Old Hong Kong-3 — Page 119

MORRISON CENTENARY

(Contd.)

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All this hill (the Fosse) has now been built over and most of the tombs of Englishmen buried here were removed to the East India Company's Cemetery, which accounts for the fact that so many of the graves bear dates earlier than that on which the old cemetery was bought. Members of the East India Company staff were buried within the grounds of the estate which was then owned by the Company and now known as Camoens Gardens.

The hillock known as Meesenberg Hill takes its name from the fact that the first person to be buried there was a mariner of the Dutch East India Company who was buried there in 1767. Among the others buried in this place was James Morrison, the first child of Robert and Mary Morrison who died a few hours after his birth, on March 5, 1811.

From another record we find that following the death of Mrs. Morrison, of cholera morbus, on June 10, 1821, the managing committee of the East India Company determined to acquire a suitable site for burying English and other foreigners at Macao, and through the help of some Portuguese, whose help was needed to overcome legal impediments, a suitable place was bought. It may be presumed that the Portuguese whose assistance proved so valuable was Comendador Lourenco Marques Pereira, a good friend of the East India Company, who eventually bought the whole property from the English Company, when the famous Company was wound up in 1834/35.

The present chapel in the grounds of the cemetery was erected by an anonymous donor, a few years ago, but the old chapel was built in the old days, with a stained glass window, the gift of Gideon Nye, an old Macao merchant. It was Bishop Dupuy who called the attention of the residents of Hong Kong to the fact that the old chapel was in a dilapidated condition, which elicited an offer for the rebuilding of the church.

The inscriptions on the tombs in the old East India Company Cemetery, included those of Dr. Robert Morrison, of Mary Morrison, his first wife, and their son Robert John Morrison, who died in Hong Kong some years later.

A full list of the inscriptions on the tomb-stones in the old cemetery follows:

To the memory of GEORGE W. BIDULE of Philadelphia, U.S.A. who departed this life at Macao on the 16th of August A.D. 1811,

Aged 33 years.

Sacred to the memory of Captain GEORGE KENNEDY who died at one 28th September 1811, Aged 48 years.

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JOSEPH DAVIES, 2nd officer off the ship "Crest" died June 11th in 1812. Aged 21 years.

Rev. SAMUEL DYER, died 24th October 1813.

In memory of GEORGE B. URMSTON who died on the 20th May 1813 Aged eight years and two days.

Sacred to the memory of THOMAS CHAS. PATTEL, Esq., who died on the 25th of November 1815. Aged 44 years.

JOANNI HENRYCO ROBINEL, Institorum Batavarum In Sinis Principi: Daventri Ae Hono Calend: Decemb MDCCLIX Nato Macao Ninomo Calend. Martii MDCCXVI Vita Functo, Sacrum Tei Gedagtenis Van Den Wel Edelen. Heer JEAN HENRY ROBINEL Opperhofd Der Nederlandche Factory Te Couton In China Gebooren Deventer Den 24 Decr. 1750 Overleeden Macao Den 24 Maart 1816.

FREDK B. WINTLE, late 5th Officer of the H.C. ship Royal George and a lieutenant of the British Navy in which service he had been severely wounded. Died 6th September 1817. Aged 25 yrs.