This page offers a small selection of staff obituaries that we know about. If you know of others we would be very pleased to include them here. Thank you.
Dr Patricia Thomas
If you attended JGHS between the years of 1975 and 1991, you will remember Dr Patricia Thomas, who was headteacher of James Gillespie’s High School at that time. Dr Thomas passed away in March 2023. Her obituary, written by John MacLeod, a former pupil at JGHS, was published in The Scotsman.
Miss Iona Cameron
In April 2017 James Gillespie’s Trust recorded the death of Iona Cameron, former Head of English and Assistant Head Teacher at James Gillespie’s High School. John MacLeod’s obituary was printed in the Scotsman on 17 April 2017.
Miss Alison Laidlaw
Miss Alison Laidlaw had an association with James Gillespies from 1913, as a pupil, a teacher and friend of the school until her death in 2007. A small garden was laid in her memory in the grounds of the new school in 2016. Before she died in 2007, she was keen to be included in the JG Trust Oral History project, so out of our love and respect for her, we will still feature her story as central to ‘Living Stories.’
Miss Ellen King
Miss Ellen Elizabeth King, 1909-1994, Scottish swimmer, teacher and coach featured in the James Gillespie’s School magazine in 1924 where she was identified as having been selected for the Great Britain swimming team at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. At the age of 15 she was the youngest member of the British team. When Miss King retired from competitive swimming she passed on her skills by teaching in a number of Edinburgh schools, including Bruntsfield Primary School. Her obituary was published in The Scotsman in Feburary 1994
Miss Mary McIver
Miss Mary G. McIver, Headmistress 1967-1975, died May 1994. Iona Cameron’s obituary of her friend was printed in the Scotsman on 19 May 1994.
Lady Dorothy Dunnett
Novelist and portrait painter Dorothy Dunnett (1923-2001) attended James Gillespie’s School five years after Muriel Spark. Dorothy Halliday was born in Dunfermline and lived in Corstophine. She won a scholarship to attend Gillespie’s. Her obituary was published in the Scotsman on 12 November 2001.
