor,, Raconteur and Gentleman Does it Again

I count myself fortunate to have had the privilege of knowing Forbes as a friend and fellow writer and I can say with alacrity and pleasure that he was always of the greatest of company and had a good Scots sense of the good story.We regularly met just up from Greyfriars Church and the little statue of Bobby and Forbes does a great job of resurrecting the truth of the wee dog away from the embellishments of Hollywood and it is all the better for that.The book comes thoroughly recommended and a great memorial in its own way to a fine man and a great companion,a steadfast friend,and an excellent human being.Scotland is the poorer for his passing.

Interesting & worthwhile for tourists visiting Edinburgh
Firstly, at only 63 pages this is small for a 'book'.

However, this provides a great insight into the history of Edinburgh and if you're flying or taking a car journey (as a passenger!) or taking the train to visit the city this will whet your appetite.

I guess it's more suited to animal lovers but I'm sure anyone with an interest in learning about the history of Edinburgh will find it interesting. It sets itself up as the 'real story' but it clearly takes artistic license with the bits in between. The author has done a good job of finding authentic images which also add to the story.

The legend of Greyfriars Bobby is a unique story and will certainly add to your visit even if, like me, you read it when you get back.