Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Heartbreaking

I drive past this rather dilapidated graveyard in Parish Road, Constantia often, and always notice the decapitated angel. Today, a rather cold, wet and miserable day, I got out and wandered through the cemetery and took at look at the angel on which is inscribed:
SCHUDDINH
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DARLING BABIES
BERNARD 1332-1937 DAPHNE 1935-1936
SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME
So very heartbreaking!
There are also some military graves that have been recently tidied up by the South African War Graves Commission - apparently they are graves of British soldiers that died in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (although some are dated 1903). But on the whole it is in pretty sad condition. In South Africa theft of metal is a great problem and many of the graves that contained railings no longer do. All rather pathetic.
I can't find out much about the graveyard either. It has graves with names of some prominent old Cape family names like Spilhaus and Rathfelder, but it doesn't seem to be formally attached to Christ Church Anglican church, which is close by. Maybe it is, who knows. The earliest grave seens to be 1878.

3 comments:

  1. My brother is buried in St John's Kenilworth S.A. I hope to visit him one day.My sister was there a few years ago ,tried to get into the graveyard but it was all chained up due to vandalism...so very sad.
    Jane x

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  2. A decapitated angel, what a powerful image.

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  3. I love wandering through old grave yards being it here in Port Elizabeth or out on my travels

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