Cemeteries & Graveyards

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?