Professor Gillian Black of the Department of Law at Edinburgh University, has been conducting an informal study of some of the heraldry to be encountered in Scottish cemeteries: she has written this post for us.
Robert Burns and Jean Lorimer
Perhaps the most famous “faux” arms in Scotland are those designed by Robert Burns – and I was surprised and delighted to find them on a memorial in East Preston Street cemetery, in Newington, Edinburgh:
The stone was erected in 1901 by the Ninety Burns Club, to mark the grave of Jean Lorimer, or “Chloris”. She lived from 1775 – 1831, and inspired at least 24 of Burns’ songs, including (as noted on the gravestone) “The Lassie wi’ the Lintwhite hair”.
More information about Jean’s eventful life can be found here:
http://www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/LorimerJean17751511831.541.shtml
And as for the arms on the stone:
These show the arms which Burns sketched out for himself in a letter to Alexander Cunningham in 1794, although they were only registered in 1988 by the Burns Federation. The blazon is: “Argent, a holly bush and in chief a club and stock-and-horn saltireways all Proper."
and for crest: "A woodlark perching on a sprig of bay tree Proper."
Editor's note: here is the painting done in 18th century style by former Ross Herald Extraordinary, Mark Dennis, of the Bard's assumed arms:
