It is with great sadness that we announce that Eileen Hewson FRGS passed away at 9:30am on Saturday 19th September after a courageous battle with cancer.
Eileen Hewson FRGS travelled to the remote areas of the Himalaya for over 40 years.
Her travels took her to Everest and Nepal, along the Karakorum Highway between Pakistan & China, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar, the Kingdom of Mustang Nepal and many others.
For many years Eileen’s concern for with the fate of old graveyards in Ireland and Asia inspired her to document many of the inscriptions. Her searches took her to India, the Himalayas and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) where she surveyed many European burial grounds. Finding an Irish heritage in the Falklands was a surprise so it was recorded before it disappeared.
The results are published in The Kabristan Archives and are available to the general public at a nominal price. Her blog, Genealogy Sri Lanka, allows the public to post their Sri Lankan Genealogy queries for free.
Eileen is the author of over 100 publications and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Her final book ‘A Tibetan Dream – Travels in Ladakh, Bhutan and Mustang’ is due to be published soon.
Read more about Eileen’s travels and adventures on her Himalayan Miscellany website.
Oh I am so sorry to hear that. She was a wonderful resource for us genealogists. Would have been lovely to meet her. I didn’t know she was unwell. RIP to a great lady xx
I am so sorry to hear of Eileen’s passing. She was the foremost authority on genealogy in Ceylon and we had numerous communications over the years. She was a great help in my own research and I enjoyed helping her out with queries from other people. She will be missed by so many. Regards. Darren
So sorry to hear the news, such a lovely helpful lady. We so enjoyed talking to her and she was so helpful to our research.
Sean
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Eileen Hewson. Though not knowing her motivation for researching and documenting the many thousands of ancestral records in many countries, her work will stand as an amazing legacy and help to thousands of genealogists. Given the state of historical records in Sri Lanka, Eileen’s records are often the only tangible link to our ancestros.My sincere sympathies to her loved ones.
Stewart vanLangenberg (Melbourne)
So saddened to hear of this news. Thanks to Eileen’s resources and hard work getting records together from her visits to Sri Lanka I was able to fill in the blanks for my searches.
Sincere condolences to her loved ones and friends. Sylvia Taylor (Australia
Very sad to hear this news, Eileen’s work is an amazing legacy to the history of Ceylon / Sri Lanka. Sincere condolences to Eileen’s family.
Very sorry to hear such sad news. May she rest in peace
She is a legend in her field. Sincere condolences, to her family & colleagues.
So sad to hear of her passing. She was a wonderful source of information to help me with my own genealogy research and will be sadly missed. Sincere condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in peace.
I am so saddened to hear her Death too.She was an amazing person, was very quick to reply to any query Ihad. Sincere condolences, to her family & colleagues.
I was sorry to only now read of Eileen’s passing. She was always so willing to help when asked about genealogical questions, and prior to one of my visits to Ceylon, she gave me very good advice, which enabled me to locate the original birth, marriage and death documentation of some of my relatives. Condolences to her family and friends. She has left a legacy through her work.
.
Oh i am so sad to hear this! RIP Eileen Hewson – An incredible lady who has made her life count and who made it possible for me to complete the Sri Lankan ( Bhurgers) side if my family history. I am forever grateful.!
RIP Eileen. You have done an awesome job during your stay here.