Pause a moment here amid the hustle of Victoria. We are at the Bel Air Cemetery. It is more than just a burial ground. It is a chronicle etched in stone.
Bel Air is one of Seychelles’ oldest and most historically significant sites. This is an administrative district of Seychelles located on the island of Mahé. Alexandrine Zelia is the District Administrator. Hon. Norbert Loizeau is a member of the National Assembly. Bel Air had an estimated population of 2963 in 2019.
The Bel Air Cemetery was the first official burial ground for French colonists. It marks the oldest historical site in the Seychelles. Opened in the late 1780s, it became the final resting place for settlers. They established L’Etablissement du Roi on Mahé in 1778.
Imagine the scene. French settlers arrive. They begin to build a colony. This tranquil spot becomes their chosen place to bury their dead.
However, time and nature have taken their toll. The great Lavalasse of October 12, 1862, brought raging floods. These floods washed away many older graves and tombs. Some headstones still bear witness to the past.
Look closer. You can see the vaults of founding families. These families shaped Seychelles. The Dupuy family vault is here. It contains six members of the wealthy Mauritian family. Etienne François Dupuy rests here. He was a district magistrate and acting civil commissioner in 1862. The corpses were deposited in the vault enclosed in leaden coffins.
Vaults were built of coral limestone bricks. Walls were at least 31 centimeters thick. The floor was two meters below ground. The internal height did not exceed three meters.
Many notable figures rest here. Their graves show the artistry of those times. Jean-Baptiste Remy D’Argent was a notary public. He died in 1856 at 46 years old. William Harrison Hollier Griffiths was a district magistrate. He died in 1857.
Jean François Hodoul is also buried here. He was a notorious corsair. Hodoul arrived in Seychelles in 1791. He attacked British vessels in the Indian Ocean.
The Bel Air Cemetery holds secrets and legends. One tells of a giant boy. He was nine feet six inches tall when he died in the 1870s. He was just 14 years old.
Many victims of the smallpox epidemic of 1883 lie here. Their graves are unmarked. They were buried in coffins with quicklime and charcoal.
The local board of health closed the Bel Air Cemetery on June 4, 1902. William Marshall Vaudin chaired the board.
Today, the Bel Air Cemetery stands as a testament to time. It is a reminder of Seychelles’ rich history. It links us to those who shaped this land. Take a moment to reflect on their lives. Consider the stories hidden beneath our feet.