The Howff
IN the centre of the city lies a burial ground that contains one of the most important collections of tombstones in the country. The Howff was established in 1564, on land granted by Mary Queen of Scots for use as a cemetery for the adjacent Greyfriars Monastery.
It was used as a meeting place for Dundee’s Nine Incorporated Trades and became known as The Howff from the old Scots word meaning house. A visit is to be recommended but you will glean some interesting facts and figures by taking a guided tour organised by the Friends of Dundee Archives.
Among the 80,000 buried there are James Chalmers, inventor of the adhesive postage stamp, and several former provosts of the city.
However, one of the most intriguing inhabitants is Jules Legendre, lieutenant in the Imperial French Army, who was captured during the Napoleonic Wars. After incarceration in Perth Prison, he ended his days in the High School of Dundee – teaching French!
For more details, go to www.fdca.org.uk