Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster.

  • Webster, John.
Date:
[1855?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    another 89 ; whilst the oldest person recently buried was tne late grave-digger, who died at the advanced age of 94, after having filled office upwards of thirty years. Although not the oldest age observed, nevertheless, one gravestone may be here noted, that of a patriarchal member of the medical profession, Dr. Abraham Gordon, formerly resident in Stirling, who died at the age of 86. From the different data obtained, Stirling exhibits a medium long¬ evity, and on the whole may be considered as salubrious, not¬ withstanding the exposed position of the castle and lower, por¬ tion of the town, which lies near the river Forth. Ihe declivity of the principal street, which descends from the castle, affords a con¬ stant fall for the rain currents, and must be beneficial, in caii}ing away every kind of filth more readily. 5. Perth. “ The fair city,” as it is often called, the population of which is near 26,000, next comes under review. The situation it occupies is a meadow close to the river, having the beautiful hill of Kinoull on one side, and the equally famed hill of Moncreiff on the other, whence the Roman soldiers of old, when approaching Perth, and first beholding the Tay, are said to have exclaimed, “Ecce Tibur,” so magnificent seemed the scene around. Notwithstanding several local causes inimical to health and long¬ evity, Perth appeared, after careful inspection, rather better than I at first expected. The ages recorded on gravestones, observed in its burying-grounds, were in many instances from 70 to 80 ; numbers reported the ages of 81 to 85; some were 90, and. one was 93, a female. Besides these monumental statements, it is important to add that, in the corporation records which I examined, it was stated that twenty-five persons whose ages exceeded 95, had been interred in the city burying-grounds, cluiing the last nine years, besides seven centenarians, who had been, likewise buried during the same period : and at present there is still li\ing in 1 eith a lady in her 100th year. These data are impoitant in lefci- ence to the question in hand, and certainly constitute very con* elusive evidence regarding the longevity which the residents of this city have in many instances attained. 6. St. Andreic's. This classic city and ancient metropolitan see of catholic Scotland, at present having about 5,200 inhabi¬ tants, takes a high position in the longevity scale. In the large burying ground of this recently much improved place, surrounding the ruins of the formerly magnificent cathedral, ruthlessly destroyed in 1559 by the reformers, numerous grave-stones show that ad¬ vanced ages are common in the locality. Many persons interred were from 70 to 80; numbers exceeded that term to 85,. several reached 86, others 87, 88, and 89, and even 90; whilst six indi¬ viduals reached from the latter age to 94. In reference to the above patriarchal persons, it is a curious circumstance that, amongst the very oldest, a great majority were men; whereas the females who attained the highest age observed on any monuments were 87,