St Francis Church, Fort Kochi
The inset reads "Rennovatum Anno 1779", referring to the date on which the Dutch restored the church.
Dutch Tombstones mounted on the the church wall
Grave Monument of Vasco da Gama
These grave monuments belong to distinguished Portuguese and Dutch officials and merchants. They were members of the two major European communities who played significant roles in the economic, social, political and religious life of Cochin's Jewish diaspora during the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The finely carved tombstones were originally part of the graves interred in the floor of the church. In mid-19th century, Sir Charles Allen Lawson (1861. p. 26) wrote: "Many of the inscriptions on the tombs are interesting for their quaint yet characteristic style". They were later dismantled and mounted vertically against the side walls to prevent the gradual obliteration of the inscriptions. It was during the 1886-1887 period, when substantial restoration work was carried out by the British in the church, these tombstones were taken from the floor to the walls. The gravestones of the Portuguese are on the northern sidewall and the Dutch on the southern wall, but Vasco da Gama’s empty tomb is on the south-east side of the nave floor. What happened to the mortal remains of the deceased? We do not know if they are still preserved inside the church or were reburied to a cemetery.
Interior of St Francis Church
A few years ago, I had photographed these tombstones, but due to the lack of proper light condition inside the church, most of the images did not come out crisp and clean. Similarly, many of the older gravestones, especially the Portuguese epitaphs were not legible enough to decipher. However, when I recently procured the two volumes of ‘Malabar Christian Memorials’ by John Cantwell Roberts and Chekkutty, C P (hereafter “R&C”), my interest was rekindled. The best resource for identifying these monuments is Julian James Cotton's (hereafter “JJC”) monumental work, 'List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Madras' (1905, pp. 264-270). JJC enlists 47 tombstones (28 Portuguese and 19 Dutch) along with English translation of a few. Among the 28 Portuguese tombstones listed by JJC, 10 are undated and 7 are from the 16th century, the oldest belong to Diogo Dias (20 January 1546) and the youngest is Diogo Vincente (1655). The oldest Dutch tombstone given by JJC is Sara Van der Dusse (26th October, 1664), and the most recent is Reinier Van Harn (16th March, 1789). R&C is essentially a reproduction of JJC list, but they are less detailed. Interestingly, four decades before JJC, a periodical named Chronista de Tissuary (issue 1866, pp. 72-73 and 96-98; hereafter “CdT”) has listed 26 Portuguese tombstones inside the church (but without English translation). Four of the gravestones in CdT are graphically represented and has been much helpful, especially in the identification of the extremely faint Portuguese tombstone of Francisco Gomes Leitao (1632), which otherwise was not possible for me.
Date of Vasco da Gama's Death
The earliest report on the death of Vasco da Gama is given by the Portuguese historian, Gaspar Corrreia (b. 1492 and d. before 1583). Correia's "Lendas da India" (Legends of India) written between 1551 and 1561 is considered as one of the earliest historical works on Portuguese Asia. Correia is precise in his magnum opus while describing the time of Gama's death as he writes: “He (Gama) fulfilled his days when he delivered up his soul in the night of Christmas of the holy birth of Christ, at three o'clock after midnight, on the twenty-fourth day of December of this present year of 1524" (Lendas da India, English Translation by Henry E. J. Stanley, 1869, p. 426).
Where was Vasco da Gama buried in Cochin?
The earliest report on the death of Vasco da Gama is given by the Portuguese historian, Gaspar Corrreia (b. 1492 and d. before 1583). Correia's "Lendas da India" (Legends of India) written between 1551 and 1561 is considered as one of the earliest historical works on Portuguese Asia. Correia is precise in his magnum opus while describing the time of Gama's death as he writes: “He (Gama) fulfilled his days when he delivered up his soul in the night of Christmas of the holy birth of Christ, at three o'clock after midnight, on the twenty-fourth day of December of this present year of 1524" (Lendas da India, English Translation by Henry E. J. Stanley, 1869, p. 426).
Where was Vasco da Gama buried in Cochin?
According to Gaspar Correia, Vasco da Gama was first laid to rest in the Franciscan chapel of St Antony (widely assumed to be the current St Francis Church). He elaborates: "it (the body of Gama) was carried to the monastery of St. Antony, and buried in the principal chapel; and upon the tomb was a square grating surrounding the grave, of the height of a span, lined with black velvet, and a black and white fringe, placed upon a velvet cloth, which covered all the grave" (Lendas da India, 1869, p. 427). The words used by Correia in original Portuguese for Gama's burial site is "mosteiro de Santo Antonio e enterrado na capella mor" (Lendas da India, 1861, Vol. 2, Part-2, p. 846). William Logan adds two more candidates from other early Portuguese historians to the list: 1) 'Cochin Cathedral' (Santa Cruz Cathedral) by Castanheda (Fernão Lopes de) and 2) 'Monastery of St Francis' by Barros (João de).
Another interesting detail in this regard is a passage from the private journal of English lawyer, Thomas
Chisholm Anstey, who visited Cochin on November 9, 1857 (cited by Henry E J Stanley in 'The Three Voyages of Vaco da Gama', 1869, pp.
428-429). According to Anstey, Gama was buried in the Santa Cruz Cathedral, and the tomb site was lost when the British destroyed the church in 1806. He writes the church was destroyed so badly
by the British that "There is a solitary tower left—the 'Flagstaff'
they call it now—to tell where stood the cathedral of Cochin, and where
the body of Vasco da Gama was buried. His grave has been defiled by us
(i.e. English), and its very place is now forgotten. 'You are within
fifty yards of it, but on which side I cannot say'—was the only
indication which a well-read and careful investigator of local
antiquities—himself a resident here for some years past—could give me of
the whereabouts of him who opened the Indian Ocean to our commerce—to
all commerce". In short, the answer to the question as to where was Gama buried is not simple as expected. Nevertheless, I believe it is safe to accept William Logan’s interpretation that Correai's account written so near the time is entitled to the fullest credit, and it was in the Chapel of St Antony (modern St Francis Church) that Vasco da Gama's body was first laid to rest (Malabar Manual, Vol. 1, p. 324, fn. 1).
Has the Grave Marker of Vasco da Gama Survived?
After Gama's body was repatriated to Portugal in 1538, what happened to his grave in Fort Cochin? Did the empty grave survive and the original tombstone was preserved? Is the current grave marker assigned to Vasco da Gama indeed from the original monument? Ironically, neither CdT nor JJC lists Vasco da Gama’s tomb in their inventory! JJC (1905, pp. 264-265) however, notes that the grave of Vasco Fernandes Pimentel (May, 1567), who was Governor of Cochin from 1564 to 1567, was pointed out as the tombstone of Vasco da Gama from the occurrence upon it of the name "Vasco". However, the authenticity of the grave marker was challenged from late 19th century itself. Robert Sewell in ‘Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras’ (Volume 1, 1882, p. 254) remarks, “A broken slab, sculptured, has the words Vasco da-, and this would naturally be concluded to be his tombstone, were not the coat of arms carved above the epitaph different from that given by Correa in his "Lendas da India " (Frontispiece, Hakluyt Edit.) as the armorial bearings of the Da Gama family”. A few years later in 1887, William Logan (Malabar Manual, Vol. 1, p. 325) concluded with certainty that the tombstone on display does not belong to Vasco da Gama as the coat of arms was different from the da Gama family, he finds the top of the stone broken. Penny Frank (1904, Vol. 1, pp. 243-244) also writes about this broken sepulchral stone with the word “Vasco”, that the memorial must be of some other Portuguese official. Today, you can still see the broken tombstone of Vasco Pimentel inside the church, though the writings are faint, the word “Vasco” is quite legible (see photographs below).
After Gama's body was repatriated to Portugal in 1538, what happened to his grave in Fort Cochin? Did the empty grave survive and the original tombstone was preserved? Is the current grave marker assigned to Vasco da Gama indeed from the original monument? Ironically, neither CdT nor JJC lists Vasco da Gama’s tomb in their inventory! JJC (1905, pp. 264-265) however, notes that the grave of Vasco Fernandes Pimentel (May, 1567), who was Governor of Cochin from 1564 to 1567, was pointed out as the tombstone of Vasco da Gama from the occurrence upon it of the name "Vasco". However, the authenticity of the grave marker was challenged from late 19th century itself. Robert Sewell in ‘Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras’ (Volume 1, 1882, p. 254) remarks, “A broken slab, sculptured, has the words Vasco da-, and this would naturally be concluded to be his tombstone, were not the coat of arms carved above the epitaph different from that given by Correa in his "Lendas da India " (Frontispiece, Hakluyt Edit.) as the armorial bearings of the Da Gama family”. A few years later in 1887, William Logan (Malabar Manual, Vol. 1, p. 325) concluded with certainty that the tombstone on display does not belong to Vasco da Gama as the coat of arms was different from the da Gama family, he finds the top of the stone broken. Penny Frank (1904, Vol. 1, pp. 243-244) also writes about this broken sepulchral stone with the word “Vasco”, that the memorial must be of some other Portuguese official. Today, you can still see the broken tombstone of Vasco Pimentel inside the church, though the writings are faint, the word “Vasco” is quite legible (see photographs below).
A few questions remain regarding the current gravestone of Vasco da Gama on display. If the tombstone is original, when was it discovered and what are the circumstances that led to its identification? If the discovery of the actual grave site has occurred after 1905 (i.e after JJC), surely the details must be well known. Also, what are the characters inscribed on the top of current Gama’s tombstone? More importantly, how do we know that the present tomb is still in its original location or could it be only a symbolic funerary monument?
The Empty Grave of Vasco da Gama (d. 24 December, 1524)
Inscription on the tombstone of Vasco da Gama and the Plaque kept before the monument.
The "Vasco" inscription and the 'Coat of Arms' of the tombstone of Vasco Pimentel (d. May, 1567)
The yellow box highlights the "Vasco" inscription. Coat of Arms of Vasco da Gama-Photo Courtesy, WikipediaHow many Portuguese and Dutch tombstones are there in the church?
A year before JJC, Penny Frank wrote in “The Church in Madras” (1904, Vol. 1, p. 259) that there were 29 Portuguese and 19 Dutch monumental stones in the Church, but he does not list them individually. Since according to JJC, the inscription on the reverse side of the Portuguese tombstone of Francisco and Lopez Milao is used for the epitaph of the Dutch commander Adrian van Ommen, the actual number tombstones must be 46 instead of 47. I am not considering the British memorials inside the church, but the name of Rev. Alfred Forbes Sealy, who is introduced as the “zealous Lay Trustee and finally the beloved Minister of this Church” needs a special mention, as he was the major force behind the conservation of these tombstones in 1886-87. JJC notes (p. 270) “It is to Mr. Sealy that the preservation of the Dutch and Portuguese tombstones of Cochin is largely duo. He had the different monuments collected and planted against the walls of the church and careful facsimiles of the inscriptions taken” . Sealy also showed that the slab bearing the name “Vasco”, regarded as the memorial stone of Vasco da Gama for a long time, was not the correct tombstone (JJC, Introduction, p. vi).
When I had the opportunity to revisit the St Francis Church recently, I decided to document all these tombstones by repeating the photography exercise one more time. Once again, the dark interior was the biggest hurdle and the light falling directly on the tombstones placed near the large open windows were an additional challenge. Nevertheless, I could manage to document all the tombstones and the photographs were acceptable. A total 52 funerary monuments are documented, 32 Portuguese and 20 Dutch tombstones. The next step was to decipher them and JJC’s list was used for comparison. Out of the 47 inscriptions (46 tombstones), I could manage to trace the identity of 40 epitaphs relatively easily, but of course multiple photographs taken from different angles were depended. Six of the tombstones were the real hard nut to crack as the inscriptions were barely visible. They are: Francisco Gomes Leitao, Francisco Rodriguez de Spinhoza and Madanella Pinta (Portuguese); Dirk Van Lier, Reinier Van Harn and Adrian Van Ommen (Dutch). The only tombstone in JJC list that I am yet to trace is the epitaph of Margarida de Faria (Portuguese). Out of the remaining 7 tombstones (i.e. other than the 46 of JJC), 6 are Portuguese and 1 is Dutch. Two tombstones from the Portuguese side are found with no legible writings, one among them lies in the floor, perhaps it was not disturbed during the restoration efforts of late 19th century, the other is a black tombstone between the grave markers of Francisco Gomes Leitao and Francisco de Masedo. The tombstone of Vasco da Gama is not listed in JJC, and hence it is included here. Two Portuguese tombstones are with inscriptions, but not listed in JJC and they are: 1) a large slab with fine engravings in the name of a woman identified as the wife of Baltesar Diaz; and 2) an undeciphered epitaph mounted on the main pillar in the north west side, close to the spot where the caretaker sits today. The only Dutch tombstone left out of JJC is for Silvestre Neer (not in CdT and R&C also), who was a captain in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and was shot dead near Cranganoor. That leaves us to the final tombstone, which is an extraordinary funerary monument, and we will discuss about it in the next post.
I) Here are the tombstones arranged by JJC in the chronological order of their date of death.
PORTUGUESE
1. Diogo Dias (20th January, 1546)
2. Pantalia Ledo (8th February, 1549)
3. Francisco Roiz & Lopez Milao (15th May, 1560, 24th January, 1565)*
4. Maria Mendes (14th February, 1562)
5. Isabel Mascarenhas (1st October, 1562)
6. Vasco Pimentel (May, 1567)
7. Francisco Gonsalvez Madera (1578)
8. Iago de Figeredo (17th April, 1611)
9. Graces and Gracia Pantaliao (23rd February, 1615 & 8th May, 1628)
10. Estevam Rabello (1615)-np
11. Antonio Cortes (10th June, 1616)
12. Francisco Pinto D’Azevedo (15th August, 1616)
13. Manoel do Vale (1631)
14. Francisco Gomes Leitao (1632)-np
15. Chapelmaster (1634)
16. Manoel Pestana (1634)-np
17. Marcus Botelho (1650)
18. Diogo Vincente (1655)
19. Iorge Dias (nd)-np
20. Joao Pereira Japao (nd)-np
21. Francisco Rodriguez de Spinhoza (nd)
22. Madanella Pinta (nd)-np
23. Amayo de Soza (nd)
24. Margarida de Faria (nd)**-np
25. Antonio de Brito Fogaca (nd)
26. Tristam de Barbuda (nd)
27. Fransisco de Masedo (nd)-np
28. Gaspar Rodriguez de Sousa (nd)
DUTCH
1. Sara Van der Dusse (26th October, 1664)
2. Balthasar de Meter (18th March, 1666)
3. Gerrit Jansz de Vries (4th August, 1670)
4. Cornelius and Peter Vosburg (21st February and 29th January, 1673)-np
5. Barend Hermannsoon (29th April, 1673)-np
6. Maria Berkms (17th August, 1673)
7. Elizabeth and Esperanza Reyns (2nd June and 20th December, 1673)-np
8. Spiliardus Family (23rd August, 1679)
9. Adrian Van Lier (12th December, 1680)
10. Dirk Van Lier (19th December, 1680)-np
11. Jacob Schoors (22nd July, 1682)
12. Lea Van Dielen (29th October, 1688)
13. Robbert Landzaey (31st October, 1690)-np
14. Isaac Van Dielen (25th December, 1693)
15. Adrian Van Ommen (27th November, 1696)
16. Hester Dulcina de Jong (4th December, 1727)
17. Gustaaf and Ursula Stein Van Gollenesse (3rd May, 1739)
18. Abraham Cornelis Delahaye (5th October, 1752)
19. Reinier Van Harn (16th March 1789)
A year before JJC, Penny Frank wrote in “The Church in Madras” (1904, Vol. 1, p. 259) that there were 29 Portuguese and 19 Dutch monumental stones in the Church, but he does not list them individually. Since according to JJC, the inscription on the reverse side of the Portuguese tombstone of Francisco and Lopez Milao is used for the epitaph of the Dutch commander Adrian van Ommen, the actual number tombstones must be 46 instead of 47. I am not considering the British memorials inside the church, but the name of Rev. Alfred Forbes Sealy, who is introduced as the “zealous Lay Trustee and finally the beloved Minister of this Church” needs a special mention, as he was the major force behind the conservation of these tombstones in 1886-87. JJC notes (p. 270) “It is to Mr. Sealy that the preservation of the Dutch and Portuguese tombstones of Cochin is largely duo. He had the different monuments collected and planted against the walls of the church and careful facsimiles of the inscriptions taken” . Sealy also showed that the slab bearing the name “Vasco”, regarded as the memorial stone of Vasco da Gama for a long time, was not the correct tombstone (JJC, Introduction, p. vi).
When I had the opportunity to revisit the St Francis Church recently, I decided to document all these tombstones by repeating the photography exercise one more time. Once again, the dark interior was the biggest hurdle and the light falling directly on the tombstones placed near the large open windows were an additional challenge. Nevertheless, I could manage to document all the tombstones and the photographs were acceptable. A total 52 funerary monuments are documented, 32 Portuguese and 20 Dutch tombstones. The next step was to decipher them and JJC’s list was used for comparison. Out of the 47 inscriptions (46 tombstones), I could manage to trace the identity of 40 epitaphs relatively easily, but of course multiple photographs taken from different angles were depended. Six of the tombstones were the real hard nut to crack as the inscriptions were barely visible. They are: Francisco Gomes Leitao, Francisco Rodriguez de Spinhoza and Madanella Pinta (Portuguese); Dirk Van Lier, Reinier Van Harn and Adrian Van Ommen (Dutch). The only tombstone in JJC list that I am yet to trace is the epitaph of Margarida de Faria (Portuguese). Out of the remaining 7 tombstones (i.e. other than the 46 of JJC), 6 are Portuguese and 1 is Dutch. Two tombstones from the Portuguese side are found with no legible writings, one among them lies in the floor, perhaps it was not disturbed during the restoration efforts of late 19th century, the other is a black tombstone between the grave markers of Francisco Gomes Leitao and Francisco de Masedo. The tombstone of Vasco da Gama is not listed in JJC, and hence it is included here. Two Portuguese tombstones are with inscriptions, but not listed in JJC and they are: 1) a large slab with fine engravings in the name of a woman identified as the wife of Baltesar Diaz; and 2) an undeciphered epitaph mounted on the main pillar in the north west side, close to the spot where the caretaker sits today. The only Dutch tombstone left out of JJC is for Silvestre Neer (not in CdT and R&C also), who was a captain in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and was shot dead near Cranganoor. That leaves us to the final tombstone, which is an extraordinary funerary monument, and we will discuss about it in the next post.
I) Here are the tombstones arranged by JJC in the chronological order of their date of death.
PORTUGUESE
1. Diogo Dias (20th January, 1546)
2. Pantalia Ledo (8th February, 1549)
3. Francisco Roiz & Lopez Milao (15th May, 1560, 24th January, 1565)*
4. Maria Mendes (14th February, 1562)
5. Isabel Mascarenhas (1st October, 1562)
6. Vasco Pimentel (May, 1567)
7. Francisco Gonsalvez Madera (1578)
8. Iago de Figeredo (17th April, 1611)
9. Graces and Gracia Pantaliao (23rd February, 1615 & 8th May, 1628)
10. Estevam Rabello (1615)-np
11. Antonio Cortes (10th June, 1616)
12. Francisco Pinto D’Azevedo (15th August, 1616)
13. Manoel do Vale (1631)
14. Francisco Gomes Leitao (1632)-np
15. Chapelmaster (1634)
16. Manoel Pestana (1634)-np
17. Marcus Botelho (1650)
18. Diogo Vincente (1655)
19. Iorge Dias (nd)-np
20. Joao Pereira Japao (nd)-np
21. Francisco Rodriguez de Spinhoza (nd)
22. Madanella Pinta (nd)-np
23. Amayo de Soza (nd)
24. Margarida de Faria (nd)**-np
25. Antonio de Brito Fogaca (nd)
26. Tristam de Barbuda (nd)
27. Fransisco de Masedo (nd)-np
28. Gaspar Rodriguez de Sousa (nd)
DUTCH
1. Sara Van der Dusse (26th October, 1664)
2. Balthasar de Meter (18th March, 1666)
3. Gerrit Jansz de Vries (4th August, 1670)
4. Cornelius and Peter Vosburg (21st February and 29th January, 1673)-np
5. Barend Hermannsoon (29th April, 1673)-np
6. Maria Berkms (17th August, 1673)
7. Elizabeth and Esperanza Reyns (2nd June and 20th December, 1673)-np
8. Spiliardus Family (23rd August, 1679)
9. Adrian Van Lier (12th December, 1680)
10. Dirk Van Lier (19th December, 1680)-np
11. Jacob Schoors (22nd July, 1682)
12. Lea Van Dielen (29th October, 1688)
13. Robbert Landzaey (31st October, 1690)-np
14. Isaac Van Dielen (25th December, 1693)
15. Adrian Van Ommen (27th November, 1696)
16. Hester Dulcina de Jong (4th December, 1727)
17. Gustaaf and Ursula Stein Van Gollenesse (3rd May, 1739)
18. Abraham Cornelis Delahaye (5th October, 1752)
19. Reinier Van Harn (16th March 1789)
II) TOMBSTONES IN THE CHURCH NOT RECORDED BY JJC
PORTUGUESE
1. Without inscription, placed horizontally on the floor
2. Without inscription, black tombstone between the grave markers of Francisco Gomes Leitao and Francisco de Masedo
3. Briamda Couceira (1551?)-wife of Baltesar Diaz
4. A tombstone with undeciphered inscription-np
5. Vasco da Gama
6. Simeon de Miranda
DUTCH
1. Silvestre Neer
*used
for the epitaph of the Dutch Commander, Adrian Van Ommen (Dutch
Tombstone 15)
**not traced in the church (Portuguese Tombstone 24)
nd-no dates in the epitaph
np-no photograph uploaded
I) 16th Century Portuguese Tombstones in the Church (JJC, 1905, pp. 264-265)-JJC lists 7 tombstones.
1) Diogo Dias (20th January, 1546)-the oldest tombstone.
Although, Vasco da Gama was buried in the church in 1524, his remains were repatriated to Portugal in 1538. In addition, at the time JJC was compiling the inventory, the tomb shown for Vasco da Gama was actually the grave of Vasco Pimentel. Thus, in his words, the grave marker of Diogo Dias (d. 1546) is "Apparently the oldest inscription and the only one in Gothic letters. It has a blank coat of arms" (JJC, p. 364). However, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI Annual Report, 1921-22,
p. 89) gives a different date for the oldest grave marker, and according to them,
the earliest Portuguese epitaph in the church dates back to 1562 AD only. The 1562 date is also attested in the signboard outside the church, probably kept by under ASI guidance (see the last photo below). The oldest tombstone noted by Lawson (1861, p. 26) is also from the year 1562 and the tombstone he is referring to is that of Maria Mendez, though the date of her death given by him is 14 October 1562 instead of JJC's 14 February 1562.
2) Pantalia Ledo (8th February, 1549)
3) Francisco Roiz & Lopez Milao (15th May, 1560 and 24th January, 1565).
Note
that the tombstone photographed here is actually the grave-marker of
the Dutch Commander, Adrian Van Ommen (27th November, 1696). JJC (pp.
264, 269) records that the original Portuguese inscription is on the
reverse side of this Dutch tombstone and that "the slab had been turned
and cut to make it fit the Dutchman’s grave".
4) Maria Mendes (14th February, 1562)
5) Isabel Mascarenhas (1st October, 1562)
6) Vasco Pimentel (May, 1567)
This slab
was long pointed out as the tombstone of Vasco da Gama because of the name "Vasco" on it. See the name "Vasco" highlighted in the tombstone. According to JJC (1905, pp. 264-265), the Portuguese inscription reads "S. de Vasco Frz Pimentel do conselho do sua majestade faleceo cm maio de 67 (i.e May, 1567) avendo tres anos e sinco meses que…aqui esta cidade";
and he translates the text as "Grave of Vasco Fernandes Pimentel of the
council of his Majesty having (ruled) three years and five months in
this city (died on May, 1567)".
7) Francisco Gonsalvez Madera (1578)
II) Diogo Vincente (1655)-the youngest dated Portuguese tombstone in the Church (JJC)
III) Sara Van der Dusse (26th October, 1664)-the Oldest Dutch Tombstone in the Church (JJC).
"This is the oldest Dutch inscription (in the church), being dated 1664, the year after the Dutch took Cochin. Some of the words are unreadable" (JJC, p. 267).
IV) Reinier Van Harn (16th March 1789)-the most recent Dutch tombstone. See that I have uploaded the 'Coat of Arms' of this tombstone below (Number 9).
IV) Tombstones with Coat of Arms
The armorial bearings of several of these headstones are beautifully carved with fine designs. There are also grave markers with simple and blank heraldic outlines. Here are 18 tombstones (10 Dutch and 8 Portuguese) from the first category.
DUTCH (1-9)
PORTUGUESE (11-18)
DUTCH: 1-Lea Van Dielen; 2-Jacob Schoors; 3-Isaac Van Dielen; 4-Hester Dulcina de Jong; 5-Gustaaf and Ursula Stein Van Gollenesse; 6-Gerrit Jansz de Vries; 7-Adrian Van Lier; 8-Abraham Cornelis Delahaye; 9-Reinier van Harn; 10-Spiliardus Family;
PORTUGUESE: 11-Marcus Botelho; 12-Iago de Figeredo; 13-Francisco Pinto d'Azevedo; 14-Graces and Gracia Pantaliao; 15-Antonio Cortes; 16-Gaspar Rodriguez de Souza; 17-Antonio de Brito Fogaca; 18-Manoel do Vale
V) Tombstones without Coat of Arms
Here are some simple tombstones without heraldic designs.
1-Maria Berkms (D); 2-Tristam de Barbuda (P); 3-Iorge Dias (P); 4-Balthasar de Meter (D); 5-Chapelmaster (P); 6-Amayo de Soza (P). D-Dutch and P-Portuguese
VI) Tombstones without inscriptions
There are 2 Portuguese tombstones in the church with barely any visible inscription. The gravestone (left) is on the floor of the nave and it appears to be in the original location without being disturbed. The black tombstone (right) is vertically mounted on the wall of the porch between the grave markers of Francisco Gomes Leitao and Francisco de Masedo.
VII) Tombstones not in JJC
There are a few tombstones inside the church not seen in the list of JJC, so most probably they were introduced after 1905. The Portuguese tombstone on the left is one of the largest in the church and is named after the wife of Baltesar Diaz, and if am not wrong her name is Briamda Couceira and the date of death is April, 1551. The Dutch tombstone on the right is also interesting and it is dedicated to Silvester Neer (d. 1670), captain in the Dutch East India Company (VOC), who was shot dead near Cranganoor (I owe this information to Rene ten Dam, see here).
VIII) Tombstones of Lea and Isaac Van Dielen
These Dutch tombstones of a husband, wife and their 3 year old daughter are perhaps the most beautiful and well preserved among the entire lot. Sir Charles Lawson wrote way back in mid-19th century about them, and most probably at that time, the epitaphs were not disturbed from their original location. Among the five tombstones Lawson has translated, two were the Dielen epitaphs. Lawson describes them as "singularly precise" and has given the following translation (1861, p. 26):
Lea Van Dielen-"Here rests Mistress Lea Vander Koute, wife of the Honorable Herr Commander Isaac Van-Dielen, died the 29th December, Anno 1688, being aged thirty-two years, minus a few hours." And Lea Gertruda Van-Dielen, little daughter of both, died 11th November previous, aged three years, five months and seventeen days."
Isaac Van Dielen-"Here under rests the Honorable Herr Isaac Van-Dielen, Commander and Chief Officer on the Coast of Malabar, Canara, and Vingorla. Died 25th December, in the evening, between 10 and 11 o'clock, being aged forty-one years, seven months and twenty days. Anno 1693”.
Until recently, a miniature portrait of Vasco da Gama was found hanging from the wall near Lea Van Dielen's tombstone. This was placed so close to the Dutch tombstone that some even assumed that the epitaph belonged to Vasco da Gama! See for instance, the images uploaded by two popular stock photography agencies here and here. Here is another misidentified image, and in this case, the Dutch tombstone of Adrian Van Lier (12th December, 1680) is assigned for Vasco da Gama!
IX) Funerary Tablet of Rev. Alfred Forbes Sealy (d. 1894)-the man mainly behind the restoration of the tombstones
X) A bilingual signboard in the compound of St Francis church with a brief history
46 tombstones are mentioned by JJC from the St Francis church. I have uploaded photographs of 33 of them in the blog, counting the 'Coat of Arms' (18 nos) also in the category of tombstones. Though I have photographs of the remaining 12 tombstones of the JJC list (the tombstone of Margarida de Faria is not identified), I will keep them unpublished, as they represent the types we have already discussed, and also because the inscriptions in them are difficult to read. In the 7 tombstones outside the JJC list, I have uploaded all except for one Portuguese tombstone which has an undecipherable inscription. In short, out of the total 52 tombstones preserved in the church (Margarida de Faria not counted), I have uploaded images of 39. The remaining 13 will be left unpublished for the time being as uploading 52 full sized tombstones would occupy too much space for this already lengthy post. In the next post, I will discuss about a unique gravestone preserved inside the church, which is however, not included in the list of 46 tombstones. It is a very historically important European funerary monument from Kerala.
For an update on more tombstones discovered see here
REFERENCES
Charles Allen Lawson (1861)-British and Native Cochin
Charles Allen Lawson (1861)-British and Native Cochin
Annual Report of Archaeological Survey of India, 1921-1922, Edited by D Brainerd Spooner, 1924
Inscripcoes Portuguezas Existentes em Cochim No Anno de 1863, In 'O Chronista de Tissuary', Edited by Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha Rivara, 1866
John Cantwell Roberts and Chekkutty, C P (2017)-Malabar Christian Memorials, Wynad to Travancore, 1498-2014
Julian James Cotton (1905)-List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Madras
Penny Frank (1904, Vol. 1)-The church in Madras
William Logan (1887, Vol. 1)-Malabar Manual
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