In St. Nicholas Churchyard is the Commonwealth War Grave of:-
Captain
R. Sterling
Royal Army Medical Corps
16th October 1917
This has replaced a private headstone which read:
Sacred to the memory of
Robert Sterling, M.A. M.B., B.Sc.
(the rest could not be read from the photograph)
The Newcastle Daily Chronicle 20/10/1917 reports:-
FUNERAL OF THE REV. DR. ROBERT STERLING.
His Work as a Missionary at Gaza.
The funeral of Dr. Robert Sterling, B.A., M.A., M.B., B.S., Captain R.A.M C. and honorary Canon St. George’ s Collegiate Church, Jerusalem, who died at a nursing home in London on the 16th inst., took place at Gosforth Churchyard yesterday afternoon, the remains being placed in the family vault.
The reverend gentleman, who was born in Newcastle in 1859 was educated at Durham University, where he took his B.A. and M.A. After being curate at Choppington and at Kyloe, he came to Gosforth, and studied medicine. He took his M.B. and B.S. at Durham College of Medicine, Newcastle.
In 1893 he entered the mission field and was for 24 years C.M.S. Missionary at Gaza in Palestine. At the outbreak of war, he was interned, but through the kindness of the American Consul he was allowed to return to England. He then joined the R.A.M.C. and in February of this year he was appointed to the Intelligence Staff and sent out to Egypt and then on to Khan Yunis, Southern Palestine.
He took ill there and was sent to Cairo to undergo an operation, and returned to England in August and has been in a nursing home since.
Canon Sterling did good work at Gaza, and to-day his work is known the length and breadth of Southern Palestine, and parts of the Sinai Peninsula.
From a small Medical Mission, Canon Sterling brought the work at Gaza to a state of proficiency. For some time after his arrival at Gaza, the medical missionary work was carried on in a native house, ill-adapted for the purpose. Nothing daunted by difficulties, he raised the money, and, under his own supervision, built a new hospital, with in-patients’ and out-patients’ blocks, it was considered, if not the best, one of the finest and best equipped missionary hospitals in Palestine. He also had in the Mission Compound schools, where some 300 to 400 Mohammedan girls were taught daily.
Canon Sterling was very fond of rowing, and he held three silver cups which he had won. He was a Freemason, and a member of the St. Cuthberts Lodge, Bedlington. He is survived by a widow, four sons and two daughters.
The burial service was conducted by the Rev. Canon Maddison, Rev. W. King, (Gosforth) the Rev. Nicholson (Newton Hall), and the Rey. Canon P.J. Kirner (Jesmond). Other clergy present were Rev. Canon Hamer (St. Paul’s, Newcastle), Rev J.H. Ison (St. Thomas’s) Rev. J. Mitchell (Gateshead Fell), and Rev. J.H. Sheppard (St. Monica’s).
The chief mourners were Mrs. Sterling (widow), George Sterling, N.F. (son), Miss Sterling (daughter), Mr. M. D. Forster, Miss Forster, Mr. J. W. Charlton (Wylam), Mr. E. W. Pyle, Mr John Graham, Mr. Watson, Mr. A. Brown and Mr. F. Brown.
Dr. Rob. Sterling, R.A.M.C. who is serving in Egypt, and Corpl. Charles Sterling (Canadians), who was on active service (sons), were unable to be present.
Robert Sterling is remembered at Durham in D47.151, and at Newcastle on NUT066
