eGGSA Graves - Eastern Cape

Cemetery / Memorials Information:

Established in 1823 among the amaGqunukhwebe it was the first Wesleyan mission established by Rev. Shaw at a time when elephants still abounded in the Fish River bush. Chief Kama of the amaGqunukhwebe became the first chief to embrace Christianity.

There is nothing much to be seen except for a plaque on a rocky ridge above the Twecu Stream, a tributary of the Chalumna River, marking the spot where the mission church once stood.  There is also a marble scroll below the ridge erected in 1923 on the grave of Ellen Hey, the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Shaw who died there in 1826 (33° 7' 59.97" S, 27° 27' 23.90" E). 

Destroyed in both the sixth and seventh Frontier Wars it was again partly rebuilt In 1847 on another site on the ridge 300 yards away. Within the walls of the old church, a British officer had been buried but was later reinterred within the walls of the Anglican church in KWT at his mother’s request. (Rob Speirs/Peter Moll)

Album incomplete.

Photographs contributed by: Robert Speirs (sent in by Peter Moll).  eGGSA captions by: Rob Jones. 

The GSSA Gravestone Transcription Index (GTI) only has information on the cemetery location.

Cemetery ID:       GPSID:

GPS:  -33 08.097, 27 27.354