While in Hopedale I noticed that some work was being done at the old cemetery [grass being cut revealing old headstones].
With not much to do one day I wandered in to have a look. About 30 headstones had been revealed, all lying on the ground. Some were legible, some not, all but two were of burial places of woman, all were German by the look of it.
The oldest one that I could make out was inscribed; Elizabeth Schneider 25th march 1721 Boatswain [as best I could make out] Moravia 23 Dec 1797.
Another ; Beata Glitsch 3 Maerz 1842. Also; Beath Beck 5 juny 1846.
Beatus Elsner 4 July 1852.
Beatus Bubser geboron den 23 Mar 1854.
One was just inscribed; Mathilde Jnnuiertok 1804 angerartok Oct 1857.
I presume the whole cemetery will be cleared some time, quite a large job.
2 comments:
The Moravians used "Beata" and "Beatus" (Beautiful, angelic) to name infants who died or stillborns. This was common for several hundred years. Fran probably knows Inuks named Beata, because the Inuit developed Beata as a name, another example of Inuit cleverness in adapting Christianity to their own needs.
if a cemetry such as this existed on the island im sure money for repairs would be much easier to find. what interesting history!
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