12) DUTCH GRAVESTONE OF WEYERMAN FAMILY (18TH CENTURY) IN ST ANGELO'S FORT, KANNUR

Inside the St Angelo Fort in Kannur, bricked into the ramparts wall is a gravestone. The 24-lined Dutch epitaph from the mid-18th century is well preserved and the engravings are still quite visible. The skull motif on the top of the headstone is also finely carved and well executed. This is the tombstone of a young mother who died at the early age of 17 while giving birth to a stillborn child. Her name is Susanna Geertruyda Pfeiffer and she was the first wife of Godefridus Weyerman, the Dutch Commander of Malabar. Susanna (born 12 August 1727; died 28 March 1745; age 17 years 7 months 16 days) was the daughter of Matthijs Pfeiffer (chief of Porto Novo) and Margaretha Hackaart. In the same tombstone, the burial details of Weyerman’s two infant sons from his second marriage to Joanna Anna Banister are also given.  As per the epitaph, the infants Godfried Wynando (born 28 August, 1749; died 2 December, 1749) and Godfried Jehan (died 22 July, 1755; age 15 months 8 days) were buried on either side of Susanna’s sarcophagus at Kannur, but neither their graves nor their gravestones have survived. Weyerman began his career as a soldier for the Dutch East India Company in 1734, and over time climbed the ladder to become a chief merchant (1757); Commander of Malabar (1760-1765); and Governor (1776) etc. Weyerman married for the 3rd time with Rachel Douglas (d. 1772 in Batavia), and together they had 3 children. He passed away in Batavia (Indonesia) on March 9, 1779.  

The Dutch inscription

Dutch Transcript
Hier onder Rust het Lyk der Egte vrouve Van de Heer GODEFRIDUS WEYERMAN gen= SUSANNA GEERTRUYDA PFEIFFER in de kraam Van Eene Doode Soon Overleden den 28: Maart Ao=1745: oud Synde 17 iaren 7 maanden en 16 Dagen. Aan weerzyden Van deese Sarksteen Leggen Begraven twee Kinderen Van gem. Heer WEYERMAN Geprocureerd uyt de tweede Egt med de Vrouwe JOANNA ANNA BANISTER, het Eerste Kind gent= GODFRIED WYNANDO Geboren den 28 Aug Ao=1749 Gestorven den 2 Zber daaraan volgende, Mitsgaders het Tweede Kind Genaamt GODFRIED JEHAN, onstlapen den 22 July Ao= 1755 oud Wesende 15 maanden En 8 dagen

English Translation
Here under rests the body of the wife of Mr. GODEFRIDUS WEIJERMAN named SUSANNA GEERTRUYDA PFEIFFER while giving birth to a stillborn son, [she] died on the 28th March in the year 1745, [her] age 17 years, 7 months and 16 days. On either side of this sarcophagus lie buried two children of the same Mr. WEIJERMAN obtained from [his] second marriage with Mrs. JOANNA ANNA BANISTER. The first child named GODFRIED WYNANDO, born on the 28 August in the year 1749, died on the following 2nd December. As well as the second child named GODFRIED JEHAN, passed away on the 22nd July in the year 1755, [his] age being 15 months and 8 days. 

11) TOMBSTONE OF CAPTAIN WILHELM (WILLIAM) BLASSER (2 FEBRUARY, 1729) -DUTCH COMMANDER OF WILLIAM FORT (FORT WILHELMUS) IN CHETTUVA

 

Dutch Epitaph

Ter gedagtenisse van den E. Wilhem Blasser in syn leeven Cappetyn Luytenant en eerste commandant ter fortresse Wilhelmus tot Chettua overleeden den 2 February ao 1729.

English Translation

In memory of E Willem Blasser, in his lifetime captain lieutenant and first commander of the fortress Wilhelmus at Chettua, deceased on the 2 February 1729.

 

In 1714, the Dutch under the support of Cochin Raja set about the erection of a fort at Chettuva. In 22 January, 1715, Zamorin (Samoothiri) with the help of the British took control over the unfinished fort by surprise attack. The English even built a lodge in the fort complex afterwards. However, the Dutch recaptured the fort in 25 April, 1717 under the command of Sergeant-Major Hans Frederik Bergman. It was named Fort William and Captain-Lieutenant William (Wilhem) Blasser was the First Commandant thereof, died there on 2 February, 1729 and buried in the fort premises. After the Dutch, by the end of 18th century, the fort was controlled for a brief period by the Mysorean Army of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan; and they were followed by the British. 

In the 1880s, the then Malabar Collector, William Logan observes Wilhem Blasser's grave lying at the 'Chetwai Public Bungalow' ('Malabar Manual', 1887, vol 1, p. 351). However, in 1905, British Civil Servant Julian James Cotton reports that the this slab was recovered from the site of the old fort of Chetwai by some Moplas (Muslims) who took it to their mosque, and that Logan had it removed to the Deputy Tahsildar's office, where it lies in the compound of that building ('List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Madras', p. 264). Almost at the same period, Sir Charles Alexander Innes also attests the tombstone in Chavakkad Deputy Tahsildar's office ('Madras District Gazetteers', 1908, vol. 1, p. 450). A few years later, in 20 February, 1924, Rev. Henry Hosten visited the site and saw the tombstone. Hosten writes that the slab was brought to the "Sub-magistrate's court at Chowghat from the dilapidated fort of Chettuvai (Chetwye), 4 miles off, along the sea". We learn that Hosten even left a copy of the inscription and a translation with the authorities.