Two hundred years ago, the foundation of a school was set up by the Rev Robert Sparke Hutchings (born ?1782- died 1827), who was the chaplain of the Prince of Wales Island then. The school was the Penang Free School, which should be celebrating its 200th years anniversary in 2016.
I managed to visit the grave of Rev R.S. Hutchings at the old Protestant Cemetery at Western Road, Penang in July this year, both to catch a glimpse of his grave and to reminisce the spirit of the school that he founded.
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| The tablet on Rev. RS Hutchings's grave, the inscription being dedicated by his loving wife, Elvira Hutchings nee Phillips. Note the error on the tablet, where her name was inscribed as Elrica Hutchings. |
Personally I feel that the school had died in 1993, with the uncalled for meddling on the matters of the school by the people in power. And thus, for me, the school beyond 1993 only existed physically, without the true founding spirit of the school, and hence it never saw its bicentenary celebration this year.
May the spirit of Penang Free School lay at peace with its founder, Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings... RIP.
