John Livingston, a 17th century botanist, apothecary and owner
of the Greenhill Estate died of the plague in 1645. His body was
buried in a little tomb in what is now part of Morningside. Nearly
forgotten it was rediscovered in 1989, when the council wanted to
issue a notice for urgent repairs on the tomb's walls, but couldn't
find the owner of the property. The council claimed the title to
the land and when it wasn't challenged for 10 years they renovated
the place in 1999 at a cost of several thousand pounds. Since then
it has been a place of rest and enjoyment for the local
residents.
In December 2005 it hit the news,
when the next door neighbours sealed the area off with a six-foot
wire fence, claiming they owned the land. This led to an
outcry
in the community who wanted their little garden back and even
involved the local MSP. But it took some time until the courts made
the final decision
on the ownership and now it is back in the council's hands and open
to the public.