For many people tracing their ancestors, a gravestone is all that records the life of an individual. The very root of words ‘headstone, gravestone and tombstone’ sounds enduring like the saying ‘carved in stone’ to donote something that is irreversible. Sadly, that is not the fact, and particularly in this climate of extreme weather coupled with earth tremors, some of the headstones in the British cemetery are illegible, those details lost forever. Many of the markers having undergone a type of exfoliation whereby the top layer has simply flaked away.
Another point I noted while researching names from the cemetery, is that all too often the information is ‘locked’ unless you have a key in the form of a credit card, granted there is a cost to maintaining huge database, but the information I have collected is neither huge nor costly, though it may prove ‘big’ to someone as in the case of Matt Hall. Unfortunately stone is not permanent and the inscriptions even less so, with this in mind here are my transcriptions
| 1 |
GEORGE DODD CLARK/b 15.2.1830/d 30.1.1849/ Born in Zante. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. |
| 2 |
JOHN REY/Aged 37/ Colour Sergeant No2 Corp 7 Battalion |
| 3 |
FCL CHIARANDA / d 22.11.1856/ Aged 66 / FCL Chiaranda Assistant Commissioner General / This monument was erected by his daughter. The memory of the just is blessed |
| 4 |
Capt. JOHN TAYLOR / d 26.3.1843 / Aged 35/ Sacred to the memory |
| 5 |
MARIA AIKATEPINH ΛΟΥΝΤΖΗ / b 4.2.1776 / d 8.10.1850 / inscribed in Greek |
| 6 |
ROBERT BACHELOR / d 13.3.1852 / Aged 31 /To the memory of |
| 7 |
ANNE MILES / d 1821 / Sacred to the memory of Anne Miles of the 8th Reg. of Foot. Also the memory of George their infant 4 days after the above aged 8 months |
| 8 |
JOHN (J) SIMPSON / d 1833 |
| 9 |
HECTOR MUNRO / d 3.8.1828 / Aged 34 / The 90th Light Infantry to their esteemed and lamented adjutant Leuit HM who died |
| 10 |
FRANCES ELIZA KIRBY / d 26.11.1841 / Aged 13 months /Memory of Francis Eliza the daughter of William and Ellen Kirby |
| 11 |
Illegible and ornate gravestone with a crest above which is carved DOM ltn To God, the best, the greatest / the crest depicts a hound above a chevron |
| 12 |
Illegible name / d 3 months 25 days / In the memory of the infant of Cpt (?) and Isabella his wife |
| 13 |
JAMES TENNENT ESQ / d 14.9.1844 / Deputy Assistant Commissioner General who died at Zante |
| 14 |
SOPHIE VERNON / d 18.4.1821 / Aged 36 / Sacred to the memory of SV wife of Major Henry Veron of the 36th Reg. Foot who departed this life. Not lost but gone before |
| 15 |
THOMAS PARNELL ESQ. / d 5.11.1821 / Aged 33 / Dutch Consul of Patras who died on this island. His affectionate sister Olivia Ecazza has erected this tomb |
| 16 |
LUKE WHITNEY ESQ. / d illegible / To the memory of |
| 17 |
P ALEXANDER DODSWORTH / b 1809 / d 1859 / Aged 22 / ltn. Inscription Here lies |
| 18 |
SARAH MARTIN / d 29.6.1835 / Aged 18 / Sarah daughter of Surgeon Martin of 97th Reg. died in the castle of Zante |
| 19 |
CLEMENT HARBY / see related article on the British Cemetery |
| 20 |
JOSEPH KEMP / d 2.1.1821 / Aged 46 / Sacred to the memory of JK late quarter master of the 36th Reg. who departed this life on ... This stone was erected a mark of esteem by his brother |
| 21 |
MARY CROGGAN / d 13.8.1830 / Aged 31 / Sacred to the memory of Mary wife of W O Croggan missionary. Also the remains of S Andromache Croggan who died on 25.11.1827 aged 6 months. Also their two babies, one was buried 8.6.1827 and another 6.8.1830 |
| 22 |
ELIZABETH LOWNDES / d 13.1.1821 / Aged 30 / Wife of Rev Isaac Lowndes Protestant Missionary / In joyful (?) of blessed resurrection to a (?) life through redemption that is Jesus Christ |
| 23 |
SUSAN RIDDLE / d illegible / Erected by her affectionate sister and brother in-law John (?) 13th Reg |
| 24 |
DANIELS MOORE / d illegible / British Reg (?) / inscribed |
| 25 |
(?) GUBBINS / d illegible / Wife of Col. Gubbins 73rd Reg |
| 26 |
FEDERICK HENRY CLARK / b 4.6.1839 / died 3.10.1844 / The lovely bud so young so fair called hence by early doom just came to show how sweet a flower in paradise would bloom /It is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matt.ch.18v.14 |
| 27 |
WILLIAM HAYES / d 23.1.1864 / Aged 31 and 4 months / May his soul rest in peace. This stone was erected by his comrades of No. 7 Company as a token of respect |
| 28 |
JAMES O’CONNOR / d 12.5.1833 / Aged 39 / In front of this stone lies the remains of Serg JOC Late Orderly of Foot who departed this life...This stone was erected by commissioned officers of the Reg. |
| 29 |
*FREDDERICK DEBRICK / b 1709 / d 23.10.1834/ Aged 45 / Late Sergent of the 11th Reg. British Infantry. He was born in Mettick in Prussia in the year 1709 and departed this life... having served with the above reg. upwards of 22 years this stone was erected by his companions in arms as a mark of their esteem and regard |
| 30 |
GEORGE ROBERTS / d 20.2.1859 /Aged 1 year and 10 months / Son of George and Mary Robberts of HM 1st Battalion |
| 31 |
RICHARD SPARROW / d illegible/ 12 months/ Son of (?) with the 11th Reg. Foot |
| 32 |
WILLIAM GUTRIDGE / d 19.12.1833 / Aged 51 / Served for a period of 27 years mainly on the continent with Reg. and was engaged with them at the under mentioned places; Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse |
| 33 |
SARAH KERRIGAN / d 27.2.1858 / Aged 25 / Sacred to the memory of C Serg. W Kerrigan. Deplorable loss to her two infant children |
| 34 |
WILLIAM BROWN / d 27.1.1864 / Aged 37 and 10 months / In sacred memory of WB Class Inst. Musketry 9th Reg. |
| 35 |
AUGUSTUS ANSELL/ d 6.12.1862 / Major with the Kings Own Regiment (?) |
At the very least twenty or more headstones are missing for deaths recorded on Zakynthos during British occupation and those names are:
+30 698 3609506
