Canongate Churchyard

Why This Place Matters

Canongate Churchyard contains the burial place of John Ballantyne, Sir Walter Scott’s close friend, business partner, and printer. Ballantyne played a central role in the production of Scott’s works, supervising the printing of many of the poems and novels that established Scott’s literary reputation.

Ballantyne’s death in 1821 profoundly affected Scott. At the funeral in Canongate Churchyard Scott is reported to have remarked that there would be “less sunshine for me this day forth.” The episode reveals the depth of Scott’s personal and professional attachment to the Ballantyne brothers and highlights the collaborative nature of literary production in early nineteenth-century Edinburgh.

Historical Context

Canongate Churchyard developed during the eighteenth century as the burial ground of Canongate Kirk, the parish church of the Canongate burgh just east of Edinburgh. By the early nineteenth century the churchyard had become the resting place of many figures connected with Scotland’s intellectual and cultural life.

Among those buried here are:

• John Ballantyne (1774–1821), Scott’s printer and publishing partner
• Adam Smith (1723–1790), economist and author of The Wealth of Nations
• Robert Fergusson (1750–1774), Scottish poet admired by Robert Burns
• Dugald Stewart (1753–1828), philosopher of the Scottish Enlightenment

The churchyard therefore reflects the wider intellectual environment in which Scott lived and worked.

Scott Here

John Ballantyne served as Scott’s printer for many years and was closely involved in the publication of Scott’s major works. Through the Ballantyne printing house Scott’s poems and novels passed from manuscript to printed form, making the partnership essential to Scott’s literary career.

Ballantyne’s death in 1821 brought this long professional collaboration to an end. The burial took place in Canongate Churchyard, where Scott attended the funeral. Lockhart later recorded Scott’s remark that the loss of his friend meant there would be “less sunshine” in his life thereafter.

The Ballantyne grave itself is unusual. No original gravestone survives. Instead the burial place is marked by a small bronze plaque fixed to the base of the Fettes mausoleum, indicating the approximate position of the Ballantyne burial. A fuller account of the plaque and its history can be found in the article “The Ballantyne Plaque in Canongate Kirkyard.”

The Bigger Theme

The Ballantyne burial illustrates the collaborative nature of authorship in the early nineteenth century. Scott’s literary success depended not only on his own creativity but also on the skilled printers and publishers who brought his manuscripts into print.

The relationship between Scott and the Ballantyne brothers demonstrates how closely intertwined literary production and the commercial printing trade had become in Edinburgh during this period.

Literary Connections

The Ballantyne printing house was responsible for producing many of Scott’s early publications, including the poems that first brought him literary fame. It later played a crucial role in printing the novels that formed the celebrated Waverley series.

The printing partnership therefore represents an essential part of the infrastructure that supported Scott’s literary output.

What to Notice On Site

The Ballantyne burial site can be found near the Fettes mausoleum, a distinctive stone monument within the churchyard. A small bronze plaque attached to its base marks the approximate location of the Ballantyne grave.

Visitors may also notice several other monuments connected with Scotland’s intellectual and literary history, including the prominent memorial to Adam Smith.

The churchyard itself retains much of its historic character, providing a quiet setting within the densely built Old Town.

Questions to Consider

How important were printers and publishers in shaping the success of nineteenth-century authors?

What does the Ballantyne burial reveal about the personal relationships behind literary production?

How do churchyards preserve the memory of individuals whose influence extended far beyond their own lifetimes?

Further Reading

Lockhart, J. G. - Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott.
Millgate, Jane. - Walter Scott: The Making of the Novelist.

Official Website

Canongate Kirk

Did You Know

The Ballantyne brothers played such a central role in Scott’s publishing ventures that their printing business became financially entangled with Scott’s own affairs, contributing to the complex debts he later worked tirelessly to repay.