|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||
|
We (CIP) visited Singapore and recorded memorials to the Cornish. Click below to see an index : This small island state has had an adventurous and complex history since Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819. Associated with the tin mines of South East Asia, the vast rubber plantations of Malaysia and the ghastly war against Japan, it is inevitable that Cornishmen would find there way to this region. The small size of this Nation State, which obtained full independence in 1965, has developed into a modern and dynamic country which has resulted in inevitable land usage changes. An amazing area of the island had, over a period of two hundred years, been given over to burial grounds, for instance, Bidadari Cemetery was in use for only 75 years yet covered a rather neglected, 64 acres. It is probable that if your Cornish ancestor died and buried in Singapore then their final resting place no longer exist. The Singapore authorities gave world wide notice of their actions and opportunities for relations to make alternate arrangements. the wonderful National Archives of Singapore preserve whatever written burial records have survived. Below, we set out brief details of those sites where there may have been a memorial to your Cornish ancestor and some notes of surviving records.
Fort Canning Cemetery (1822 to 1907) Fort Canning is the most historic part of Singapore. The Fort was named in 1861 in the honour of Viscount Charles John Canning, the first Viceroy of India. However, Malay and Chinese historic records date back to the fourteenth century .The hill underwent several name changes. The Malays called it Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill), but later on the later Malay name for Fort Canning was Bukit Tuan Bonham, after Sir Samuel George Bonham, Governor 1836-48. In the latter part of the 19th century it was called Bukit Bendera (Flag Hill), because of the signals made for shipping from its Flagstaff. Sir Stamford Raffles claimed the hill for his residence, naming it Government Hill in 1822. Until mid-19th century, Singapore's governors were residents here; thus the epithet 'Government Hill' as well as 'Central Park'. Until the 1970’2 Fort Canning was used as a military base, first by the British, then by the Japanese during the occupation and then by the Republic’s armed forces. It hill is now a fabulous park, within a short walk from the city centre, full of amazing trees, ferns and orchids as well as wild life. Amongst this fauna and flora are located many historic features and buildings, including Raffles House, the Fort Gate, the famed ‘Battle Box’ from World War II, the Light House and flag staff. On the lower slopes of the west side are found the Singapore National Archives as well as the History Museum. Near the centre of the park is located the Fort Canning Centre, this massive building was constructed in 1926 as an army barracks, it currently houses some of Singapore's cultural groups. In front of this centre is Fort Canning Green - the old Christian Cemetery. The first burial ground for westerners in Singapore was located at Fort Canning near Raffles Terrace and started about 1815. However, this was too close to the Governors residence and so, in about 1822, a new burial ground was opened in the area now known as The Green. On the north and south sides of this burial ground two massive gothic style gateways were erected following a design by Captain Charles Edward Faber, Superintending Engineer. These gateways have survived. The cemetery rapidly filled and was not used after 1865 ( it was replaced by Bukit Timah cemetery - see below ). When the Barracks were built in 1926 the burial ground was partly cleared of the numerous and tightly packed memorials and a green created. In 1977 of the inscription plaques from the memorials were set into the walls which surround the Green and many memorials removed. A few features were left in place (particularly the memorial to James Brooke Napier as well as the enigmatic cupolas). When Bukit Timah cemetery closed in 1970s, about a dozen memorials were moved to the north west section of this cemetery. It is believed that about 600 interments took place in this burial ground. The cemetery has been referred to as “Christian”, “European” or “British”. None of these descriptions seem adequate. It is recorded that a wall used to divide the northern section from the southern section with Anglicans being buried in the later and other Christian denominations in the northern section. A headstone in the northern wall carries an image of the star of David, indicating a Jewish burial ( a Jewish burial ground was extant in Singapore, it opened in 1914 and closed in 1985 and is now ‘reclaimed’ land ) and there are a smattering of Chinese headstones ( probably Christian ). It does appear that the burial records for Fort Canning are no longer extant. Several years ago a local group of students brilliantly rubbed many of the plaques located in the walls. Copies of these rubbings are available from the Singapore National Archives. Below are some transcripts of the surviving inscriptions. Bukit Timah Cemetery (1865 to 1907) Sometimes known as ‘New Cemetery’. In use 1864 (first burial was probably on 1st April 1865) to 1908. This cemetery was replaced in 1907 by Bidadari Cemetery (see below). The graves were all exhumed in the 1970s. The cemetery was located near what is now Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Bukit Timah (meaning ‘Tin Hill’) is the highest point in Singapore (162 M) covering 81 hectares and is the only area of primary natural forest left on the island and is now a nature reserve, containing more species of trees than in the whole of North America ! The burial registers for this cemetery appear to have been lost. Some monuments were moved to Fort Canning. Bidadari Cemetery (1907 to 1972) The Bidadari Cemetery was opened in 1907. "Bidadari" was derived from the Sanskrit word "widyadari"; meaning a nymph or fairy. Really a series of cemeteries - there were distinct sections for the multiethnic community and so there were separate areas Protestants, Catholics, Singhalese, Hindus and Muslims. The cemeteries were officially closed in 1972. In the Christian side, near the beautiful ornate gate at the central entrance, there once stood a small chapel where services were held, but that was torn down in the 1980s “Under the 1998 Master Plan, the Bidadari Cemetery sites along Upper Serangoon Road will be developed into high-density housing and is projected to yield about 12,000 public-housing dwelling units. There will be modem amenities and facilities to complement the housing, including a park and other open spaces." In the cemeteries were rows of gravestones and marble statues are spread over 64 acres, epitaphs were etched in a dozen languages, including Chinese, English, Portuguese, Japanese and Hindi. The Christian section was one of the largest to be cleared, it contained the remains of 58,000 Christians buried between 1907 and 1972, with most interred before 1951. It has been estimated that some 10 percent of these buried are European expatriates including businessmen from the colonial era, missionaries, and war casualties, many of the later, if British, were moved to Kranji war Cemetery. In additional 68,000 bodies will be exhumed from a neighboring Muslim section and reburied elsewhere. All unclaimed Christian remains were be cremated by the government and those ashes not claimed within a year, were scattered at sea. Headstones and sculptures could have been retrieved by relations, those that were not claimed were broken up and buried in a huge pit. Christian families who wished to rebury remains had to meet their own costs but the government reburied remains from faiths that ban cremation, including Muslims, Jews and Parsis. The authorities published notices about the exhumation in newspapers not just in Singapore but also Britain, Australia, India and Malaysia. Fortunately, Burial Registers for the Christian section have survived and can be consulted at the National Archives of Singapore. Kranji War Cemetery The Kranji War Cemetery, together with the Singapore Memorial, The Hospital Memorial and Military Cemetery, together known locally as the Kranji Memorial, is located in northern Singapore and overlooks the Straits of Johore. 22 Kilometres north of the city, just off the Singapore - Johore Road (Woodlands Road at 131/2 milestone). and State Cemetery. The KRANJI WAR CEMETERY holds 64 First World War burials and 4,461 Second World War burials, of which 850 are unmarked. Before 1939, Kranji was a military camp. At the time of the Japanese invasion, it was the site of a large ammunition magazine. After the fall of the island, the Japanese established a prisoner-of-war camp at Kranji and eventually a hospital was organized nearby at Woodlands. After the reoccupation of Singapore at the end of the war, the small cemetery started by the prisoners at Kranji was developed into a permanent war cemetery by the Army Graves Service when it became evident that a larger cemetery at Changi could not remain undisturbed. Changi had been the site of the main prisoner-of-war camp in Singapore and a large hospital had been set up there by the Australian Infantry Force. In 1946, the graves were moved from Changi to Kranji, as were those from the Buona Vista prisoner-of-war camp. Many other graves from all parts of the island were then transferred to Kranji, together with all Second World War burials from the Saigon Military Cemetery in French Indo-China (now Vietnam), graves of both world wars from the Bidadari Christian Cemetery Singapore and sites where permanent maintenance was not possible. The SINGAPORE MEMORIAL consists of large panels inscribed with over 24,000 casualties who have no known grave.. The HOSPITAL MEMORIAL, this is located on the east side of the Singapore Memorial. It commemorates 107 service personel ( 300 civilians buried in the same grave are not listed on this memorial) who were buried in a mass grave in the grounds of Singapore Civil General Hospital. The grave at the hospital was originally an emergency water tank which had been dug in the hospital grounds and used by the Japanese as a mass grave. When the war cemetery was created in 1946 it was obvious that it would not be possible to identify the servicemen in the mass grave and so it was left undisturbed. There is a memorial (the present memorial replaced an earlier one) in the hospital grounds. The MILITARY CEMETERY is a substantial non-world war site of 1,785 burials of military personal and their families as well as two Gardens of Remembrance. The British forces withdrew from Singapore in 1971 and the Singapore Government moved burials from Pasir Panjang military cemetery. ( This cemetery had been opened in 1955 and interments included servicemen’s family members, it was cleared in 1976 to make way for a housing scheme ) and Ulen cemeteries to Kranji. The new Military cemetery was created in 1975 on the western slopes of Kranji Hill beside the War Cemetery. In 2004 more ‘military’ graves were moved here from Bidadari cemetery. There is also 1 Netherlands Foreign National burial here. Unfortunately, many of the headstones give little more information than names. A few kilometres from Kranji, during the war the Japanese constructed, with prisoner of war labour, a large hill named Victory Hill. The ashes of 20,000 Japanese servicemen who died in the invasion were placed in this hill and a monument erected. In 1952 the British Military destroyed the monument and part of the hill, although there are rumours that traces of the steps leading to the top of the hill remain. Miscellaneous Sites Memorials may be found in St. Andrew’s Cathedral as well as on the The Singapore Cenotaph. Please see our plea for help above.
|