Hutchings commemorative service 2020

Amidst the second surge of the Covid-19 (or third surge if you believe the government authorities). a scaled-down commemorative service for Robert Sparke Hutchings was held at the old Protestant Cemetery in Northam Road, George Town, Penang at seven o'clock in the morning on 21st October 2020, attended by six senior prefects and the Senior Assistant of Penang Free School (Hutchings founded the school in 1816), the Red Crescent members and a school teacher of Hutchings Secondary School (named after Hutchings, obviously), several Old Frees, parishioners from the St George's Church (which Hutchings had a hand in its establishment in 1819) and other well-wishers, thus making this year's attendance surprisingly quite decent. But we kept our social distance throughout the service and after.

The six senior prefects from Penang Free School at the commemorative service

The Penang Free School prefects laying the wreaths at Hutchings' grave

Very nice of Inesh Dillon, last years School Captain, to turn up too.

The Old Frees at the commemorative service. Missing from this picture was Sean Ho.

The boys from Hutchings Secondary School.

Me with the prefects from Penang Free School.

The grave of Robert Sparke Hutchings. The smaller grave happened to be that of his grand-daughter, Marian Isabel Macleane, who died in 1852 at the tender age of seven months.