2) BRITISH MEMORIALS IN THE ST FRANCIS CHURCH, FORT KOCHI

The British took control of the St Francis Church at Cochin from the Dutch in the early 19th century. The church remained in British hands til 1947, when it was handed over to the current custodians, the Church of South India (CSI). However, unlike the Portuguese and the Dutch, no British burials have occurred in the church. The English memorials you see are tablets and plaques inserted to the church walls by friends and families, and they are not tombstones from graves. Though these memorials are less detailed compared to the Portuguese and Dutch gravestones, they still have relevant information such as date of death, age and designation of the deceased.

A total 11 English memorials containing names of 12 individuals are identified inside the church. They are as follows:
1-ALFRED CHARLES WHITE (d. 2nd February, 1933, 59 years)
2-ALFRED FORBES SEALY (d. 28 October, 1894; 63 years)
3-DIANA EMILY CROZIER (d. 21 March, 1880)
4-GEORGE BRUNTON (d. 28 March, 1900, 77 years)
5-HAL HARRISON JONES (d. 13 November, 1923)
6-HENRY BIDEWELL GRIGG (b. 17 June, 1841, 53 years)
7-JOHN CHRISTIE (d. 16 August, 1916)
8-JOHN HUTCHINSON ASPINWALL (b. 23 October, 1834, 49 years)
9-WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN (d, 1 July, 1886; 55 years)
10-PETER NOBLE BOXER (d. 23 December, 1938)
11-JOHN REPINGTON COLLIS (d. 23 December, 1938)
12-SAMUEL ARCHBALD LOCKE (b. 12 October, 1851, 60 years)

None of them are buried in the church, but I have traced the graves of 2, 5, 6, 11 and 12 in the CSI Cemetery (old British Cemetery) in Veli, Fort Kochi. You can find photographs I took of these graves here.

1-ALFRED CHARLES WHITE (b. 3rd July, 1873 & d. 2nd February, 1933), husband of MAY WHITE

2-REV. ALFRED FORBES SEALY (d. 28 October, 1894; 63 years)-Director of Public Instuctions, Cochin State and Principal of Ernakulam (Maharaja's) College for 25 years.

3-DIANA EMILY CROZIER (d. 21 March, 1880)

4-GEORGE BRUNTON (b. 29 January, 1823 &  d. 28 March, 1900)-Chairman of Cochin Municipality and President of Chamber of Commerce

 5-HAL HARRISON JONES ( d. 13 November, 1923)-Managing Director of Aspinwall & Co., Ltd.

6-HENRY BIDEWELL GRIGG (b. 17 June, 1841 &  d. 5 April, 1895)-Director of Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency

7-JOHN CHRISTIE (d. 16 August, 1916)-Director of Peirce Leslie & Co., Ltd. 

John Christie. In memory of John Christie, Director of Peirce Leslie & Co. Who died at Madras on the 16th August 1916. Erected by the Directors. Managers and Assistants of Peirce Leslie & Co., Ltd. In token of the great affection & esteem in which they held him.

8 and 9-JOHN HUTCHINSON ASPINWALL (b. 23 October, 1834 &  d. 11 September, 1884); WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN (d, 1 July, 1886; 55 years )-Civil Surgeon of Cochin from 1878 to 1886 

John Hutchinson Aspinwall. For many years a merchant of this town and ever a warm promoter of its interests.Born 23 October 1834. Died 11 September 1884.This tablet has been erected by a few of his friends.

William Henry Morgan. This memorial is placed here by friends in loving remembrance of Brigade Surgeon William Henry Morgan of the Indian Medical Service,Civil Surgeon of Cochin from 1878 to 1886 and one of the Lay Trustees of this church, who died on the 1st day of July 1886 during the voyage from Madras to England and was buried at sea, aged 55 years.

10 and 11-PETER NOBLE BOXER & JOHN REPINGTON COLLIS (d. 23 December, 1938)-are Royal Navy pilots killed while flying the flight 'Supermarine Walrus I L2255, 714, HMS Manchester' at Cochin

 

12-SAMUEL ARCHBALD LOCKE (b. 12 October, 1851 & d. 26 February, 1912)

World War I Memorial

In addition, there is a stone slab mounted to the floor of the church, which is a memorial for 11 soldiers who perished during the World War I (1914-1919). Interestingly, two of them are Indians, viz. Major P P Atal and Lieutenant K H Bhat. The same war memorial can be seen outside the church, at the front courtyard, in the form of a stone plate fixed to a pyramid-shaped pillar. Although the ranks of the soldiers and their regiments are given, their burial date, age, first names etc., are not recorded. The inventory collected by Roberts and Chekkutty (2017) has these missing details, and I have added them in brackets. See the list of the 11 soldiers below:

1-Lieutenant COLONEL J J P (JOHN JAMES PATRICK) QUINN (d. 25 September, 1915; 47 years)
2-Major A P (PANDIT PIARAYLAL) ATAL (d. 23 November, 1914; 42 years)
3-Major J N (JOHN NEILL) BLACK (d. 9 April, 1917; 22 years)
4-Captain B V (BERTRAM VERNON) FALLE (d. 16 August, 1915)
5-Captain W A (JOHN RICHARD) GOVER/GOWER (24 April, 1920; 49 years)
6-Captain I F (IAN FORBES) MACKAY (d. 25 September, 1915)
7-Captain E G (ELLIS GLEDHILL) PITCAIRN (d. 6 October, 1918; 27 years)
8-Lieutenant K H BHAT (d. 31 December, 1917)
9-Lieutenant C R (CHARLES ROBERTSON) CARSON (d. 5 September. 1915; 29 years)
10-Lieutenant G H (GEORGE EDMUND HEYGATE) FINCHAM (d. 9 March, 1916; 25 years)
11-Private C F (CHARLES FREDERICK) FOSTER (d. 27 November, 1915; 20 years)

The name of K H Bhat is left out by Roberts and Chekkutty (2017), but the 'Commonwealth War Graves Commission' records have his date of death. 

Reference

Roberts, John Cantwell and Chekkutty, N P (2017)-Malabar II: Christian Memorials Wynad to Travancore 1498-2014

War Memorial inside the church

War Memorial outside the church

Commemorative Plaques

Though not related here, two commemoration plaques dedicated to British Queens from two different centuries are on display inside the church, one commemorating repair done in the church in 1887 during the 50th year of reign of Queen Victoria; and the other remembering the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.