Roger Guthrie assisting with survey of Monteath Mausoleum

The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis are very sad to say that our Trustee and committee member, Roger Guthrie, died of cancer on Saturday 2nd July 2022.

Roger’s work in the Mitchell Library Archives fuelled his outstanding knowledge of Glasgow’s heritage and he was involved in numerous heritage organisations. I knew him as a friend for a long time and invited him onto our committee some 10 years ago. He had such an unbelievable range of knowledge and he took delight in being able to use it to help others. He was famously well known for his ability to save important parts of buildings facing demolition. You could often bump into him with some piece of ironwork or stone about his person.

We were delighted to be able to utilise his knowledge of cast iron work to design the replacement cast iron gates in the Necropolis during the restoration of the Buchanan Sisters Mausoleum and the Delta Mausoleum. A fitting tribute to him.

He also helped us with an annual architectural tour of the Glasgow Necropolis on Glasgow Doors Open Days usually preceded by a walking tour of Dennistoun but he undertook walking tours of many parts of Glasgow throughout the year.

My favourite tour with Roger was his Cove and Kilcreggan tour which had 4 miles of him talking about Thomson architecture with a break in the middle both there and back at the annual Real Ale festival at the Cove Burgh Hall and included a visit to the William Leiper designed Knockderry Castle Hotel. Roger full of fun and at his best with his favourite subjects.

Ruth Johnston
Chairperson, The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis