Cemeteries Graveyards
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by Chri s M urphy
Introduction In amongst the graves are those of those who have impacted on their environment, Stephan in St Helena Bay, McGregor in Citrusdal, Moorrees in Malmesbury, Moffat in Kuruman. Sometimes a tale that has elements of extreme sadness is related. Death is expected at the end of a long life, but when it is shortened . . . take that of Emile Bennet, wife of Lawrence Stephan, born 19 January 1850 in Devonshire, England. Her final resting place is in St Helena Bay, aged just short of her 31st birthday, followed by her son shortly after, not yet three months old. What brought her to the Cape at that time, how did she meet Lawrence, and then die, followed by her child, both so prematurely, and ending on what is still a relatively remote part of the coast? A particularly moving scene is that of the cemetery at Irene, especially because of the large number of children who perished whilst imprisoned in appalling conditions. An enigmatic resting place is that of C Louis Leipoldt (poet, dramatist, medical doctor, reporter, food expert, and grandson of the founder of Wupperthal) in an overhang containing San paintings deep in the Cederberg. A nearby companion is an English soldier killed in the South African War, far from home.
All photographs are by Chris Murphy. www.christopherjphoto.com www.heritagechroniclesa.org www.weskusheritage.org follow me on: /heritagechroniclesa /weskusheritage contact: orchard@wcaccess.co.za © Chris Murphy 2021
Cemeteries Graveyards
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Cemetery: A burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard. Graveyard: A burial ground, especially one beside a church. I have long had a fascination with burial places, not so much with the morbidity of death, but with spaces that are often located in places of beauty. And also the tales that are related on the gravestones, of people and places most often forgotten. Many cemeteries and graveyards I have visited are neglected or vandalised. I fail to see the pleasure in destroying a memorial to a departed person, yet it seems to exist, for there can be nothing else to be gained. This then is a record of my visits over many years.
n CAPE TOWN: RONDEBOSCH ST PAUL’S CHURCH
4
n CAPE TOWN: MAITLAND ABANDONED CHAPEL
5
n CAPE TOWN: WYNBERG
6
n CAPE TOWN: GARDENS VAN OUDTSHOORN VAULT
7
n CAPE TOWN: ROBBEN ISLAND LEPER CEMETERY
8
n DARLING: HILDEBRAND MEMORIAL
9
n HOPEFIELD
10
n HOPEFIELD
11
n MOORREESBURG
12
n MOORREESBURG-GOUDA ROAD
13
n MALMESBURY: JEWISH CEMETERY
14
n MALMESBURY: DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH
15
n RIEBEEK KASTEEL
16
n RIEBEEK WEST
17
n RIEBEEK WEST
18
n HERMON
19
n HERMON
20
n GOUDA: RETIEF GRAVES
21
n SARON (PROVINCIAL HERITAGE SITE)
22
n KORINGBERG
23
n NORTH SWARTLAND
24
n PIKET-BO-BERG
25
n PIKETBERG ROAD
26
n NEAR MORAVIA
27
n GOEDVERWACHT
28
n ST HELENA BAY
29
n ST HELENA BAY
30
n LAAIPLEK
31
n NEAR LAMBERTS BAY
32
n CITRUSDAL: MODDERFONTEIN
33
n CEDERBERG: MATJIESRIVIER
34
n CEDERBERG: MATJIESRIVIER
35
n AGTER CEDERBERG: LEIPOLDT GRAVE
36
n AGTER CEDERBERG: THE ENGLISHMAN’S GRAVE
37
n AGTER CEDERBERG: BIEDOUW VALLEY
38
n AGTER CEDERBERG: BIEDOUW VALLEY
39
n AGTER CEDERBERG: WUPPERTHAL
40
n CLANWILLIAM
41
n CALVINIA: ABRAHAM ESAU MEMORIAL
42
n NEAR CARNARVON
43
n VICTORIA WEST
44
n KURUMAN
45
n IRENE
46
n IRENE
47
n PRINCE ALBERT
48
n BEAUFORT WEST
49
n BEAUFORT WEST
50
n NEAR MATJIESFONTEIN
51
n SUTHERLAND
52
n KLAARSTROOM
53
n WILLOWMORE
54
n OUDTSHOORN
55
n KNYSNA
56
n HOEREE
57
n INDEX 4 CAPE TOWN: RONDEBOSCH ST PAUL’S CHURCH
31 LAAIPLEK
5 CAPE TOWN: MAITLAND ABANDONED CHAPEL
32 NEAR LAMBERTS BAY
6 CAPE TOWN: WYNBERG
33 CITRUSDAL: MODDERFONTEIN
7 CAPE TOWN: GARDENS VAN OUDTSHOORN VAULT 34 CEDERBERG: MATJIESRIVIER
58
8 CAPE TOWN: ROBBEN ISLAND LEPER CEMETERY
35 CEDERBERG: MATJIESRIVIER
9 DARLING: HILDEBRAND MEMORIAL
36 AGTER CEDERBERG: LEIPOLDT GRAVE
10 HOPEFIELD
37 AGTER CEDERBERG: THE ENGLISHMAN’S GRAVE
11 HOPEFIELD
38 AGTER CEDERBERG: BIEDOUW VALLEY
12 MOORREESBURG
39 AGTER CEDERBERG: BIEDOUW VALLEY
13 MOORREESBURG-GOUDA ROAD
40 AGTER CEDERBERG: WUPPERTHAL
14 MALMESBURY: JEWISH CEMETERY
41 CLANWILLIAM
15 MALMESBURY: DUTCH REFORMED CHU RCH
42 CALVINIA: ABRAHAM ESAU MEMORIAL
16 RIEBEEK KASTEEL
43 NEAR CARNARVON
17 RIEBEEK WEST
44 VICTORIA WEST
18 RIEBEEK WEST
45 KURUMAN
19 HERMON
46 IRENE
20 HERMON
47 IRENE
21 GOUDA: RETIEF GRAVES
48 PRINCE ALBERT
22 SARON (PROVINCIAL HERITAGE SITE)
49 BEAUFORT WEST
23 KORINGBERG
50 BEAUFORT WEST
24 NORTH SWARTLAND
51 NEAR MATJIESFONTEIN
25 PIKET-BO-BERG
52 SUTHERLAND
26 PIKETBERG ROAD
53 KLAARSTROOM
27 NEAR MORAVIA
54 WILLOWMORE
28 GOEDVERWACHT
55 OUDTSHOORN
29 ST HELENA BAY
56 KNYSNA
30 ST HELENA BAY
57 HOEREE
Cover photograph: Of all the sites I have visited it is my favourite, located just above sea level at St Helena Bay. There is an atmosphere of calmness that reflects the after life, when all the trials and tribulations, and celebrations of course, are over. What better place to rest?