The British Cemetery Corfu

It doesn't sound, at first, like a top visitor attraction if you have made your way here to Corfu, but if you have seen most of the sights and soaked in Corfu Old Town and want an escape from the heat or the noise of the traffic, this is a quiet green oasis right in town. It is a walled garden entered through a small door where a small bell rings as you enter. It is planted with palms and mature trees and many flowers and it is filled with history. It is currently a little ragged at the edges but still has character and ambience. It is worth a stroll around and worth reading some of the inscriptions too.

(An important note at this point. The internet was telling me a very different history about this place, which can serve as a warning to you all. Everything I found indicated that the cemetery in these photos was the original British cemetery. If it had not been for my research on the British newspaper archive, where I found the following articles, I would have been misinforming you. This blog post, as a consequence, may be the only place on the internet as far as I can see, that tells the accurate and full story about this place.)

The Corfu British Cemetery was originally opened in about 1855 during the period of the British Protectorate (1815 - 1864). Originally sited in the centre of the old town, it had to be moved in 1904, when all the graves were relocated to the current site near Saroko Square. The original site was under pressure from growth in the centre of town. It was a controversial decision at the time.

Manchester Evening News - Monday 20 October 1902

The "Daily Chronicle's" Athens correspondent says: The Municipal Council has decided to accept the offer of a foreign capitalist to erect a the old British Cemetery Corfu. This constitutes a direct violation of the conditions when Great Britain ceded the lonian Islands to the Hellenic kingdom in 1864.

Belfast News-Letter - Thursday 18 December 1902

THE BRITISH CEMETERY CORFU.

Replying Mr. Gibson Bowles, Lord CRANBORNE said the site of the British cemetery at Corfu had not been transferred, but it was understood that a company desired to acquire it for the purpose of building baths and casino. Gambling-houses were forbidden by Greek law. A special report on the whole question was expected within the next few days, on receipt of which the points raised would duly considered. The greatest care would be taken to prevent any action offensive to the very natural feelings which had been aroused by the use it had been proposed to make of this cemetery.

Evening Mail - Monday 14 September 1903

THE BRITISH CEMETERY AT CORFU.

We have received the following from the Foreign Office :- The Marquis of Lansdowne, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, desires to give notice that, in accordance with an agreement come to in 1890 between her Majesty's Government and the Greek Government, the old British cemetery at Corfu will now be handed over to the municipal authorities of that town.

The work of removing the tombs and remains to the new cemetery will be begun towards the end of October, and will be carried out under superintendence of Mr. E. Vicars, Acting Second Secretary to his Majesty's Legation at Athens. Any person interested in the old cemetery and desirous of having any special wishes observed with regard to the grave of a friend or relative should place himself in communication with Mr. Vicars direct. Letters should be addressed to Mr. Vicars, marked 'Corfu Cemetery," care of Foreign Office.

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Saturday 07 May 1904

The transfer of the bodies buried in the British cemetery Corfu to the new cemetery has been completed. The bodies numbered seven hundred and fifty. The reinterment was conducted with full military honours.

After the departure of the British from the island, the cemetery served as the graveyard for the foreign families who stayed on. It was still being used as a cemetery for the Anglican residents of Corfu until very recently.

In April 2024 The British Embassy in Athens announced that the Corfu Municipality had brought in new rules banning all new burials in the cemetery with an exception for those with family plots already reserved.

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Among the most notable graves is that of John Connors’, died in 1857, a private in the 3rd Regiment of Foot, who was awarded the Victoria Cross during the Crimean War.

John Connors VC (October 1830 – 29 January 1857) was born in Duagh, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland and was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. (Ireland was part of Britain at that time). On 8 September 1855 at Sebastopol in the Crimea, Private Connors showed conspicuous gallantry at the assault on the Redan in personal conflict with the enemy. He rescued an officer of the 30th Regiment who was surrounded by Russians, by shooting one and bayoneting another.

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces.

The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War and the medal has been awarded 1,358 times. This makes John Connors one of the earliest recipients of this award.

I can also clear up another loose end on Wikipedia which raises the question of the uncertainty of his ever actually receiving the medal. According to the Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette - Saturday 15th August 1857, on the 23rd July 1857 a ceremony took place in Corfu to award Victoria Crosses to the recipients. The medals were "fastened to their breasts by Lady Buller". However it is noted that "Unfortunately Private J. Connors some two or three months since, fell from one of the ramparts at Fort Neuf, and received such severe injuries that he died a few hours later." Colonel Maude received the award on his behalf for the purpose of forwarding it to his widow.

Daily Herald - Wednesday 23 October 1946

TWO WARSHIPS STRIKE MINES

British Sailors Injured

TWO British destroyers "crawled" to Corfu last night with their bows damaged. Both had casualties aboard. Greek naval sources put their number at 45, but this Is not confirmed. The ships were the Saumarez-1,650-ton veteran of the 1943 Boxing Day battle with the Scharnhorst—and the 1,710-ton Volage.

They were mined in the milewide navigation channel between Corfu Island and the Albanian coast. With the cruisers Mauritius, and Leander, the two ships had left Corfu for an exercise at sea. Their course was laid along the channel between Corfu and Albania.

Fuel Afire

Uncleared minefields restrict the channel between the island and the mainland to a mile width. The Mauritius and the Saumarez led the group, heading northward, with the Leander and the Volage about two miles astern.

About 90 minutes after leaving Corfu, the Saumarez was struck below the superstructure on the starboard side. She immediately began to settle down the bows, with her oil fuel burning forward.

She was taken in tow stern-first by the Volage, but three hours later the Volage also struck a mine.

The Saumarez, a "utility" destroyer commanded by Captain W. H. Selby. D.S.C.. who helped to sink the Bismarck, was built in November 1942.

Another notable monument is to the seamen of the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Saumarez and HMS Volage, which ships were mined by the Albanians in 1946 (The Corfu Channel Incident).

South Wales Daily Post - Friday 25 October 1946

KILLED BY CORFU CHANNEL MINES

FULL NAVAL FUNERAL FOR TEN VICTIMS

Ten of the 38 victims of Tuesday’s mine explosions which damaged the two British destroyers the Saumarez and the Volage, in the Corfu Channel, were buried at Corfu with full naval honours. The bodies of the other 28 victims have not yet been recovered.

Muffled drums of the Royal Marines led the ships’ detachments, accompanied by a Greek service detachment from the quayside.

The flag-draped coffins containing the remains of eight British and two Maltese were followed from the hospital mortuary by many hundreds of naval mourners along the crowd-lined roads to the cemetery.

Engineer Commander Hurst of Saumarez, who escaped death by seconds when he left the engine-room, and other members of the two destroyers crews, some still showing traces of injuries attended.

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Thursday 30 January 1947

Corfu Mining Pensions

Mr. H. M. Medland (Soc., Drake, Plymouth) asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what compensation it was proposed to pay to dependants of those lost as the result of the mining off Corfu of H.M.S. Saumarez and H.M.S. Volage. Mr. J. Dugdale said that pensions had been awarded to the widows and orphans of these men in accordance with the rates laid down in the Order in Council of June 4, 1946. The whole question of compensation from Albania had been submitted to the United Nations.

This is the tomb of Elise Fels, about whom I can find nothing. However the name Fels does appear connected with the cemetery with mention that the Fels family were German and held the office of German Consuls for Corfu.

William Petty was a British merchant from Manchester who lived and ran his business in Corfu. His brother Henry was based in Livorno, or Leghorn, in Italy, at The British Factory. This monument was placed here for William by his brother Henry.

I can't find much out about William but a letter did appear for sale on Ebay, sent to him with a shipment of goods via Malta, from Liverpool in 1821, a year before his death. Included was an invoice for goods that he appeared to be selling in Corfu. These were sugar, coffee and earthenware.

The accompanying letter from Edward Boultbee a Liverpool merchant and tea importer, thanks William for purchasing 80 Dollars worth of currants for him, to his £1000 account. "Certainly a high price but I must make the best of them." Mr Boultbee's account of £1000 would be the equivalent of nearly £60,000 today. Interestingly by 1825 Mr Boultbee is listed as a bankrupt, I hope it wasn't the expensive currants that finished him off.

The "British factory" in Leghorn was an historic and important centre for British trade in the Mediterranean, particularly for the Levant trade. It was a community of British merchants who were involved in exporting and importing goods, operating with their own chaplain and network of contacts, and eventually closed in 1825.

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Sadly, this historic cemetery is in dire need of restoration. If there are any donors sensitive to this matter, they should get in touch with the following person in charge: Ms Alison Turney, Vice Consul, British Vice Consulate, 18 Mantzarou Street, 49100, Corfu, Greece, +30 26610 30055, alison.turney@fco.gov.uk