75th Independence
Laid to rest in the Garrison Cemetery
View(s):By Udumbara Udugama
The Garrison Cemetery is situated in the heart of Kandy behind the Sri Dalada Maligawa, National Museum and the International Buddhist Museum. This 200-year-old cemetery is the final resting place of many notable personalities of British colonial Ceylon. Opened in 1822, it was closed by Governor’s Proclamation in the mid-1870s.
Supervisor of the cemetery Victor James and caretaker Harsha Kumara helped the writer to identify the graves in the Garrison Cemetery. Mr. James first showed us the tomb of Sir John D’Oyly (1774-1824) – a fluted column with a marble tablet. D’Oyly represented the British government at the 1815 Kandyan Convention when Kandy was ceded to the British crown.
Lady Gregory's grave
In a brochure on the cemetery, it is mentioned that he was fluent in Sinhala and had great influence over the local population. Gajaman Nona, the famed Matara poetess, is said to have addressed a set of verses to D’Oyly.
According to a brochure, the cemetery is “a ¾ acre plot of land wherein rest many men, women and children, mainly colonial British, cut off from life, many in their youth, others blossoming into manhood, and with only a bare handful reaching the proverbial three score and ten.”
“The Garrison Cemetery is restored and supported by the Friends of the Garrison Cemetery, The Ministry of Defence, London, The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, His Royal Highness, Charles the Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), who visited the Garrison Cemetery in November 2013,” the brochure states.
A carved granite raised tomb with an iron railing surrounding it, including a visiting gate is that of Lady Elizabeth Gregory (1817-1873), wife of British Governor William Henry Gregory, who held office from 1872-1877.
The table tomb of John Spottiswood Robertson, is dated 1823-1856. He is believed to be the seventh and last European killed by wild elephants. Another table tomb is that of Lieut. General John Fraser, aged 72 years, who is best known for his satinwood bridge built without a single nail or bolt, over the Mahaweli Ganga at Peradeniya. It had been in use from 1833 to 1905. A strict disciplinarian, he was also renowned as a road builder and cartographer.
There is also the tomb of William Robert Lyte (1846-1865), grandson of the Rev. Henry Francis Lyte, author of the hymn ‘Abide With Me’.
The tombstone of Captain James McGlashan (1791-1817) was brought to the cemetery in the late 1890s from Lady Longden’s Drive. He having walked from Trincomalee without taking any precautions drenched in the rain, sleeping in wet clothes, was seized with a violent fever and came to his end. Many other deaths were due to malaria, fever and cholera.
“There are 195 graves with multiple burials in some, bringing the total number of burials to 250. There are graves where very young children, some only a few months old are buried together.” The small memorial stone marked G & M Wait 1873, is for their five infant sons.
John D'Oyly's grave
At the entrance to the cemetery is a grave where the last burial in 1951 was done, that of Annie Fritz who is buried in the same grave as James Henry Fritz, who died in 1899.
“The museum at the entrance to the cemetery is the old chapel where bodies were placed before burial,” Mr. James explained. At present it has records of the burials and the pictures hung on the walls include those of Prince Charles when he visited the Garrison Cemetery in 2013. The supervisor said the Prince met with a few officials and gave a donation towards the upkeep of the cemetery.
The Garrison Cemetery is part of the history of British Colonial Ceylon from 1815 – 1948.