Tombstones displayed in the Mother of God Church, Kozhikode.
In the courtyard of the Mother of God Roman Catholic Cathedral at Kozhikode are displayed 15 tombstones. The gravestones are mounted near the northern compound wall of the cathedral. All the inscriptions are in English, except for one tombstone which is in French. The headstones are dated from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, the oldest from 1861 and the latest from 1908. Among the deceased are three Septuagenarians, two French infants, an Austrian born German machinist and an Indian Sub Assistant Surgeon. The 16th century Portuguese church has undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment and the current structure after major renovation was rededicated and inaugurated on 2009. Apparently, there was a burial ground in the churchyard or nearby, the exact location unknown. Roberts and Chekkutty (2017) has an inventory for this cemetery with 32 burials reported, the earliest dated to 1857. However, only 27 are recorded with a gravestone and the oldest from 1866. Today, the functional cemetery of the Cathedral is located 3 km North in the West Hill area of Kozhikode.
Mother of God Roman Catholic Cathedral, Kozhikode
Details of the Tombstones
|
No |
Name |
Death |
Age |
|
1 |
Whelelmina Cornelia |
9/1861 |
27y |
|
2 |
Joanna De Souza Rodrigues |
6/1864 |
70y |
|
3a |
Henri Profumo |
4/1866 |
1y + 7m |
|
3b |
Emilie Profumo |
6/1866 |
10m |
|
4 |
Joseph Manuel De'rozario |
6/1881 |
71y |
|
5 |
John Anthony De'rozario |
8/1885 |
71y |
|
6 |
John Schloss |
3/1886 |
45y |
|
7 |
H. J. King |
12/1887 |
NA |
|
8 |
Clarissa Josephina |
6/1890 |
31y +4m + 6d |
|
9 |
Emily Mary |
4/1895 |
18y +10m + 25d |
|
10 |
Ernest Augustus Godfrey |
1/1896 |
66y |
|
11 |
Josephine Clara |
3/1899 |
49y |
|
12 |
Domingo Manuel De'siqueira |
2/1902 |
35y + 8d |
|
13 |
Joseph Victor |
6/1908 |
40y |
|
14 |
Child |
NA |
NA |
|
15 |
D Rajendram Pillai |
9/1895 |
NA |
Interestingly, the first two gravestones (Whelelmina and Joanna), also the oldest in the lot, are not seen in the inventory collected by Roberts and Chekkutty (2017). Along with the photographs uploaded below, I am attaching the full transcripts of the epitaphs.
TOMBSTONES PRESERVED IN THE MOTHER OF GOD CATHEDRAL, KOZHIKODE
1-Whelelmina Cornelia, d. 1861, age 27. Wife of John Boyer.
TO THE MEMORY
OF WHELELMINA CORNELIA
THE BELOVED WIFE
OF MR JOHN BOYER
SHE DIED ON THE 17TH SEPTEMBER 1861
AGED 27 YEARS
HER LIFE WAS EXEMPLARY AND HER END PEACE
REMEMBER THOU WHO PASSEST BY
AS YOU ARE NOW, SO ONCE WAS I
AS I AM NOW, SO YOU SHALL BE
PREPARE YOURSELF TO FOLLOW ME
THIS TABLET HAD BEEN ERECTED FOR HONOUR
OF THE DECEASED BY HER DISCONSOLATE HUSBAND
2-Joanna De Souza Rodrigues, d. 1864, age 70. Wife of Antony John De'Souza.
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY
OF
JOANNA DE SOUZA RODRIGUES
RELICT
THE LATE MR. ANTONY JOHN DE SOUZA
DIED ON THE 19TH JUNE 1864
AGED 70 YEARS
HER REMAINS
WERE INTERRED BY THE VERY REVD MICHAEL
BISHOP OF MANGALORE ASSISTED BY OUR VICAR
THE REVD FATHER CLEMENT
HER SPOTLESS AND EDIFIJING LIFE
HER UNSHAKEN CHARITY TO THE NEIGHBOUR
POOR AND ABE ARE PREACHING FROM HER TOMB
ALL CHRISTIAN VIRTUES
3-Henri Profumo [d. 1866, age 1 year 7 months] and Emilie Profumo [d. 1866, age 10 months]
A. NOS CHERS ENFANTS
HENRI PROFUMO
NEE LE 21 SEPTEMBRE 1864
MORT LE 30 AVRIL (APRIL) 1866
A CALICUT
EMILIE PROFUMO
NEE LE 11 AOUT (AUGUST) 1865
MORTE LE 13 JUIN (JUNE) 1866
A CALICUT
AU REVOIR CHERS ENFANTS
...I NOUS ESPERONS VOUS REJOINDRE
It is one of the rare gravestones in French language that has survived in Kerala. It is also the oldest grave marker reported for the cemetery in the inventory by Roberts and Chekkutty (2017).
4-Joseph Manuel De'Rozario, d. 1881, age 71
SACRED
TO THE
MEMORY OF
JOSEPH MANUEL DE'ROZARIO
WHO DIED AT CALICUT
ON THE 3RD JUNE 188(1)
AGED 71 YEARS
THY WILL BE DONE
5-John Anthony De'Rozario, d. 1885, age 71
SACRED
TO THE
MEMORY OF
JOHN ANTHONY DE'ROZARIO
WHO DIED AT CALICUT
ON THE 4TH AUGUST 1885
AGED 71 YEARS
THY WILL BE DONE
6-John Schloss, d. 1886, age 45
PRAY
ETERNAL
REST
TO
JOHN SCHLOSS
BORN,
13 FEBR 1831
CORZ AUSTRIA
DECEASED,
12 MARCH 1886
CALICUT
K. K. MACHINIST
THE
AFFLICTED
WIDOW
AND
FOUR TENDER
CHILDREN
THIS
MONUMENT
ERECTED
R. I. P.
7-Private H. J. King, d. 1887
(SACRED)
(TO THE) MEMORY OF
PTE H. J. KING
CO 2ND BN FUSILIERS
WHO DIED AT CALICUT
31ST DECEMBER 1887
ERECTED BY HIS SORROWING COMRADES
AS A TOKEN OF RESPECT
Keogh, H. R. J. according to Roberts and Chekkutty (2017).
8-Clarissa Josephina, d. 1890, age 31. Wife of Samuel Woods.
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
CLARISSA JOSEPHINA
THE DEARLY BELOVED WIFE OF
SAMUEL WOODS
CHIEF GUARD M R CO
DIED 1ST JUNE 1890
AGED 31 YEARS 4 MONTHS & 6 DAYS
SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS
DEEPLY REGRETTED BY HER
SORROWING HUSBAND AND SON
HER LAST EXPRESSIONS WERE
I LOVE JESUS BECAUSE HE SAVED ME
9-Emily Mary, d. 1895, age 18. Daughter of Alexander and Anne Maria D'Cruiz.
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
EMILY MARY
BELOVED DAUGHTER OF
ALEXANDER AND ANNE MARIA D'CRUIZ
BORN 27TH MAY 1876
AND DEPARTED HIS LIFE ON THE 21ST APRIL (18)95
AGED 18 YEARS 10 MONTHS AND 25 DAYS
(SHE WAS AN OBEDIENT DAUGHTER) AND AN ESTEEMED (PUPIL, 'WHOM HAVE IN HEAVEN BUT THEE? AND THERE IS NONE UP IN EARTH THAT DOES NOT GRIEVE').
10-Ernest Augustus Godfrey, d. 1896, age 66
THY WILL ihs BE DONE
IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF
ERNEST AUGUSTUS GODFREY
WHO DIED JANUARY 3RD 1896
AGED 66 YEARS
A DEVOTED HUSBAND AND LOVING FATHER
WEEP NOT FOR ME MY FAMILY DEAR,
I AM WITH CHRIST YOU NEED NOT FEAR,
BUT PRAY YOUR SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN,
THAT YOU MAY MEET WITH ME IN HEAVEN
Erected by his sorrowing children
11-Josephine Clara, d. 1899, age 49. Wife Joseph H Gwynne.
LOVING MEMORY OF
JOSEPHINE CLARA
THE BELOVED WIFE OF
JOSEPH H. GWYNNE
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
OB THE 15TH MARCH 1899
AGED 49 YEARS
12-Domingo Manuel De'Siqueira, d. 1902, age 35. Husband of Ana Rodrigues De'Siqueira.
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
DOMINGO MANUEL DE'SIQUEIRA
BORN ON THE 12TH FEBRUARY 1867
AT CALANCUTE CONCELHO IN BARDEZ
IN THE DIOCESE OF GOA
WHO DIED AT CALICUT
ON THE 20TH FEBRUARY 190(2)
AGED 35 YEARS, 8 DAYS
THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE ANA RODRIGUES DE'SIQUEIRA
RIP
13-Joseph Victor, d. 1908, age 40. Husband of Mary Eva Barboza.
EVER LOVING MEMORY
OF
JOSEPH VICTOR
THE DEARLY BELOVED HUSBAND
OF
MARY EVA BARBOZA
BORN 25TH FEB 1868
DIED 12TH JUNE 1908
"REST IN PEACE AYE. AND FOR EVER.
BELOVED JOSEPH. IN REALMS ABOVE.
THY NAME MY HEART ENSHRINES FOR EVER.
CARVED IN THOUGHTS OF BOUNDLESS LOVE
RIP
SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS
14-Anonymous, Child
ADIEU SWEET CHILD SHORT WAS THY STAY
JUST LOOKED ABOUT THEN CALLED AWAY
THY ANGEL FACE WE ALL DID SEE
BUT SOON WE WERE DEPRIVED OF THEE
SLEEP ON DEAR CHRIST TAKE THY REST
The first half of this tombstone is missing, so the identity of the child remains unknown. A possible candidate is "Vincent Charles Barboza, died 3 November 1880, age 1- gravestone" in the inventory by Roberts and Chekkutty (2017).
15-D Rajendram Pillai, d. 1895
OF
D RAJENDRAM PILLAI
SUB ASSISTANT SURGEON
DIED 3RD SEPTEMBER 1895
A LIGHT IS FROM OUR HOUSEHOLD GONE
THE VOICE WE LOVED US STILL
A PLACE IS VACANT IN OUR HOME
WHICH NONE CAN EVER FILL
This is the tombstone of the only Indian in the lot.REFERENCE
John Cantwell Roberts and Chekkutty, N P (2017) Malabar II Christian Memorials, vol. II
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