Cemetery. God’s Acre. Eternal Home. Potter’s Field. Resting Place. No matter what the reference you use to describe our final burial site, as Gertrude Stein’s poem, Sweet Emil, says ‘Rose is a rose is a rose’.
Cemeteries are a quiet place of memories, reflections of those who have gone before us, a final resting place. A place where we can commune with those who rest there. Adorning their graves with freshly picked flowers or more permanent plantings honouring their lives that have gone before us.
The destination for some is a cemetery or a family graveyard.
In Perth County there are 82 known cemeteries. On some farms in Perth County there are grave sites on their grounds known or forgotten.
God’s Holy Acre is a gravesite at St James Anglican Church in Stratford. Buried in this cemetery is one of the first settlers who came from Tipperary, Ireland with his brother and their families. They were hired by the Canada Company to build the first roadside Inn called Sargint Inn. Being of Anglican faith Mr. Sargint is buried there. Mrs. Sargint being of Roman Catholic faith is buried at Avondale Cemetery.
Avondale cemetery was originally part of the park system Avondale Park. In 1870 land was purchased from the Cawston family in what was then Downie Township. Travellers on the Grand Trunk Railway stopped at the train station located at Avondale Park/Cemetery, alighted on the platform, and proceeded among the tombstones to reach the Old Grove Park area. Some would have a picnic and sit by their loved ones for a visit. Although it is now non-denominational, at one time there was a Saint section, Roman Catholic, a military section notably identified by the white markers with the Canadian maple leaf symbolically displayed, and other religious denominations. There is Potter’s Field where the disadvantaged were buried, the majority from what was then known as the House of Refuge. There are unmarked graves for many reasons, one of which is the infamous murderers who were two of three hangings that took place at the Stratford Jail.
No matter what station in life you held many historical personalities share the same resting area, famous or infamous. George McLagan (furniture manufacturer), James Trow (a tax assessor and then an Ontario MPP), J. J. E. Linton (school teacher and abolitionist), Joseph Christopher Harrison (who had been enslaved in U.S., barber and hairdresser), Richard Monette (theatre personality), Richard Manuel (musician), and Almede Chattelle (murderer and thief - the first man hanged in Perth County for the murder of Jessie Keith).
Historically tombstones and memorial stones are a wealth of information for those of us to have a great interest in our family history. Albeit sometimes the spelling of names is not accurate. Interestingly, remains are not buried beneath the stones. Sometimes this information is carved on the memorial stone in memory of the family member. The tombstones located at the Fryfogel Inn is an example whereby the location of the remains is not truly known.
Sadly, there are memories that are not happy in the way the passings occurred.
A baby found in a manger in a hotel stable in Shakespeare by a travelling salesman. Even though many women tried to sustain this wee soul it was in vain. He is buried in a grave in South Easthope cemetery marked by the tiniest headstone with Charles Shakespeare engraved on it. The minister would not bury him without a name. He was named Charles as his given name. This was the name of the hotel owner where he was found, and Shakespeare was given his surname.
In St. Mary's cemetery in St Marys, you will find the tombstone of George Edward Graham who died in the Titanic disaster. In Listowel, the murder of young Jessie Keith whose story was written by John Goddard (The Man with the Black Valise), and a beautiful monument in her memory was raised by funds through donations at the time of her death.
In 1857 an Italian carver by the name of Texter arrived in the village. He carved marble and stone for gravestones. Because he could not work enough to feed his family and they did not ask for help, his baby and later his son died from starvation. Mr. Texter carved a marble headstone for his children and then they left the town. He was the carver of the wooden figure that stood in front of the United Cigar Store on the corner of Ontario and Downie St., Stratford.
Many deaths happened during the Spanish Influenza period of 1918-1920. You can see on some headstones in Perth County several family members lost their lives during this time. So sad many lives were lost due to lack of drugs and now we have so many deaths due to drugs.
Lastly, we remember the immigrants from Scotland who lie in unmarked graves along the riverbanks as they were making the last of their voyage from Quebec to settle in the Easthope townships in Perth County. Lost to the dreaded cholera and buried along the river as their family members were not allowed to disembark.
May we cherish the time we still have with those we love and hold them dear in our hearts and memories when they are gone.
