Saturday, December 17, 2011

A Memorable Visit to Sheepstor (Part 2)

Let me continue the story ...

We proceeded to the Church of St Leonard, Sheepstor, which is a short drive away.

Here are some photos ...


Fig 1: View of St Leonard's Church from nearby hill

Fig 2: Tower of Church of St Leonard

Fig 3: Inside of the Church of St Leonard

Fig 4a: The visitor book just by the entrance to the Church
(We noted many entries by people from Sarawak)


Fig 4b: This plaque above the entrance, reflects the work of Sir James Brooke
in the restoration of St Leonard's Church. Amazing what 500 Pounds Sterling
can do in  the year 1861 !

Fig 5a: Large wooden panel on the wall with some background on the Brookes

Fig 5b: The first panel was on James Brooke

Fig 5c: The second panel was on Charles Brooke (originally Charles Anthoni Johnson)

Fig 5d: The third panel was on Charles Vyner Brooke

Fig 5e: The fourth panel was on Bertram Brooke (second son of Charles Brooke)

Fig 6: Going towards the cemetery at the back of the Church

Fig 7a: The main Brooke graves
(Leftmost & reddish is that of Sir James Brooke; rightmost & granite is for Sir Charles Brooke;
middle & behind is for Sir Charles Vyner Brooke; middle front is for Bertram Brooke)

Fig 7b: Grave of Sir James Brooke

Fig 7c: Grave of Sir Charles Brooke

Fig 7d: Grave of Sir Charles Vyner Brooke

Fig 7e: Grave of Bertram Brooke


Fig 8: Other Brooke graves near to the Rajahs

Well, those are the main photos from this memorable visit to Sheepstor.

Many thanks to my buddy, James Kuo for showing us the various places.

Additional Information

*  Legendary Dartmoor website

10 comments:

  1. what about the wives of the 2nd and 3rd Rajahs? were they also buried here?

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  2. There appears to be a number of tombstones so the wives and others are also buried here. Correct me if I am wrong James and James.

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  3. @Anon & LS - I don't think the wives of the Rajahs were buried at Sheepstor. I have read that Ranee Margaret, wife of the Second Rajah died 1936 in London while Ranee Sylvia, wife of the Third Rajah died in 1971 at Barbados.

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  4. They didn't leave space for Anthony Brooke ...

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  5. WJ, were you able to identify the four Brookes in the last photo?

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  6. Here's some info on the other Brooke graves outside the railed area:
    Kathleen Mary Brooke (1907-1981), first wife of Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke and sometime Ranee Muda of Sarawak;
    Angela Brooke (1942-1986), daughter of Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke and Kathleen Brooke;
    Anne, Lady Bryant (1910-1993), daughter of Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke; and
    J.C.V.C. 'Jimmy' Brooke, (1911-1995) son of Harry Brooke.

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  7. "SHEEPSTOR, or Shipstor, anciently written Schitestor, or Shittor, is a small village, in the picturesque valley of the little river Mew, or Meavy, on the western side of Dartmoor, near several rocky hills, and the Dartmoor Railway, 7 miles S.E. of Tavistock. Its parish has 127 souls, and 3469 acres of land, partly open moorland, on Ringmoor Down, &c., near the sources of the river Plym.

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  8. Why wasn't Anthony Brooke who died last year buried at Sheepstor? It seems that his wife and daughter and father are all there.

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    Replies
    1. I heard service and burial of Anthony Brooke beside the Rajahs to take place on 19th May 2012. Lots of Sarawak people going to be there. Matt

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  9. Read that Anthony Brooke passed away at the age of 98 in Wanganui, New Zealand on March 2, 2011 and was cremated in Wanganui.

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