Visiting the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist
The history of The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist in Pinetown dates back to 1854 when Mr Archibald Murray offered 5 acres of land to build a church. The first church was erected on this land by 1856. This original church was demolished and its foundations now form the outline of the Garden of Remembrance.
Lych Gate
The Lych Gate – built of sandstone and wood, with a tiled roof – was built in memory of Thomas Hewlett Trotter who served as Churchwarden from 1906 to 1926. Traditionally, a Lych Gate is where the corpse rested while part of the service was read before burial.
Anglo-Boer War Graves
There are 3 British officers and 37 private soldiers buried in this section. Most of the men buried here died at the Princess Christian Hospital in nearby Sarnia. In 1900 the Pinetown Guild of Loyal Women was formed to tend to the soldiers’ graves and in 1922 a large sandstone Memorial Cross was erected with the names of the soldiers buried in this section. The headstone of Canadian Mounted Rifles Trooper CE Sterling, made of Canadian granite, was shipped to Durban by the Canadian Government. The Anglo-Boer War took place between 1899 and 1900.
Anglo-Zulu War Graves
A number of soldiers who died in the area during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War are buried here. This section is demarcated by a low metal rail and there is a granite Memorial Cross, erected in 1961 by the Sons of England, commemorating these fallen soldiers.
Others Graves
There are many other interesting graves and a printed pamphlet is available at the Church which gives you more historical details. Some of the graves include that of Edward Hortan (1824 – 1878) who established Pinetown’s first lending library and Lancelot Reacher (1822 – 1877) who built the first church of St John the Baptist.
Contact Details
Address: 5 Payne Street, Pinetown
Tel no: 031 702 0712
Website: http://www.stjohnbaptist.co.za/
Sunday service: 7am and 9am
The public can view the graveyard and church when the administration office is open, which is in the mornings from Monday to Friday. Even though the public is always welcome, you can contact the office to ensure that they are expecting you. There is a pamphlet that will give you details of the historical significance of the graves and church.
Information gathered from the pamphlet provided by The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist.
Photographer: Anthony Barr