Sholapur Cemetery India
Searching for Charlotte Catley (nee Bunyan)

In September/October 2009 Cheryl and Graeme Simpson visited India again. This time they included the towns of Lonavala/Lonavla and Sholapur to search for Cheryl's Great Grandmother's and Great Great Grandmother's graves. Laura Violet Ballard (nee Catley) is buried in the Christian Cemetery Lonavala supposedly on the 4 Jan 1914 and her mother Charlotte Catley (nee Bunyan) is buried in the Christ Church Cemetery Sholapur supposedly on 22 Jul 1906.

Our tour guide easily found the Christ Church cemetery which was well kept and large enough to keep us occupied searching for some time. However, we noticed that this cemetery had a date of 1920 on it - so Charlotte could not have been buried here! This was the "new" cemetery and the caretakers told us there was an old cemetery and roughly where it was. So, back into our vehicle to look for the old cemetery. Our driver stopped a couple of times to ask some locals where it was and eventually we found ourselves driving along side a quite large cemetery with a few headstones scattered throughout. We found an entrance roadway and just managed to squeeze the vehicle between a couple of buildings only to find a log across the road a short distance ahead. Our driver went for a walk to check it out and advised that there were a few headstones - it was not looking promising. So we decided to see if we could get some help.

We visited the St Joseph School and was told the minister should be able to help us when he returns to the school in around an hour. Knowing that it might be longer than that we decided to try another option rather than wait for the minister to return. So we headed off to an orphanage which used to be run my the American missionaries but now by the Swiss (since around 1948). They thought they could help and offered to guide us to the cemetery. So we headed off again following one of the locals on his motorbike - back to the "new" cemetery! We thanked him for his "help", waited until he left then headed off back to the old cemetery again - thinking we will just have to search the best we can for Charlotte's grave.

When we got to the road alongside the cemetery there was a hindu funeral and we had to stop and wait for it to enter the cemetery grounds. Our driver got out of the car and talked to some of the mourners who advised that there was another cemetery with a gate and caretaker around the back. So we decided to go there as at least the caretaker could advise us, even if only generally, about the cemetery. This looked much more promising, the lady caretaker (the 7th generation of her family to care for the cemetery) headed off with Cheryl while Graeme looked for a grave of his grand aunt who, as an infant, was supposed to be buried there as well. It was quite overgrown in places and very so around some graves. Then next thing Graeme knew was Cheryl calling him over to Charlotte's grave, the caretaker had taken her straight to it! Unbelievable - we had found Charlotte's grave at last - against all the odds.

After some time there and taking pictures, the caretaker told us she know who had the cemetery register and took us into the town to see it. We photographed the relevant pages including a Jiggins family who was also part of the Ballard clan. The next day we returned to the cemetery to see if we could find the Jiggins grave - we explored many graves, some well hidden under the undergrowth, we were not really sure if it was safe to do so but we persisted anyway, unfortunately without any luck. The caretaker and her family then showed us the state of the cemetery walls with a number of holes broken through it. She is concerned that people want to take over the cemetery grounds because "no one visits it anyway". We guess not many people do visit this cemetery, but the caretaker is conscientious in looking after it the best she and her family can. Later that day we had some spare time so we went back and photographed the whole cemetery register - Graeme did not find his grand aunt listed in it so that is a mystery for him to solve.

The grave itself was against thick undergrowth on one side but accessible from the other side. It was in remarkable condition with the words on the headstone clearly legible. Some of the granite posts around the grave had fallen over and what was probably metal rods between them missing. The grave also had an inscription on it which read "This is erected by her five children". The headstone read:

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Graves in the Christian Cemetery but is Charlotte's one of them? SholCem001.JPG	Looking down the main path from the entrance of the cemetery SholCem002.JPG	The main path and the building just inside the main entrance SholCem003.JPG
This is a well kept cemetery with the many graves well laid out SholCem004.JPG	However, this is a "new" cemetery which only started in 1920 SholCem005.JPG	Finally, here is an "old" cemetery but not many headstones here SholCem006.JPG
This does not look promising at all so lets see if someone can help SholCem007.JPG	A visit to St Joseph's School, when the minister arrives he might help SholCem008.JPG	The church at St Joseph's School we decide not to wait for the minister SholCem009.JPG
So back to the old cemetery, but have to wait for a Hindu funeral SholCem010.JPG	While waiting our driver finds out there is an entrance with a caretaker SholCem011.JPG	This looks more promising and the caretaker will help us look SholCem012.JPG
The cemetery has some paths but they are often overgrown SholCem013.JPG	Following the "main" path into the cemetery not to overgrown here SholCem014.JPG	Many old graves going back into the 19th Century SholCem015.JPG
Many of the graves were in thick overgrown bushes SholCem016.JPG	A grave often nestled among thick undergrowth SholCem017.JPG	Graves surrounded by very long grass with no paths through it SholCem018.JPG
More graves in long grass or under thick bushes SholCem019.JPG	Graves were spread out around the cemetery with no defined layout SholCem020.JPG	More bush and graves near a cemetery wall in the background SholCem021.JPG
Then Cheryl called me over Charlotte's grave had been found!!! SholCem022.JPG	The headstone was in quite good condition SholCem023.JPG	The writing could be read even though some of the lead had gone SholCem024.JPG
Better without flash? SholCem025.JPG	It probably had some rails between the stone posts SholCem026.JPG	Writing on the edge says "This is erected by her five children" SholCem027.JPG
The headstone SholCem028.JPG	Cheryl and the cemetery caretaker who found the grave SholCem029.JPG	Cheryl standing at the end, it was too overgrown to go behind the side SholCem030.JPG
One wonders how long it has been since a relative visited the grave SholCem031.JPG	Showing the area where the grave is located SholCem032.JPG	The cemetery goats roaming free, they enjoyed our company! SholCem033.JPG
There is another distinctive grave along side in the bushes SholCem034.JPG	It's quite a busy part of the cemetery but there is a path SholCem035.JPG	There are other graves under the bushes that flank the path SholCem036.JPG
Looking for the grave of a related Jiggins family the next day SholCem037.JPG	We went well into the undergrowth but were not successful SholCem038.JPG	She is the 7th generation of her family looking after the cemetery SholCem039.JPG