British Garrison Cemetery (also known as the Kandy Garrison Cemetery) is a British cemetery in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for British nationals who died in Ceylon. It was established in 1817 just after British captured the Kandy[1] and closed in 1873 due to a ban on burials within the municipal limits, although special provision was given to allow the burial of relatives of those interred in the cemetery, with last person buried there being Annie Fritz in 1951.[2] The cemetery contains 195 graves of men, women and children. The most common causes of death were tropical diseases such as malaria and cholera.
| British Garrison Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 British Garrison Cemetery | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1817 |
| Location | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 7°17′34″N 80°38′36″E / 7.2928°N 80.6432°E |
| Type | European graveyard (closed) |
| Owned by | Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Friends of British Garrison Cemetery) |
| Size | 0.3 ha (0.74 acres) |
| No. of graves | 195 |
| Find a Grave | British Garrison Cemetery |
The cemetery was restored in 1998 using financial contributions from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is currently maintained by a group called 'The Friends of the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy'.[3] The cemetery is located within the land of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the cemetery is maintained by the British while the Diyawadana Nilame and the Chief Prelates maintain the land.[4]
On 22 July 2011 it was declared as an Archaeological Protected Monument by the government.[5]
Prince Charles made a visit to the graves in November 2013.[4]
Notable graves
edit- Sir John D’Oyly (1774–1824), a British colonial administrator and responsible for drafting the Kandyan Convention of 1815, which resulted in the British takeover of the Kandyan Kingdom.
- Lady Elizabeth Gregory (1817–1873), the first wife of William Henry Gregory, Governor of Ceylon (1872–1877).
- John Spottiswood Robertson (1823–1856), the seventh and last recorded death of a European in Ceylon killed by wild elephants.
- William Robert Lyte (1846–1865), grandson of the Rev. Henry Francis Lyte, author of the hymn "Abide with Me"
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Haviland, Charles (21 November 2011). "Sri Lanka lost era recalled by British graves". BBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ Premawardhana, Namali (24 November 2013). "Dead Men tell no Tales, but the Caretaker does". Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "British Garrison Cemetery, Kandy". The Sunday Leader. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Prince Charles makes a personal donation for upkeep of colonial British cemetery in Sri Lanka". ColomboPage. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. 1716: 511. 22 July 2011.
