|
Trafalgar Cemetery
Gibraltar is a town that has had a long and glorious history. A great part
of this history was practically etched in blood, which is not at all
surprising when one considers the truth that Gibraltar is a territory that
was ruled for many centuries by several different nations, with many of
them conquering the town with much bloodshed.
Naturally, one would expect Gibraltar to have many historic sites in honor
of the numerous events that took place in its midst that made the town
what it is at present. This is exactly what Gibraltar has, numerous places
that carry a rich and glorious history, providing visitors with details
into the early years of the area.
While Gibraltar boasts of several fortresses, including gates and tunnels,
that primarily served as protection of the city against invaders, it
should be noted that many of these fortifications went through numerous
battles, practically shaping the destiny of Gibraltar. As such, many
people practically laid down their lives to defend the area, and for these
unsung heroes, a memorial is usually built in their honor.
|
Burial Grounds
Most early settlers of Gibraltar were buried in deep pits, notably
during the era of the Spaniards, when Roman Catholics were known to
bury their dead within Catholic churches themselves. Basically, the
dead were placed in deep pits covering them with a certain amount of
lime so that decomposition can be hastened. Grave inscriptions usually
accompany the burial grounds and are often embedded against the church
walls. Many of these grave inscriptions are still in existence today
and can be seen in several Catholic churches in Gibraltar,
specifically, the King’s Chapel and the Cathedral of St. Mary the
Crowned.
For the rest of the the dead, however, the usual practice is to bury
them in several Gibraltar cemeteries, one of which happens to be the
North Front Cemetery. The burial ground was opened sometime in 1756
after concerns were raised over burials made at Red Sands, an area
that was previously a major water catchment territory and a former
training ground of the UK military. Burials made in the area raised
the specter of an epidemic outbreak which necessitated the building of
a formal cemetery.
Nevertheless, North Front Cemetery is not the oldest burial ground in
Gibraltar. That distinction is owned by St. Jago’s Cemetery, also
referred to as Deadman’s Cemetery, a burial site already in existence
when the Spaniards were still the rulers in Gibraltar. Historians
believed that the area was actually an original graveyard of a more
ancient type where poor residents of a district in Spain called La
Turba bury their dead.
|
 |
St. Jago’s Cemetery likewise happens to be the only burial place in
Gibraltar that is situated inside the town walls. It stretches from
the the Charles V Wall up the spot where Lyonnaise Des Aux presently
stands.
When the United Kingdom successfully wrested control of Gibraltar
sometime in 1704 from the Spaniards, St. Jago’s Cemetery was largely
used both by civilians and military personnel. In 1932, Governor
General Sir Alexander J. Godley ordered the transfer of several graves
from St. Jago’s Cemetery to the nearby Trafalgar Cemetery.
Trafalgar Cemetery
Although consecrated as a separate and distinct cemetery as early as June,
1798, Trafalgar Cemetery was often regarded as part of St. Jago’s Cemetery
being located opposite the boundaries of the Charles V Wall.
At that time, the place was called Southport Ditch Cemetery, basically
because it also happened to be located just beyond the historic Southport
Gate. In fact, a 1627 Gibraltar map designed by Luis Bravo referred to the
Southport Ditch Cemetery as ‘foss’ located south of P’uerta de Africa’
(Southport Gate). Additionally, the area also happened to be part of
Gibraltar’s overall defenses, extensively used during the era of the
Spaniards.
For almost a century, specifically from 1798-1814, Southport Ditch
Cemetery was a prime burial ground, but subsequently was left unused,
though one particular tomb dating way back to 1838 is said to be still
standing. It is situated near the extreme north-east corner of Southport
Ditch.
However, in 1932, Southport Ditch Cemetery came back to life when several
gravestones originating from the nearby St. Jago’s Cemetery got to be
transferred to Southport Ditch and set on the cemetery’s eastern wall.
Soon after, several free-standing tombstones, originally stored at the
Alameda Gardens, were also transferred to Southport Ditch Cemetery, many
of these carrying dates to way back as the 1780’s.
A Change of Names
It is not quite clear when Southport Ditch Cemetery was renamed Trafalgar
Cemetery although the change of names was obviously in commemoration of
the Battle of Trafalgar, considered as the greatest and the last of all
sea battles involving sailing ships.
 |
Still, the renaming of the Southport Ditch Cemetery is considered somewhat
of a misnomer because while the place commemorates the great Trafalgar
battle, there are only two casualties from the said battle who are
actually buried at Trafalgar Cemetery. Majority of those put to rest in
the former Southport Ditch grounds are actually the remains of the people
who died from three instances of yellow fever outbreaks that struck the
town of Gibraltar sometime in the years 1804, 1813, and 1814. Likewise
buried at Trafalgar Cemetery are the bodies of navy men who perished in
other known sea battles that took place during the epic Napoleonic Wars.
These included the sea battles at Algeciras (1801), Cadiz (1810), and
Malaga (1812). |
Additionally, the cemetery happens to be quite small, and may not be big
enough to sufficiently represent the enormous number of lives that were
lost in the Battle of Trafalgar. Nevertheless, the place has gained a
reputation for being the graveyard of several heroes of the Battle of
Trafalgar, perhaps because the place itself was formerly a military
cemetery. Two of those heroes are actually worth noting. They are Royal
Marine corps member Lieutenant William Forster of HMS Mars and Lieutenant
Thomas Norman from the HMS Colossus, who both died from wounds suffered in
the midst of battle. They occupied grave site numbers 121 and 101
respectively at Trafalgar Cemetery.
Other casualties of the Battle of Trafalgar were actually buried on the
northern corner of the Charles V Wall, where a plaque was eventually
placed to honor the epic event. Still, many others were simply thrown
overboard and given a quick burial at sea.
Additionally, there is a tomb in the Trafalgar Cemetery that is worth
giving a second look simply because the dead that lies therein is not a
direct participant in the Battle of Trafalgar. The tomb belongs to John
Brugier, the HMS San Juan Nepomuceno purser. The ship was captured during
the sea battle, just one of many such ships. It was eventually brought to
the town of Gibraltar when the battle ended, where she gained usage as a
perfect supply vessel for almost a decade. Brugier, for his part, got to
occupy grave number 103 at Trafalgar Cemetery.
Other notable grave sites at Trafalgar Cemetery are those where the
remains of Lieutenant Holloway and Helen Charlotte Smith lie. They were
Sir Charles Holloway’s children. Holloway made a name in British history
as an able Garrison Engineer. The remains of his children occupy grave
site numbers 46 and 47.
The remains of Sir William Green’s grandchildren are also known to occupy
prime spots at Trafalgar Cemetery. Sir William Green entered British
history books for founding the Company of Military Officers during his
1970 tenure as Garrison Chief Engineer. The said company eventually
evolved in the highly-elite British Royal Engineers.
The Last Sea Battle
What prompted the Southport Ditch Cemetery to eventually be called
Trafalgar Cemetery can probably be traced to the truth that immediately
after the Battle of Trafalgar, the HMS Victory and several other British
ships sailed back to Gibraltar where ostensibly, repairs were made on
them. It is likewise in Gibraltar that the remains of the late Admiral
Horatio Nelson, commander of the entire British fleet that took part in
the epic battle, was believed brought when the battle ended. It was
reportedly kept inside the former home of Lord St. Vincent near Rosia Bay,
preparatory to being shipped home to the United Kingdom. There are,
however, several reports that tend to dispute this particular story about
Admiral Nelson’s fate.
Still, no one can dispute the reality that the Battle of Trafalgar was
decisive, in favor of the English navy, as when they claimed victory on
October 21, 1805, it put a stop to Napoleon Bonaparte’s grand scheme of
launching an invasion of Great Britain. It likewise cemented the
reputation of the elite Royal Navy as a professional and highly-trained
fleet in what is considered as the last of the epic sea battles.
The Great Remains
There are several arguments as to where the remains of Admiral Nelson was
really taken immediately after the Battle of Trafalgar. Legend says that
upon arrival in Gibraltar, the body was brought to shore, but there are
those who dispute this. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the body was
placed inside a barrel full of brandy ostensibly to preserve it.
At Rosia Bay, the brandy was drained and replaced with alcohol. The
process could have been done aboard as insisted by other historians.
However, at that time, the HMS Victory was badly in need of repairs if it
was to sail back successfully to England. To undertake such extensive
repair works, cargoes had to be taken off the ship. Obviously, this
included the barrel which carried the remains of the HMS Victory
commander.
|
Additionally, arguments arose as to where
the body was eventually buried, but this particular issue
was settled when the remains were finally brought to
England, consequently being buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
As for the other British navy officials involved in the
Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, who
headed the HMS Royal Sovereign received the gift of being
turned into a baron, while the British captains were
compensated by being reimbursed of their prized money that
they unfortunately lost when these sank during the storm
that subsequently followed immediately when the battle
ended. This was aside from the King’s Naval Gold Medal that
each of the English captains consequently received. |
 |
Trafalgar in Modern Times
For many years, an annual ceremony is held at the Trafalgar Cemetery every
21 of October in commemoration of the historic day when the greatly
outnumbered British ships defeated the larger fleet of enemy ships made up
of the combined forces of Spanish and French navy off the Cape Trafalgar
coast. The annual event has since been appropriately called Trafalgar Day,
with the celebration usually consisting of parades, processions,
fireworks, and other similar events. The commemoration was usually
observed throughout many areas in the United Kingdom, including Gibraltar
and Trafalgar Cemetery.
However, the usually colorful celebration took on a more serene observance
in subsequent years, especially after the World War I in 1918. The
enormous casualties that were recorded forced most people to view war in
general and the Battle of Trafalgar in particular, as a generally tragic
event rather than a day of rejoicing. Nevertheless, the bicentenary of the
Battle of Trafalgar was held last year with the elite Royal Navy leading
the modest celebrations.
A National Heritage
In 1990, the Gibraltar government tasked the Gibraltar Heritage Trust with
the major responsibility of keeping the Trafalgar Cemetery in good running
order as part of Gibraltar’s many national heritage. The following years,
specifically from 1990 up to 1992, saw the Gibraltar Heritage Trust
receiving grants from Trafalgar House and one of its subsidiaries, the
Cunard Steam Ship Company, for the general maintenance and operation of
the Trafalgar Cemetery.
From the efforts poured in by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust in keeping
Trafalgar Cemetery alive, one notable achievement was the unveiling of a
monument in 1992. Then Gibraltar Governor Admiral Sir Derek Reffell
unveiled the said monument in simple ceremonies. It consisted of two
images, one, an anchor given by the elite Royal Navy to the Trust, and
two, an inscription that bears the exact dispatch sent by Admiral
Collingwood where he made a report about the British naval fleet’s victory
over the enemy at Trafalgar but sadly added the news about the demise of
Admiral Nelson while in the midst of directing the sea battle. Needless to
say, the dispatch was met with a mix of emotions. There was public
rejoicing, but at the same time national sorrow over the demise of a
dearly beloved Admiral.
|
