Description

Ground laid out by Stewart Murray, landscape gardener. First used July 1854 for William Denny. Quadrangular cemetery enclosure, now extended to east, and bounded at west (Stirling Road) by low, ashlar-coped rubble wall; square gatepiers with dentilled and pyramidal caps, cast iron gates and railings, at south corner. Many interesting stone (and some cast iron) monuments, particularly the Talwin Morris monument by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1911. Other notable monuments include the classical Denny family mausoleum, J M Crawford, architect, and the tall, Gothic, Janet Rankin monument, John MacLeod, architect. There are several other monuments by MacLeod and Crawford. Sculptors include J Gilfillan, Grassby, W Young, W Scott, etc.

Statement of Interest

The cemetery was formally opened on 4 October 1854.

This grey granite monument by Charles Rennie Mackintosh to his friends, the English-born designer Talwin Morris and his wife Alice, was the last of four gravestones that were made to Mackintosh's designs. The other gravestones by Mackintosh are that for James Reid (LB51677), 1897, that for the Chief Constable Alexander McCall, 1890-91, in the Necropolis in Glasgow (LB33890), and the Rev. Orrock Johnston monument of 1906 at East Wemyss in Fife.

The weepinfg ash tree to the rear of the Talwin Morris monument appears to have been integral to Mackintosh's design. The monument has been significantly altered as the bounding kerb at the foot and sides of the grave has been removed in the late 20th century to enable grass cutting (Mackintosh Architecture, 2014).

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was born in Glasgow and is regarded internationally as one of the leading architects and designers of the 20th century. He became known as a pioneer of Modernism, although his architecture took much inspiration from Scottish Baronial, and Scottish and English vernacular forms and their reinterpretation. The synthesis of modern and traditional forms led to a distinctive form of Scottish arts and crafts design, known as 'The Glasgow Style'. This was developed in collaboration with contemporaries Herbert McNair, and the sisters Francis and Margaret Macdonald (who would become his wife in 1900), who were known as 'The Four'. The Glasgow Style is now synonymous with Mackintosh and the City of Glasgow.

Mackintosh's work is wide-ranging and includes public, educational and religious buildings to private houses, interior decorative schemes and sculptures. He is associated with over 150 design projects, ranging from being the principal designer, to projects he was involved with as part of the firm of John Honeyman & Keppie (Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh from 1901). The most important work during this partnership was the Glasgow School of Art (LB33105), which was built in two phases from 1897 and culminated in the outstanding library of 1907.

Other key works include the Willow Tea Rooms (LB33173), the Glasgow Herald Building (now The Lighthouse) (LB33087) and Hill House (LB34761), which display the modern principles of the German concept of 'Gesamtkunstwerk', meaning the 'synthesis of the arts'. This is something that Mackintosh applied completely to all of his work, from the exterior to the internal decorative scheme and the furniture and fittings.

Mackintosh left Glasgow in 1914, setting up practice in London the following year. Later he and Margaret moved to France, where until his death, his artistic output largely turned to textile design and watercolours.

Listed building record revised in 2019.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17848592

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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