A
Survey of the Bornova Anglican Cemetery in Izmir, Turkey - Sally Gallia
Although not immediately obvious in Izmir today, an underlying European influence and evidence of a very different past may be detected. Thus we find, in a densely- populated suburb of Turkey's busiest port, an old high wall enclosing an area of about 1800 square metres. Surrounded by high apartment buildings, traffic-congested highways and flyovers, and the bustle of a modem city, the English Cemetery lies undisturbed. As in many far-flung comers of the globe, here the British have made their mark.
This is a place which bears witness to the history of the people who lived and died in Bournabat, near Smyrna. A little investigation reveals a large collection of graves beneath the palms and cypresses, inscribed with not only English family names, but those of French, Dutch, Italian, Greek and other origin, many with their broken crosses lying neglected on the ground. With a little local knowledge, the Anglican and Catholic churches can be found. However, the casual observer of present day Bornova - the name being changed from the European version of the Ottoman Turkish script into Modern Turkish with Ataturk’s reforms after 1922 - cannot fail to notice the gracious and imposing old houses around the centre of this modern suburb, between the apartment blocks, most now in a state of considerable decay, but some still in good repair and some belonging to state institutions. These buildings are perhaps the most obvious clue to the European history of Bornova. Now that most families have moved away, Europeans who remember earlier times are few and far between, and business and social activities are now amalgamated with those of the Turkish population. Apart from the memoirs of earlier European inhabitants, and the legacy of their commercial success which has shaped the evolution of Izmir and had wide-ranging consequences, the greatest evidence of this population's existence can be found at the cemetery.
Before 1922, Smyrna, as it was then known, had a cosmopolitan population, mainly Greek and Turkish, with Jewish, Armenian and European minorities. Of the latter, those known as the Levantines were descendants of mainly British, Dutch and French families who had settled in the region earlier. The French first established agreements, or capitulations, with the Sultan in 1535 and were the first of the Western powers to set up political and trade relations. In 1580 the English secured capitulations with the Sultan, and in 1581 the Levant Company, enthusiastically supported by Queen Elizabeth, was granted a Royal Charter. The English community in Smyrna has been attended by an Anglican priest since 1638, and by the end of the 17th century was the largest merchant colony of English origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. Religious services were held at the consul’s house. There, in 1797, a fire destroyed the existing church registers. The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Smyrna was consecrated in 1843 and is the centre of Anglican worship in Izmir today. Trade between Britain and the Levant not only allowed Dutch and Flemish weavers to establish the Lancashire cotton industry, but brought currants and sultanas for the plum pudding and coffee for the coffee houses which played such an important part in the seventeenth century literary, social, political and even religious life of the nation. Silks, mohair, wine and tobacco ensured that by 1649 the volume of trade at Smyrna surpassed that of “the Sublime Porte” of Constantinople. By the end of the eighteenth century, the small villages of Bournabat and Boudjah, close to Smyrna, had become favoured by the British merchant families. By the nineteenth century, the British were well established. By the end of the century England held the top position among steamships visiting Izmir, and activities such as railway building had caused numbers to swell.
When I first became interested, the cemetery had suffered from years of serious vandalism for a number of years. Lack of interest and funds had meant that this had continued, allowing the theft of statuary, breakage of crosses and headstones and general damage to graves. Maintenance had been minimal for a long period of time. It seemed worthwhile to find a remedy, even though a cemetery’s future is never certain in this fast-expanding city, and therefore funds were raised to erect a high fence on the cemetery wall. So far, this has brought an end to the vandalism. Having made the cemetery secure, my interest grew, and wishing to restore the damaged graves, I realised that this would involve moving some of the stones back to their original position. While considering this, it became obvious that a new and detailed survey was squired. As well as the need to record positions of misplaced stones as an aid to reconstructing the monuments, reasons for a survey included the fact that no up-to-date or detailed record of the cemetery existed, and that there were extremely few relatives of those buried still left in Bornova. This means that visitors and burials there are now rare, but the cemetery’s inherent history is undeniably substantial.
Here was evidence of the remarkable history of the Europeans, mainly British, of Bornova. Their wealth and success could be interpreted from the number and quality of their tombs. The Victorian preference for lavish monuments was as evident here as anywhere, and a little examination revealed that some had even been shipped from Edinburgh. Here were the legendary families who had been part of the Levant Company, many of aristocratic descent, who had lived and worked in this corner of the Eastern Mediterranean, and often made fortunes through trade, setting up dynasties still sometimes evident today.
The aim was to make the survey as thorough and accurate a reflection of the current state of the cemetery as possible, and to ultimately incorporate the information in a computer database. First, the cemetery was measured, and a plan drawn. It was found convenient to mark 3m squares on the plan and mark the position of the graves on the resulting grid. The grid was marked out in the cemetery itself by positioning wooden pegs at 3m intervals. In this way, an accurate plan of the cemetery was built up, and each plot was given an individual monument identity number, known as the MonID. Positions of trees, edging and other features were also recorded. Having decided to collect as much information as possible about each grave, fieldwork forms were prepared and printed which allowed for this to be easily noted. The design of the forms reflected the anticipated computer entry and helped to ensure that all the information required was collected. The location, material, condition and description of each plot was recorded, as well as an accurate transcription of the inscription, and details of mason’s marks, and whether the grave was a war grave. Working alone, as at all stages of this project, I held all responsibility for accuracy, and the condition of each grave was my own judgment. In November 1999, after several weeks fieldwork, forms with details of each plot had been completed, representing a total of 241 graves. The earliest burial date found was 1836, although some of the graves consisting only of a stone surround may well be older. It is known that although the cemetery was officially opened in 1875, it was in use long before that time.
Shortly after fieldwork had begun, the Chaplain made a visit to the Public Record Office in London and procured a copy of the only previous plan of the cemetery known to be in existence. It was drawn up in 1922 and updated in 1934. No other records about the cemetery have been found, although burial records were kept and some are now deposited at the Guildhall Library in London, while others have been destroyed or disappeared in the looting of 1922. The 1922 plan was made in May of that year, which is interesting as that was a year of unprecedented turmoil, when Mustafa Kemal, now known as Ataturk, overthrew the Sultanate, spectacularly removed the Greeks from Izmir and the Aegean region, and became the father of the Turkish republic. At the time, Bornova was mainly populated by Greeks and also home to many influential European families, and the crisis was deeply felt. There were approximately 3,000 British subjects centred in Bornova and Boudjah, and they were advised by the British authorities to seek safety, eventually the vast majority being evacuated to Malta, while only a handful chose to remain. It seems likely that the reason behind the 1922 plan was perhaps to make a record of a cemetery which could suffer during the considerable unrest of the time. The record consists of one large sheet of paper with the position of the graves - which were given a number, trees and paths marked on a scale drawing, and a list alongside with the names of those buried next to the number given to each plot. Some parts of the key are almost or totally illegible. A note indicates that the plan was updated on May 3rd 1934.
The 1922/34 plan allowed some displaced stones to be replaced in their original positions, and one grave which had become completely submerged and no longer visible was located. Removal of overlying soil revealed the stone surround, which was then incorporated into the new plan.
So much new information on paper represented a valuable survey in it’s own right, but from the outset there had been the intention of compiling a computer database with the collected material. The obvious attraction of this was the possibility of being able to sort the material in so many ways. As a finding aid, for so many possible queries, this would be invaluable. The ability to produce printed tables or reports generated from the material was also anticipated with interest.
The relational database program, Microsoft Access, provided the answer. It was realised that searches should be possible for individuals buried or mentioned m the cemetery, and all the details available about them should be readily retrievable. Information about dates, gravestone materials, war graves, damage and so on should be arranged so that, for example, statistical information about the cemetery could be produced with ease. The layout of the database was influenced by expected interest from family historians, and from the Anglican Chaplain in Izmir who was not only interested in the history of the cemetery, but also in it’s future, wanting to know about the availability of plots, and so on.
One main table was to contain the characteristics of each grave, including it’s number, location, description and transcription. In order to be true to the original, the transcription was written respecting upper and lower case lettering, line arrangements, and reproducing as accurately as possible the original text. Comments about errors, illegibility, and so on, were put in a separate field. This table could be seen as a reproduction of the fieldwork data. Another main table was to contain the separated details of each individual buried in the cemetery, based on all the information available in the inscription. These two tables were related by MonID, the relationship of course being one-to-many as there could be several individuals buried in one grave. Other tables were to include one containing a digital image of each grave, one containing the details of living relatives of individuals buried there, and one detailing the damage to graves and the subsequent repair which could be updated when necessary. The latter two tables were considered important for the ongoing and anticipated care of the cemetery.
The information was finally entered into the database in March 2000. Access allows the construction of forms which simplifies the entering of information, and two of these were used - one for fieldwork and one for individuals. Having entered all the information in these two tables, it was apparent that the survey of the cemetery in its current state was complete, albeit without a photographic record, or the other anticipated tables.
The information could now be examined in detail. Running a query allows certain information to be selected and sorted. This has been useful to show, for example, how many burials there have been in each year, the state of repair of the cemetery as a whole, and to show members of particular families the details of their relatives buried in the cemetery, or the state of their family graves. These results have been printed out and supplied to those concerned, generating much interest in the cemetery. In this way, the future of the cemetery - for the time being - has become more secure. There is now a watchman living in a newly refurbished house on site, not only improving security but maintaining the cemetery itself. Some work has been done to restore broken monuments, and much more has been promised. Interest has also come from farther afield. There have been several queries from outside Turkey about individuals buried in Bornova, for personal interest and academic research. An enquiry from an Istanbul resident has perhaps inspired a survey of an Anglican cemetery there.
In order to complete the record for Bornova, details from the monuments at the Church of St Mary Magdalene - a war memorial, brass and marble plaques and stained glass windows - were collected and included in the database. It is a simple matter to separate these from the cemetery records if desired, as their grid reference is entered as “church”. The graves of most of these individuals are found in the cemetery.
We find that a total of 301 individuals are buried in the cemetery and named in inscriptions, 19 individuals have monuments at the church, and many more relatives are mentioned. 16 graves have no inscriptions, but must represent at least that number of burials. According to the inscriptions evidence, where a date is given, burials occurred as follows:
The report facility of Access has also allowed a print out of the whole cemetery survey. This was done by first printing out an alphabetical list of all the individuals with their dates of birth and death, and age at death, where applicable, and the corresponding MonID. The main section is a report containing all the characteristics of each grave in MonID order. To locate an individuals grave, the name is found in the alphabetical list, and then the details of the relevant MonID may be found in the main section. Finally, a plan of the cemetery shows the location of the MonID numbered plot. The plan could also be used to refer to the details of a particular grave of known location. These three sections, with an explanatory note, have been printed and bound as a book which has proved a popular reference and finding aid. A copy is held by the Anglican Chaplain in Izmir.
The survey has generated much interest and local discussion. Listening to and recording stories and anecdotes about so many colourful characters now buried in the cemetery is of special interest, and particularly valuable as so very few of the old community are left. Here we find members of the Bornova football team, who came second in the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens and are said to have introduced football to Turkey; and here is the grave of Richard Whittall who brought the first car to Turkey in 1905 (according to Niko Kararas book O Bournovas - 1955). Here are so many members of the Whittall family who were responsible for so much trade with England. They carried on the traditions of the great Levant Company, exporting mainly cotton, oils, raisins and figs, tobacco coffee, sugar, carpets and textiles, and brought a boom to British trade at Smyrna Here is the grave of Charlton Whittall who in 1857, built the Anglican church, dedicated to S Mary Magdalene, which is the centre of old Bournabat and apart from the cemetery which is on the outskirts of the old village; who entertained His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1863. Here is the grave , of the musician artist and writer, Hortense Wood who gave hospitality to Ataturk and his generals on their arrival in Bornova in 1922. There are the Paterson family from Scotland who made a fortune in chrome mining, the Giraud and La Fontaine families doctors, teachers, clergymen, consuls and so many more. Every grave has a story to tell.
One important issue arising from the completion of this survey is the fact that Izmir has another Anglican Cemetery. In Buca, another suburb with a once sizeable English population, and known as Boudjah, is All Saints’ Church. This is actually the oldest Anglican church m Izmir (opened 1838) and it has a graveyard around it which is at least the same size as that of Bornova, and with at least as many graves. The church was deconsecrated and handed over to the local authorities in the 1970’s and the graveyard is now in a very serious state of neglect and disrepair. A recently discovered article states that burials ceased there in 1936, 236 tombs were counted and surnames found are given in the summer 1960 issue of Candlesticks. There are many links between the families represented and those found in Bornova, and a detailed survey is overdue and very much required.
Izmir has several Roman Catholic cemeteries, where, inevitably through marriage, descendants of families connected with the Bornova Anglican cemetery may be found. Conversely, there are some Catholic graves in the Anglican cemetery. This tended to occur after the Catholic cemetery in Bornova was destroyed, or in order that family members should be buried together. There is also a Greek Orthodox cemetery in Izmir.
This survey can only be part of the web that makes up a history. I hope that it will be of use to anyone interested in the past life of this place, once a peaceful and privileged hamlet, described in the diaries of Gertrude Bell, and now impossible to imagine in the magnificent river landscape entitled Smyrne-Bournabat painted by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in July 1873.
************
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLTON WHITTALL
BORN AT LIVERPOOL 4TH JULY 1791, DIED AT BOURNABAT 18TH JUNE 1867
HE BUILT THIS CHURCH AND GAVE IT TO THE ANGLICANS OF BOURNABAT.
MADE MEMBER OF THE LEVANT COMPANY IN 1812; DURING A MERCANTILE CAREER OF 55 YEARS, DISTINGUISHED BY STRICT UPRIGHTNESS AND CHARITY TO ALL, HE ENNOBLED THE BRITISH NAME IN THESE REGIONS. SACRED ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF HIS WIFE MADELEINE, BORN 1790, DIED 1851
SHE WAS THE FRIEND OF THE POOR.
THIS TABLET WAS PLACED BY THEIR ELDEST GRANDSON, J.W.WHITTALL
************
The inscription on a brass plaque, made by T. Thomason & Co of Birmingham, in the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bornova. Charlton and Madeleine Whittall are buried in the Anglican Cemetery.
Notes: To view, the resulting cemetery listing, click here, and to view photos of this cemetery, click here:
submission date 2001
Although not immediately obvious in Izmir today, an underlying European influence and evidence of a very different past may be detected. Thus we find, in a densely- populated suburb of Turkey's busiest port, an old high wall enclosing an area of about 1800 square metres. Surrounded by high apartment buildings, traffic-congested highways and flyovers, and the bustle of a modem city, the English Cemetery lies undisturbed. As in many far-flung comers of the globe, here the British have made their mark.
This is a place which bears witness to the history of the people who lived and died in Bournabat, near Smyrna. A little investigation reveals a large collection of graves beneath the palms and cypresses, inscribed with not only English family names, but those of French, Dutch, Italian, Greek and other origin, many with their broken crosses lying neglected on the ground. With a little local knowledge, the Anglican and Catholic churches can be found. However, the casual observer of present day Bornova - the name being changed from the European version of the Ottoman Turkish script into Modern Turkish with Ataturk’s reforms after 1922 - cannot fail to notice the gracious and imposing old houses around the centre of this modern suburb, between the apartment blocks, most now in a state of considerable decay, but some still in good repair and some belonging to state institutions. These buildings are perhaps the most obvious clue to the European history of Bornova. Now that most families have moved away, Europeans who remember earlier times are few and far between, and business and social activities are now amalgamated with those of the Turkish population. Apart from the memoirs of earlier European inhabitants, and the legacy of their commercial success which has shaped the evolution of Izmir and had wide-ranging consequences, the greatest evidence of this population's existence can be found at the cemetery.
Before 1922, Smyrna, as it was then known, had a cosmopolitan population, mainly Greek and Turkish, with Jewish, Armenian and European minorities. Of the latter, those known as the Levantines were descendants of mainly British, Dutch and French families who had settled in the region earlier. The French first established agreements, or capitulations, with the Sultan in 1535 and were the first of the Western powers to set up political and trade relations. In 1580 the English secured capitulations with the Sultan, and in 1581 the Levant Company, enthusiastically supported by Queen Elizabeth, was granted a Royal Charter. The English community in Smyrna has been attended by an Anglican priest since 1638, and by the end of the 17th century was the largest merchant colony of English origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. Religious services were held at the consul’s house. There, in 1797, a fire destroyed the existing church registers. The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Smyrna was consecrated in 1843 and is the centre of Anglican worship in Izmir today. Trade between Britain and the Levant not only allowed Dutch and Flemish weavers to establish the Lancashire cotton industry, but brought currants and sultanas for the plum pudding and coffee for the coffee houses which played such an important part in the seventeenth century literary, social, political and even religious life of the nation. Silks, mohair, wine and tobacco ensured that by 1649 the volume of trade at Smyrna surpassed that of “the Sublime Porte” of Constantinople. By the end of the eighteenth century, the small villages of Bournabat and Boudjah, close to Smyrna, had become favoured by the British merchant families. By the nineteenth century, the British were well established. By the end of the century England held the top position among steamships visiting Izmir, and activities such as railway building had caused numbers to swell.
When I first became interested, the cemetery had suffered from years of serious vandalism for a number of years. Lack of interest and funds had meant that this had continued, allowing the theft of statuary, breakage of crosses and headstones and general damage to graves. Maintenance had been minimal for a long period of time. It seemed worthwhile to find a remedy, even though a cemetery’s future is never certain in this fast-expanding city, and therefore funds were raised to erect a high fence on the cemetery wall. So far, this has brought an end to the vandalism. Having made the cemetery secure, my interest grew, and wishing to restore the damaged graves, I realised that this would involve moving some of the stones back to their original position. While considering this, it became obvious that a new and detailed survey was squired. As well as the need to record positions of misplaced stones as an aid to reconstructing the monuments, reasons for a survey included the fact that no up-to-date or detailed record of the cemetery existed, and that there were extremely few relatives of those buried still left in Bornova. This means that visitors and burials there are now rare, but the cemetery’s inherent history is undeniably substantial.
Here was evidence of the remarkable history of the Europeans, mainly British, of Bornova. Their wealth and success could be interpreted from the number and quality of their tombs. The Victorian preference for lavish monuments was as evident here as anywhere, and a little examination revealed that some had even been shipped from Edinburgh. Here were the legendary families who had been part of the Levant Company, many of aristocratic descent, who had lived and worked in this corner of the Eastern Mediterranean, and often made fortunes through trade, setting up dynasties still sometimes evident today.
The aim was to make the survey as thorough and accurate a reflection of the current state of the cemetery as possible, and to ultimately incorporate the information in a computer database. First, the cemetery was measured, and a plan drawn. It was found convenient to mark 3m squares on the plan and mark the position of the graves on the resulting grid. The grid was marked out in the cemetery itself by positioning wooden pegs at 3m intervals. In this way, an accurate plan of the cemetery was built up, and each plot was given an individual monument identity number, known as the MonID. Positions of trees, edging and other features were also recorded. Having decided to collect as much information as possible about each grave, fieldwork forms were prepared and printed which allowed for this to be easily noted. The design of the forms reflected the anticipated computer entry and helped to ensure that all the information required was collected. The location, material, condition and description of each plot was recorded, as well as an accurate transcription of the inscription, and details of mason’s marks, and whether the grave was a war grave. Working alone, as at all stages of this project, I held all responsibility for accuracy, and the condition of each grave was my own judgment. In November 1999, after several weeks fieldwork, forms with details of each plot had been completed, representing a total of 241 graves. The earliest burial date found was 1836, although some of the graves consisting only of a stone surround may well be older. It is known that although the cemetery was officially opened in 1875, it was in use long before that time.
Shortly after fieldwork had begun, the Chaplain made a visit to the Public Record Office in London and procured a copy of the only previous plan of the cemetery known to be in existence. It was drawn up in 1922 and updated in 1934. No other records about the cemetery have been found, although burial records were kept and some are now deposited at the Guildhall Library in London, while others have been destroyed or disappeared in the looting of 1922. The 1922 plan was made in May of that year, which is interesting as that was a year of unprecedented turmoil, when Mustafa Kemal, now known as Ataturk, overthrew the Sultanate, spectacularly removed the Greeks from Izmir and the Aegean region, and became the father of the Turkish republic. At the time, Bornova was mainly populated by Greeks and also home to many influential European families, and the crisis was deeply felt. There were approximately 3,000 British subjects centred in Bornova and Boudjah, and they were advised by the British authorities to seek safety, eventually the vast majority being evacuated to Malta, while only a handful chose to remain. It seems likely that the reason behind the 1922 plan was perhaps to make a record of a cemetery which could suffer during the considerable unrest of the time. The record consists of one large sheet of paper with the position of the graves - which were given a number, trees and paths marked on a scale drawing, and a list alongside with the names of those buried next to the number given to each plot. Some parts of the key are almost or totally illegible. A note indicates that the plan was updated on May 3rd 1934.
The 1922/34 plan allowed some displaced stones to be replaced in their original positions, and one grave which had become completely submerged and no longer visible was located. Removal of overlying soil revealed the stone surround, which was then incorporated into the new plan.
So much new information on paper represented a valuable survey in it’s own right, but from the outset there had been the intention of compiling a computer database with the collected material. The obvious attraction of this was the possibility of being able to sort the material in so many ways. As a finding aid, for so many possible queries, this would be invaluable. The ability to produce printed tables or reports generated from the material was also anticipated with interest.
The relational database program, Microsoft Access, provided the answer. It was realised that searches should be possible for individuals buried or mentioned m the cemetery, and all the details available about them should be readily retrievable. Information about dates, gravestone materials, war graves, damage and so on should be arranged so that, for example, statistical information about the cemetery could be produced with ease. The layout of the database was influenced by expected interest from family historians, and from the Anglican Chaplain in Izmir who was not only interested in the history of the cemetery, but also in it’s future, wanting to know about the availability of plots, and so on.
One main table was to contain the characteristics of each grave, including it’s number, location, description and transcription. In order to be true to the original, the transcription was written respecting upper and lower case lettering, line arrangements, and reproducing as accurately as possible the original text. Comments about errors, illegibility, and so on, were put in a separate field. This table could be seen as a reproduction of the fieldwork data. Another main table was to contain the separated details of each individual buried in the cemetery, based on all the information available in the inscription. These two tables were related by MonID, the relationship of course being one-to-many as there could be several individuals buried in one grave. Other tables were to include one containing a digital image of each grave, one containing the details of living relatives of individuals buried there, and one detailing the damage to graves and the subsequent repair which could be updated when necessary. The latter two tables were considered important for the ongoing and anticipated care of the cemetery.
The information was finally entered into the database in March 2000. Access allows the construction of forms which simplifies the entering of information, and two of these were used - one for fieldwork and one for individuals. Having entered all the information in these two tables, it was apparent that the survey of the cemetery in its current state was complete, albeit without a photographic record, or the other anticipated tables.
The information could now be examined in detail. Running a query allows certain information to be selected and sorted. This has been useful to show, for example, how many burials there have been in each year, the state of repair of the cemetery as a whole, and to show members of particular families the details of their relatives buried in the cemetery, or the state of their family graves. These results have been printed out and supplied to those concerned, generating much interest in the cemetery. In this way, the future of the cemetery - for the time being - has become more secure. There is now a watchman living in a newly refurbished house on site, not only improving security but maintaining the cemetery itself. Some work has been done to restore broken monuments, and much more has been promised. Interest has also come from farther afield. There have been several queries from outside Turkey about individuals buried in Bornova, for personal interest and academic research. An enquiry from an Istanbul resident has perhaps inspired a survey of an Anglican cemetery there.
In order to complete the record for Bornova, details from the monuments at the Church of St Mary Magdalene - a war memorial, brass and marble plaques and stained glass windows - were collected and included in the database. It is a simple matter to separate these from the cemetery records if desired, as their grid reference is entered as “church”. The graves of most of these individuals are found in the cemetery.
We find that a total of 301 individuals are buried in the cemetery and named in inscriptions, 19 individuals have monuments at the church, and many more relatives are mentioned. 16 graves have no inscriptions, but must represent at least that number of burials. According to the inscriptions evidence, where a date is given, burials occurred as follows:
The report facility of Access has also allowed a print out of the whole cemetery survey. This was done by first printing out an alphabetical list of all the individuals with their dates of birth and death, and age at death, where applicable, and the corresponding MonID. The main section is a report containing all the characteristics of each grave in MonID order. To locate an individuals grave, the name is found in the alphabetical list, and then the details of the relevant MonID may be found in the main section. Finally, a plan of the cemetery shows the location of the MonID numbered plot. The plan could also be used to refer to the details of a particular grave of known location. These three sections, with an explanatory note, have been printed and bound as a book which has proved a popular reference and finding aid. A copy is held by the Anglican Chaplain in Izmir.
The survey has generated much interest and local discussion. Listening to and recording stories and anecdotes about so many colourful characters now buried in the cemetery is of special interest, and particularly valuable as so very few of the old community are left. Here we find members of the Bornova football team, who came second in the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens and are said to have introduced football to Turkey; and here is the grave of Richard Whittall who brought the first car to Turkey in 1905 (according to Niko Kararas book O Bournovas - 1955). Here are so many members of the Whittall family who were responsible for so much trade with England. They carried on the traditions of the great Levant Company, exporting mainly cotton, oils, raisins and figs, tobacco coffee, sugar, carpets and textiles, and brought a boom to British trade at Smyrna Here is the grave of Charlton Whittall who in 1857, built the Anglican church, dedicated to S Mary Magdalene, which is the centre of old Bournabat and apart from the cemetery which is on the outskirts of the old village; who entertained His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1863. Here is the grave , of the musician artist and writer, Hortense Wood who gave hospitality to Ataturk and his generals on their arrival in Bornova in 1922. There are the Paterson family from Scotland who made a fortune in chrome mining, the Giraud and La Fontaine families doctors, teachers, clergymen, consuls and so many more. Every grave has a story to tell.
One important issue arising from the completion of this survey is the fact that Izmir has another Anglican Cemetery. In Buca, another suburb with a once sizeable English population, and known as Boudjah, is All Saints’ Church. This is actually the oldest Anglican church m Izmir (opened 1838) and it has a graveyard around it which is at least the same size as that of Bornova, and with at least as many graves. The church was deconsecrated and handed over to the local authorities in the 1970’s and the graveyard is now in a very serious state of neglect and disrepair. A recently discovered article states that burials ceased there in 1936, 236 tombs were counted and surnames found are given in the summer 1960 issue of Candlesticks. There are many links between the families represented and those found in Bornova, and a detailed survey is overdue and very much required.
Izmir has several Roman Catholic cemeteries, where, inevitably through marriage, descendants of families connected with the Bornova Anglican cemetery may be found. Conversely, there are some Catholic graves in the Anglican cemetery. This tended to occur after the Catholic cemetery in Bornova was destroyed, or in order that family members should be buried together. There is also a Greek Orthodox cemetery in Izmir.
This survey can only be part of the web that makes up a history. I hope that it will be of use to anyone interested in the past life of this place, once a peaceful and privileged hamlet, described in the diaries of Gertrude Bell, and now impossible to imagine in the magnificent river landscape entitled Smyrne-Bournabat painted by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in July 1873.
************
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLTON WHITTALL
BORN AT LIVERPOOL 4TH JULY 1791, DIED AT BOURNABAT 18TH JUNE 1867
HE BUILT THIS CHURCH AND GAVE IT TO THE ANGLICANS OF BOURNABAT.
MADE MEMBER OF THE LEVANT COMPANY IN 1812; DURING A MERCANTILE CAREER OF 55 YEARS, DISTINGUISHED BY STRICT UPRIGHTNESS AND CHARITY TO ALL, HE ENNOBLED THE BRITISH NAME IN THESE REGIONS. SACRED ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF HIS WIFE MADELEINE, BORN 1790, DIED 1851
SHE WAS THE FRIEND OF THE POOR.
THIS TABLET WAS PLACED BY THEIR ELDEST GRANDSON, J.W.WHITTALL
************
The inscription on a brass plaque, made by T. Thomason & Co of Birmingham, in the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bornova. Charlton and Madeleine Whittall are buried in the Anglican Cemetery.
Notes: To view, the resulting cemetery listing, click here, and to view photos of this cemetery, click here:
submission date 2001