There is something really strange about the tomb of Susanna Anna Maria Yeats (Verkerk). To begin with, very little information exists. The ones with any information had very basic information and almost all other blogs on this subject are old wine in a new bottle. Somehow, I wanted to know more about her and thus this blog is finally ready after months of research.
Thanks (or no thanks) to Ruskin Bond and his short story by the name “Susanna’s Seven Husband” now her character forever has been marred by designating her as a black window. Historically there are no records or any reference that she had seven husbands. As per all official records that I have seen and verified she was married just twice.
So let’s go one step at a time and try to decipher the mysterious life of Susanna Anna Maria Brueys Verkerk and her last resting place.
Timeline of Susanna Anna Maria
Susanna Anna Maria Verkerk
Born: 5 October 1743
Father: Gerard Verkerk Mother: Adriana Raats
Died: 12 May 1809
(Husband 1) Pieter Brueys
Born: 6 November 1730
Married: 18 October 1759
Children (with Susanna Anna Maria): Susanna Jaboba de Brueys (1761), Louis Adriaan de Brueys, Maria Anna de Brueys
Died: 23 August 1783
(Husband 2) Thomas Joseph Yeats
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
Married: 30 March 1795
Pieter Brueys
He was a Senior Merchant and Chief Administrator of the Dutch settlement in Hooghly. In 1783 he became the Dutch Director of the settlement. Before that in 1764 he was the Merchant and Chief Administrator of Cossimbazar.
He was the first husband of Susanna Anna Maria Verkerk and fathered three children with her. A lot of wealth and influence has come to Susanna Anna Maria from him due to his position in the Dutch administration.
He was born in The Hague in Netherlands to Jean Israël de Brueys and Suzanne Sandrin. He had one brother and one sister. Interestingly the first recorded document that we get both of Pieter Brueys and Susanna Anna Maria were in a document of Baptism of the son (also named Pieter) of his sister Johanna de Brueys.
By then they were married but interestingly Susanna Anna Maria signs her name as Susanna Anna Maria Verkerk instead of using the surname “Brueys”. In this document, they have signed as a witness which is normally the norm during any baptism ceremony as one needs to stand as Godfather and Godmother.
They were married for 24 years and after his death was buried at the Dutch Cemetery in Chinsurah. One can still see the tomb of Pieter Brueys standing with a stone plaque.
Thomas Joseph Yeats (Yeates)
Originally from Gloucestershire where he owned an estate but lost it all in his horse gambling addiction. To sort things out financially he joined East India Company as a cadet in 1779 rising to the ranks of lieutenant in 1781. He resigned from service on the 13th of December 1786. He reached Calcutta via Madras from Norfolk on March 1781.
After leaving the infantry as a lieutenant we only know that he became a merchant and had settled somewhere near Chinsurah. The details of his trade and business are not known in detail.
The only reference that I have found is that he had rented a room from Bob Pott. This was found in a letter that Bob Pott had written to Sir. Elijah Impey, in this letter Thomas Yeats gets some connection as the “Administrator of L. Lyons Estate”.
I tried searching for L. Lyon and his estate but could not find anything concrete. The only thing that I found was there is a place right behind the Writers’ Building which is known as Lyons Range. This place got its name from Thomas Lyon who was the designer of the Writers’ Building.
The most interesting piece of evidence which I can produce here is the original copy of the marriage certificate of Susanna Anna Maria Brueys with Thomas Yeats which took place at St. Johns Church in Calcutta. The date on the certificate mentioned is 30th of March 1795 and bears the original signatures of both Susanna Anna Maria Brueys and Thomas Yeats. It is to be noted that Susanna Anna Maria Brueys signed herself as S.A.M. Brueys.
The marriage with Thomas Yeats was short-lived and as per some records, the couple got divorced. However, there is no evidence in the church record. This information is debatable since in her tomb she chooses Yeats instead of Brueys. Also, it’s a recorded fact that Susanna Anna Maria was a widow of both of her husbands.
Mysterious Third Husband
In some recent documents, there is a mention of a Floris Cup as the mysterious third husband (first marriage) but this is incorrect.
Records indicate that Floris Cups was the first husband of Adriana Raats (mother of Susanna Anna Maria) and that her mother was a widow.
The error usually happens due to improper translation from Dutch to English. The single piece of evidence that gives us much of the details tries to say that Susanna Anna Maria was the daughter of Gerard Verkerk and Adriana Raats who was the widow of Floris Cup. Here Adriana Raats is the widow of Floris Cup.
It took me a lot of effort but I managed to get a copy of the original marriage record of Adriana Raats with Floris Cup on May 1723.
Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria
For some strange reason, she had decided to stand out even after her death. Not only did she build a magnificent tall tomb for herself but also kept funds for the maintenance of her tomb as well as that of her two husbands. While the tomb of Pieter Brueys still can be seen there is no trace of the tomb or grave of Thomas Yeats as of now.
The tomb is painted white and was built after the death of Susanna Anna Maria. The tomb is octagonal and is seen on a high plinth. To access it you need to climb a few flights of stairs on all four sides. The structure consists of Corinthian columns and on top, there is a semi-circular dome. On the dome there is an inscription “Susanna Anna Maria Yeats, nee Verkerk overleden 1809”
The structure itself looks as if it has been built with two separate sections with the upper section a litter smaller than the base section.
There used to be a marble slab at the center under the dome previously but that is now missing. The slab contained an epitaph written in Dutch.
Ter Gedagtenis van Susanna Anna Maria Yeates Geboorene Verkery obit den 12 Maij Anno 1809
Ik Lag in het graft zonder geklag
Ep rust dar tot den jongsten dag
Dan zult gy Heer mijn graft out dekken
En mij ter ecuwige Vrengd verstrekken.
(I lie in this grave without complaint In rest until the judgment Day I hen shall you. Lord, open my grave and take me to eternal joy).
The design however is not an innovative one as it is a replica of Tammerus Canter Visscher in Cossimbazar. It is to be noted that Pieter Brueys was the Merchant and Chief Administrator of Cossimbazar and by then they were already married so highly probable that she had seen this tomb in Cossimbazar and wanted something similar for herself.
Will of Susanna Anna Maria
She had created her last will in the year 1809 the year of her death. This last will was witnessed by Louis Adriaan de Brueys (son) Johannes Muller, and Daniel Anthony Overbeek (Last Dutch director of Bengal, 1818-25).
In this will, she left all her possessions to his son Louis Adriaan de Brueys. This included six mares along with a coach, a house located in Chinsurah.
Previously there was another will which was created on 21 November 1805 wherein she left behind 4000 Rupees in a trust. The interest from this will be used for the maintenance of her tomb and also that of her two dead husbands. If there was a surplus then that would go to Chinsurah Poor Fund.
The place where she was buried (her tomb) was called Ayesh Baag and consisted of around 60 bighas of land. This she wanted to be a burial ground for the English and the Dutch. This however did not happen as the existing Dutch cemetery was expanded and it did not make sense to create another burial ground at this spot. Thus, the tomb of Susanna Anna Maria stands alone surrounded by open space.
This land along with the church and cemetery was handed over to the Bishop of Calcutta in 1825.
Location of The Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria
The tomb is located right next to the main road (Grand Trunk Road). The name of the place is Khadina More. If you are traveling on the road then it can be easily be spotted from the main road. The locals also refer to this tomb as Saat Saheber Bibir Kobor which translates to the grave of a woman with seven European husbands.
How To Reach The Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria
The nearest train station is Chuchura and has many trains from Howrah. From the train station, you can take a Toto (e-rickshaw) to this place. Additionally, you may also book a Toto for a round trip.
If you are coming to this place along with other tourist places around Chandannagar and Hooghly then it’s best to come in your own or hired vehicle. There is ample parking space around this tomb.
The tomb is easily seen from the main road and is a prime tourist attraction thus won’t be difficult to locate.
Location of The Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria on Map
Reference
List of the officers of the Bengal army: 1758-1834 by V.C.P. Hodson
Columbia University In The City of New York Digital Library
List of inscriptions on tombs or monuments in Bengal possessing historical or archaeological interest – 1896
Amsterdam City Archives
Bengal Past And Present Vol.51 Part 1 – 1936
Bengal Past And Present Vol.25 – 1923
Archaeological Survey of India – Kolkata Circle
Other Places Nearby
Bandel Church
Vande Mataram Bhawan
Zafar Khan Ghazi Dargah and Mosque
Hangseshwari Temple
Hooghly Imambara
Dutch Cemetery in Chinsurah