Cemitério dos Ingleses

Salvador (Bahia – BA)

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TThe history of the city of Salvador begins with the discovery of the Bay of All Saints, 48 years before its official foundation. The Bay “Bahia” had good location and port conditions, and was one of the most known and visited places in Latin America, which promoted the idea of building the city. The king Don João III named the military and political Thomé de Souza to be the general governor of Brazil and to found the first Portuguese metropolis in America by the edges of the Bay.
On March 29th, 1549, the Portuguese fleet entered the Brazilian port commanded by Diogo Álvares “o Caramuru”, and in this way it was founded the city of San Salvador of the Bay of All Saints.
In 1808 the Portuguese royal family chose the city to escape from Napoleon’s attacks in Europe. Don João, prince regent of Portugal, formed an alliance with the English of Great Britain, and for that reason was forced to flee from the troops of Napoleon, establishing the headquarters of his empire in Brazil outside the city limits. British ships escorted the prince and his court until the new country. Two years later Portugal signed agreements with Great Britain giving to them the commercial dominion in Brazil.
The English came to Brazil and can be divided into two distinct groups: those who came to profit and return to England and those who remained. Some of them came to work like autonomous as doctors, teachers, photographers, engineers, craftsmen, and others as handyman. Hundreds of English were buried in the cemetery of English. This cemetery, in a way, has become a reference in Bahia, and was recently restored and revitalized. The CIB – “Cemitério dos Ingleses na Bahia” – the English Cemetery in Bahia – was built at the beginning of the 19th century, probably from 1811 on. It is known that the Catholic Church did not perform burials of non-catholic and the English were Protestants, so they had to build a cemetery to bury their dead. According to Gilberto Freire, the English built at least 6 cemeteries in Brazil which are in Belém, São Luís, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Bahia and Barão dos Cocais-MG. Today there are only three remaining: in Recife, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. The Cemetery of English has a special significance and is relevant to the history of the city of Salvador.

Timeline:

1549 – The Portuguese Navy arrives in Brazil. Foundation of the city of San Salvador of the Bay of all Saints.
1624/25 – The city was invaded by the Dutch.
1798 – The tailors rebellion.
1809 – The Count of Arches takes the administration of the city.
1811 – The construction of the Cemetery of English is allowed.
1814 – The Count of the Arches gives the site of the cemetery of English to the British community in Bahia.
1814 – Probably the year of the construction of the Cemetery of English.
1835 – The rebellion of the Muslim slaves “Revolta dos Malês” takes place.
1835 – Approval of the provincial law that prohibited the burials in churches and also in the catacombs 1836 – Inauguration of the Holy Field Cemetery.
1836 – Inauguration of the Holy Field Cemetery.
1844 – The Holy Field Cemetery is implanted permanently.
1855 – The public cemeteries were definitely established in Salvador.
1856 – The Public Cemetery of the Farm of the Lazars – “Quinta dos Lázaros” – is officialized. (1st cemetery in the Farm of the Lazars).
1856 – Founding of the Cemetery of the Venerable Third Order of Penance of the Seraphic Father San Francisco. (2nd Cemetery in the Farm of the Lazars – “Quinta dos Lázaros”).
1857 – Installation of the Cemetery of San Francisco Monastery (3rd cemetery located in the Farm of the Lazars).
1857 – Foundation of the Cemetery of the Lazars (4th Cemetery in the Farm of the Lazars).
1859 – Installation of the Cemetery of the Venerable Third Order of Carmo. (5th cemetery located in the Farm of the Lazars).
1987/1993 – Process of registering the view of the Bay of All Saints.
1993 – The Cemetery of English and the view from the Bay of all Saints are registered by IPAC – Institute of Artistic and Cultural Patrimony of Bahia – “Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural da Bahia”.
20th Century – Installation of the Cemetery of Israelis, also located in the Farm of the Lazars.
2004 – Project to restore and recover the Cemetery of English. Architect responsible: Ernesto Carvalho.
2004 – Responsibility for the Cemetery of English: Clemente Moriaru Foundation.
2005 – Completion of the process of restoration of the Cemetery of English.
2008 – The Cemetery of English is enabled to receive the foreign Protestants.
21st Century – Foundation of the Memorial Center of the English Community in Bahia, in the Cemetery of English.

The Cemetery of English is located on the slope of the “Barra” in the neighborhood of “Barra”. It is known that this is the most beautiful region in the city, it was one of the chosen sites to launch the city, for being an strategic point for the defense of the land conquered by the Portuguese .After the sinking of the Galleon Sacramento, in the 17th century, they build the Lighthouse of the “Barra” in order to guide the sailors, becoming then one of the landmarks of the city of Salvador. The cemetery is stuck in the middle of the hill slope, and there are 450 tombs scattered on the 3,000 m².

Several distinguished people were buried in the Cemetery of English, among them: John Ligertwood Paterson, one of the founders of the “Tropicalista-Baiana” School; Edward Pellew Wilson, founder of the navigation firm Wilson Sons Co., and one of the first residents, perhaps the first to live in the large house in Campo Grande, which became the home of the first cardinals and archbishops in Brazil. There are plaques set on the wall, which pay tribute to the English workers who died from yellow fever during the construction of the San Francisco Railway.

There, there are buried Protestant English, Scots and Americans. There is a wing exclusively dedicated to the Jews who in the past, could not be buried in Catholic churches. The chapel has Victorian architecture influence, where people can do their prayers, wakes, baptisms and other protestant ritual consecrations. Most of the tombs are installed horizontally on the ground that gives access to the chapel, there are also those which are supported in walls, constructed on the mountain side that has a view to the Bay of All Saints – one of the most beautiful landscapes of Salvador. By visiting this place, the tourist will have the opportunity to recognize tombs of great historical and artistic value. In this cemetery it is registered the memory of the English who chose to settle down in Bahia.

ALLEGORY OF DESOLATION, the 20th century. The family of the Scottish Edward Pellew Wilson pays him a tribute by commissioning a very well elaborated tomb, good craftsmanship. Note the bust of the dead in the funerary urn and the woman of classic beauty, sitting on the monument, desolate for the finiteness of life. Epitaph written in English.

EPIGRAPHED GRAVESTONE, the 19th century. Probably the civil engineer Reynolds came to Salvador to build the first railroad in Bahia and died here (1867) from yellow fever, according to the epitaph written in English.

THE BUST, the 19th century. The bust of John Ligertwood Paterson, a founder of the “Tropicalista Baiana” School, stands out for being built of marble of Carrara on dark granite. The structure is funilled like an obelisk. Epitaph written in English.

BILINGUAL EPITAPH, the 20th century. It is frequently found on the wing destinated to the Jews tombstones whose inscriptions are in Hebrew and in Portuguese. They are usually engraved with the Star of David as noted in the tomb of Moyses. Acher Ellis (1923).

CROSSES, 19th – 20th centuries. The Cemetery of English is a typical construction based on Anglican influence which adopts few sculptures. On the other hand, the protestants usually put crosses on the tombs, among them we highlight the Latin cross and its various models which represent the Crucifixion of Jesus.

MILITARY HONORS, the 19th century. It is a simple tomb in marble of Carrara. The great reference are the symbols on the urn that identify the military hierarchy of the deceased. Observe the accurate handiwork of the cushion which sustains the objects represented here: helmet, sword, lunettes and pieces of military suit.

ART DÈCO TOMB, the 20th century. The second floor of the Cemetery of English contains a big stone wall which protects many other tombs. Look carefully the round shapes on the sides of the tombs´s head and the funerary urn which refers to the plastic art déco.

GOTHIC NICHE, 1890s. The piece of funerary art is set on a tall tomb, with three pedestals supporting the Gothic niche topped with a carefully decorated pyramid. Particularly noteworthy are the delicate flower ornaments inlaid in slabs of Carrara marble.

HEAD ON THE WALL, the 19th century. Many tombs in the Cemetery of English have their heads leant against the walls, such as John Menair´s. This kind of arrangement made easy the distribution of the tombs in the rectangular space of the cemetery. This head follows the model proceeding from the European cemeteries dated since the Middle Ages. Epitaph written in English.

BORGES, Maria Elizia. Arte funerária no Brasil (1880-1930). ). Italian Marble Carver Craft in Ribeirão Preto. Belo Horizonte: C/ Arte, 2002.
CARVALHO, Ernesto. A reborn necropolis – The History of the Cemetery of English in Bahia. Research material sent to Maria Elizia Borges in 2008.
MENDES, Cibele de Mattos. Practices and Artistic Representations in the Cemeteries of San Francisco´s Monastery and Venerable Third Order of Carmo Salvador – 19th Century (1850-1920). Dissertation (Pos Graduation in Visual Arts). Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, 2007.

Sites:

www.svn.br.inter.net/5star/CIB/cib-port_main.html(Acessado em fevereiro de 2008).

Credits:

Coordination and Research: Maria Elizia Borges.
Website creation: Catu Design, 2008.
Photography: Maria Elizia Borges, 2006.
Website updating and Researcher: Ana Maria Linhares de Almeida – CNPq.
Translation: Iara Maria Sanches.

Contact:

maelizia@terra.com.br