Greyfriars Bobby ........ fact or fiction

The touching story of Greyfriars Bobby, the devoted Skye terrier about whom so much has been written, has always been the subject of much speculation. A tale as loved as the little dog himself, have the years seen the imagination add fiction to fact, the odd embellishment tucked in to keep the legend going and ensure visitors still flock to the statue of Edinburgh's favourite pet and stand awhile at his grave? One thing is for certain, and that is that records show Greyfriars Bobby was a real dog who lived and died in the city. So this is his story as I understand it. Others may not agree ......
It was 1850 when gardener John Gray, together with his wife Jess and son John, arrived in Edinburgh. Unable to find work as a gardener and wishing to avoid life in the workhouse, John Gray joined the Edinburgh Police Force as a night watchman. The long, cold winter nights were lonely, so John found himself a companion to keep him company through the hours of darkness. Enter stage left a diminutive Skye terrier called Bobby. The two of them soon became a familiar sight walking the cobbled streets of the city, Bobby trotting happily beside his master. However, years on the streets, out in all weathers, took their toll on John and he eventually died of tuberculosis on 15th February 1858. Buried in Greyfriars kirkyard, it was soon evident that he would not be left alone with little more than a headstone marking his final resting place.
Faithful to the end, Bobby was lost without his best friend and master. He touched the hearts of local residents when he refused to leave his master's grave despite all the Scottish weather could throw at him. The gardener and keeper of Greyfriars kirkyard tried time and again to evict Bobby, but to no avail. The little dog had no intention of leaving. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Admitting defeat, he provided a shelter for Bobby by placing sacking beneath two tablestones that lay beside the grave, and there, so the story goes, the determined Skye terrier made his home. His fame soon spread across the city. Crowds would gather at the entrance to the kirkyard awaiting the sounding of the one o'clock gun echoing across Edinburgh from the Castle. This was the signal for Bobby to leave his post and follow local joiner and cabinet maker William Dow to the same coffee house he had frequented with the now dead John Gray. Suitably refreshed, he would then return to his lonely vigil, keeping watch with his head resting silently on his paws.
1867 saw a new by-law passed in Edinburgh which required all dogs to be licensed or destroyed. What would happen to Bobby now? Would he be spared? The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, a certain Sir William Chambers, knew of the little dog and decided to pay Bobby's licence himself. The Skye terrier had been spared, and was presented with a collar bearing a brass inscription: "Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost, 1867, licenced." For fourteen years the faithful dog remained loyal to his master and kept constant watch over the grave. And the kind folk of the city took good care of him until he finally died in 1872. Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts, President of the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA, was so moved by the story of Bobby that she asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain in his memory, an octagonal lower drinking basin for dogs, an upper spout for humans, and a statue of the Skye terrier sat on top. This can still be seen today, although public health concerns saw the water supply discontinued in 1957. And so the memory of Greyfriars Bobby lives on, now buried beside the grave of his beloved  master.
This story has been challenged many times by many people. The ownership of the poor little dog has been disputed. Was it John Gray night watchman, or another John Gray, a local farmer. Was Bobby no more than a cemetery or graveyard dog, a stray fed by visitors and curators to the point where he knew he was on to a good thing and made his home here. Thus people would come to believe the dog was watching over a grave and continue to feed him. There are others who believed the original Bobby died in 1867 and was thence replaced by a younger dog. Bobby had, after all, drawn people to the kirkyard and proved more than a little lucrative for businesses around Greyfriars. No dog, no more money ..... And me? There is a real need for such wonderfully heartwarming stories, tales of love and devotion, undying loyalty and genuine kindness. So I say leave it alone. The legend will continue, Bobby will attract visitors for many years to come, reliving his story from beyond the grave. What harm can a few inaccuracies - if indeed there are any - really do to a delightful snippet of Edinburgh history. Life is hard enough without destroying what little comfort we can draw from such a lovely tale as this. "Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all." These words are written on Bobby's headstone. So critics, cynics and non-believers lay off. Long live Greyfriars Bobby say I!!!