God’s acre : Msida Bastion Cemetery

Abstract

Right behind Lin torn Barracks at Beltissebh formerly Balzunetta, in Floriana, we find the remains of what was once an inspiring and beautiful Cemetery, known as the Msida Bastion Cemetery, for members of the Anglican and Church of England Communities in Malta. There existed an older Cemetery known as the Quarantine Bastion Cemetery which was almost completely destroyed during the savage air-raids by the Luftwaffe over Floriana in April, 1942. The Hotel Excelsior was built on the major part of the site on which this Cemetery once stood on the left-hand side of the Great Siege Road leading to the St Rocco Baths and further on to Marsamxett Harbour. The Quarantine Bastion Burial-ground was opened in 1801 and was soon filled to capacity. It was therefore already closed in 1839 when burials began to take place in the nearby Msida Bastion which continued to be the Anglican Cemetery up to the year 1886 when the new Cemetery at Ta' Braxia was inaugurated, as further space was no longer available at the Msida Bastion. It should be remembered, however, that when the Quarantine Bastion Cemetery was still in use, some tombstones were erected over a few graves which were the first to appear at the Msida Bastion Cemetery. For example there was the grave of Lieut. Russel Rawlings , 39th Regiment (No. 253 in Zone C) dated 1814 and that of Elizabeth Jemima Blake daughter of Joseph Blake of Ardfry in County Galway, widow of George XIV Earl of Erroll and wife of the Rt.Hon. John Hookham Frere (No. 151 Zone A) who died in 1831. These early burials explain why there was a large gap between the dates shown on these few graves and those on the other tombstones at the Msida Bastion Cemetery.