Located within the George Town World Heritage Site, the old Protestant Cemetery was created soon after the British East India Company (EIC) established a settlement in Penang in 1786 by Francis Light.
The earliest recorded burial is of H.D.D Cunningham in 1789 while one Cornelia Van Someran was the last to be buried in 1892.
Approximately 2,500 people are buried in the cemetery, including Light. Many of the early governors of Penang, many of whom succumbed to tropical diseases such as malaria are also buried at the cemetery.
Unfortunately, only 340 or so graves are still identifiable.
The cemetery is considered one of the best preserved examples of an 18th and 19th century Christian cemetery in Southeast Asia according to George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), the body dedicated to protecting, promoting and preserving George Town as a sustainable city.
At the time the Protestant Cemetery was founded, it lay at the edge of town surrounded by vegetable plots and paddy fields. Over time, these farm lands gave way to villages houses in the early 19th century which in turn were replaced by brick houses during the turn of the century.
Today, it is right within George Town. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll through the cemetery which offers a glimpse into the tough life of Penang’s earliest residents – many who are buried there did not even live up to 40.
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