A view of the Necropolis, Glasgow's first planned cemetery.
The Necropolis opened officially in 1833 and was based on the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Particular care was taken in landscaping, with attention paid to the trees and shrubs as well to the quality and good taste of sculptural ornaments. The families of the well-off tried to out-do each other by building opulent tombs and mausoleums.
The Necropolis is non-denominational and contains 50,000 graves of Protestants, Catholics, Quakers, Jews, Lutherans and others. It was owned by the Merchants' House until 1966, when it was transferred to the council.
Reference: 5670
Reproduced with the permission of the West of Scotland Archaeology Service
Keywords:
cemeteries, grave stones, gravestones, mausoleums, Merchants' House, Necropolis, sepulchral monuments, statues, tombs