Ruin of St. Paul's Church
In 1521, a chapel was built by a Portuguese captain named Duarte Coelho on the hill which overlooks the town of Malacca and was originally named 'The Chapel of the Annunciation'. In 1566, the Jesuits constructed the present church made of laterite.
The missionary St. Francis Xavier who died in China on Sanchian Island, was brought to Malacca on the Portuguese vessel 'Santa Cruz' in March, 1533. His body was burried in the nave of the Church in front of the alter. His body was later moved to Portuguese Goa in India.
In 1641 after the conquest of Malacca, the Dutch used the Church for their religious services until 1753 when Christ Church was built. The Dutch renamed the Church 'St. Paul's'. The Dutch then used the Church and the hill as a burial ground for their notables.
Both the Portuguese and the Dutch used the commanding position of the Church as a gunemplacement. In 1824, the British used the sacristy as a powder magazine.
The tombstones in St. Paul's ruin are now put upright from its original position of being flat on the ground to avoid the inscriptions from being worn off. Note the Family Crest on the tombstone.
Graves on St Paul's Hill
This is the view of the old Cemetery that surrounds St. Paul's Hill.
Our appreciation to Mr. Jerry de Witt
for the above photos and explanation text.
Copyright- All photos in this site should not be copied or duplicated
without the expressed permission of Jerry de Witt and Dennis & Claudine
DeWitt.
