Malaysia — Malacca — Dutch Graveyard, Malacca, Malaysia

The colonial past of Malacca

June 2015

Due to Malacca having a rather complicated and fascinating history, there are numerous European anomalies around the town, and one such place is the Dutch graveyard.

The Dutch graveyard was first used from 1670 to 1682 and then again from 1818 to 1838, and it contains 5 Dutch and 33 British graves.

The second period of use was after the British took over Malacca in 1795 (they initially used St Paul's Hill as a burial ground). The first British person to be buried in the graveyard was Captain John Kidd, and the last British person was the wife of a British army officer in 1838.

Most of the British graves are of army and navy personnel, plus the wives of army officers.

Below are 3 Dutch grave markers.

One grave that stood out was one with a tall column. The grave was for two British Lieutenants, White and Harding, of the 29th Regiment Madras N.I., who were killed at Naning (Malaysia) on the 20th of August 1831 and the 29th of March 1832.

The inscription on the tomb reads:

“Sacred to the memory of Lieutenants White, and Harding of the 29th Regiment Madras N.I. who fell in action with the Malays, the former on the 20th of August, 1831 and the latter on the 29th of March, 1832. This tomb was erected as a mark of respect and esteem by their brother officers.”