The Union Burying Ground

WEFHS April 8, 2022

Originally Published in Heritage Happenings, April 1991
These articles are reprinted as they were originally published. No attempt has been made to correct or update the content. If the topic interests you, we encourage you to do further research and/or reach out to us for any updates or corrections which may have been done since the original publication date.

The next time that you are traveling from Waterdown along Plains Road towards the new Mapleview Shopping Mall, take time to stop at one of the little plazas just east of King Road to investigate what appears to be an almost abandoned cemetery. Recent road works and construction of an Ikea store on the north side of Plains Road have revealed a tiny piece of forgotten East Flamborough-Burlington history, the tiny Union Burying Ground. All the changes and demolition during the past four years has resulted in several old buildings disappearing. Among the notable houses lost before attention could be drawn to it, was “Inverness”, a former Chisholm house. Now all that seems to remain from the early settlers of the last century is this cemetery.

From the road, the property is elevated on a bank, and enclosed by a high brick wall. There are fine iron gates on two sides, those on the south side being the original ones for the main entrance, but the widening of Plains Road made access by two more iron gates on the west side necessary.

“Union Burying Ground. Established 1848 by United Empire Loyalists.” So read the two bronze plaques ($45 each in 1934, and paid for gratuitously, according to cemetery board minutes) on the two iron gates to the site (original costs of the gates, 15 pounds Canadian currency). The Cemetery is on the corner of a lot that is situated in “Brant’s Block, on the south-westerly line of the Township of Nelson, near Wellington Square”.¹ In present day language, the burying ground is at approximately 1000 Plains Road East, Burlington, at Job’s Lane, originally the Purchase Line or the Halton-Wentworth County Line, and the first survey line in Western Ontario run by Augustus Jones in 1784, from Burlington Bay, just west of the present Skyway Bridges, to Arthur, Ontario.

The cemetery plot of 104′ by 138′ was purchased from William Davis.² It was divided into 10 lots, each 20′ by 40′, with suitable walks between and around each lot. The purchase price of each lot was two pounds, and the subscribers each paid Jabes Bent, contractor, their portion of the cost of the enclosing brick wall with stone foundation – total cost 96 pounds 16 shillings, exclusive of the gates. In 1909, an assessment was made against each lot for necessary repairs, and to establish a fund for future maintenance.

Sadly some of the stones inside the cemetery are missing or broken, and the burial records not complete. Fortunately the cemetery was very important to the late Mr. Miller Peart, a well-known genealogist and long time member of this and many other local history/heritage societies in the Wentworth-Halton area. Mr. Peart’s interest in the cemetery originated from it being the burial site of his grandparents, Jacob Peart and Jane Easterbrook. The William Davis Farm, from which the cemetery property was cut, was purchased from William James by Vickers Peart for Jacob, his son in 1862, and remained a Peart Farm for over one hundred years.

Through his interest in this pioneer cemetery, Mr Peart spent many years building up a record of the burials that had taken place in the Union Burying Ground. Using the information that was clearly visible on the existing monuments, old records and his own personal knowledge of ancestors buried there, a listing was compiled. The Society was given a copy of Mr. Peart’s material by another past member of the Society, Mr. Gordon Craig, following the Heritage papers on the William Davis Family. At present, this cemetery has not been transcribed by the local genealogical societies, so for the interest of those searching for early East Flamborough-Burlington ancestors, who are not recorded as being buried in any Aldershot cemeteries presently published, the Peart listing is included in full.

Lot 1 – Gilbert Davis

Gilbert Davis, 25 Mar 1872. 68y 2m
his wife Lucy Campbell, 4 May 1906. 78y
Cornelius Campbell. 16 Aug 1791 – 17 Dec 1860
Asahel Davis, b. Orange Co, NC. 1774 – 24 Mar 1850
his wife Hannah Bates, 8 April 1872, 82y
their son Walter, 7 Nov 1826 – 2 Oct 1848
J.W. Freeman, 4 June 1849 – 30 April 1921
his wife Mary Jane Davis, 21 Aug 1854 – 9 May 1891
Roy Davis Freeman, 21 May 1886 – 6 Oct 1971
his wife Catherine Marcellus Breheny, 22 July 1885 – 3 May 1963
R. Bruce Burt, DDS. LDS, 6 Sept 1863 – 23 Jan 1938
his wife Jeanette Blanche Davis, 21 May 1865 – 23 July 1911
their dau Mary Kathleen, 27 Dec 1908 – 7 July 1909

Lot 2A – C. G. Davis

Charles G. Davis, 28 Feb 1858 – 1 Jan 1915
his wife Helen Teeter Davis, wife of Stanley Mills, 7 Jan 1865 – 25 Sept 1934
their dau Helen B. Davis, 24 Sept 1891, 5m 8d
their dau Mark K. Davis, 10 Aug 1901, 8y
their son Harvey C. Davis, 1888-1955
his wife Georgina Crawford, 1890 – 1966
Irene C. Clark, wife of Charles C. Davis, 1925 – 1968
James Teeter, 17 Aug 1886, 63y 6m
his wife Helen Howell, 6 Nov 1830 – 8 June 1924

Lot 2B – William Davis

Azubah Hopkins, wife if William Davis, 22 Sept. 1840, 18y
Lucinda Springer Everett, wife of William Davis, 13 Feb 1848, 37y
Lilly, wife of Abner Everett, 27 Mar 1854, 21y 2m
Mary, wife of Abner Everett, 6 Jan 1855, 18y 3m 9d
Sabrina C. Crickmore, 4 Oct 1847, 21y 5m 19d
Benjamin, son of Benjamin and Sabrina Crickmore, 21 Aug 1847, 2m

Lot 3 – Peter Fisher

Peter Fisher, 23 Dec 1886, 85th y
his wife Sarah Bray, 27 July 1859, 54y
his wife Esther Webster, 18 Feb 1893, 74y
Margaret E. Fisher, wife of Hugh Stewart, 20 May 1922, 69y
Sarah Fisher Brander, dau of Peter, 10 Aug 1924, 91y
T. Elgin Fisher, 7 April 1911, 54y, at Westfield, Mass.
his wife Hannah Bliss, 26 Jan 1923, 73y
William F. W. Fisher, 17 April 1934, 79y
his wife Sarah Allen, 30 June 1932, 66y
Eveline J Newham, wife of Paul A Fisher, 1893-1961
Henry Newham, b Maidstone, Kent, England, 5 July 1862 – 5 Nov 1928
his wife Agnes Newham

Rev John Alley, Bishop of Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, 21 Sept 1799 – 5 June 1847
S. J. E.? (Grannie, who lived with Fishers?)

Lot 4 – Jacob Fisher

Jacob H. Fisher, 18 Feb 1888, 84th y
his wife Jane Ghent, dau of Thomas and Elizabeth, 11 June 1809 – 1 Aug 1845
his wife Eliza Jane Cummer, 7 May 1888, 63rd y
their son William Nixon Fisher, 31 Oct 1828 – 22 April 1843
their dau Emala Jane, 7 July 1845 – 21 Aug 1845
John Cummer Fisher, son of J. H. and E. J., 15 Mar 1901, 43rd y
Sarah Eliza Fisher, dau of J. H. and E. J., 5 Sept 1856 – 19 Oct 1857
Ira E. Clark, 1867-1947
his wife Ellen G. Fisher, 1878-1950
“Teacher” Helen Pattinson, 1867-1954
George Fisher, 1848-1919
his wife Agnes Randall, 1853-1928
Marion C. 1888-1946
Edwin Fisher, son of George and Agnes, 24 Sep 1881, 1y 4m
Sophia T. Cripps, 31 Mar 1824 – 16 Dec 1865

Lot 5A – Cummins

Titus C. Cummins, 16 Nov 1893, 81y 2m 21d
his wife Margaret, 17 July 1850, 36y 27d
his wife Ann Will, 15 Jan 1900, 74y
Margaret Ann, infant dau of Margaret

Lot 5B – Baxter

Thomas Baxter, 6 April 1876, 55th y
his wife Amanda Kaitring, b Trafalgar, 27 Feb 1823 – 30 Mar 1906
Ellen Baxter, 11 April 1844 – 8 July 1920
John W. Baxter, d Elizabethtown, Texas, 21 April 1869, 23y
Bella McBeth Baxter, 27 June 1885, 24y
Harry, 15 Jan 1865, 6y, son of Thomas and Amanda
William M., 1875?. 1m, son of Thomas and Amanda
Emily B., ?, 7m, dau of Thomas and Amanda

Lot 5C – Galloway

Lot 6A – N. J. Kerns

Nicholas Joshua Kerns, 17 July 1922, 79y
his wife Mary Jane Ghent, 1 June 1904, 57y

Lot 6B – Andrew Gage

Andrew Gage, 9 June 1876, 74y
Martha, 27 Oct 1875, 69y
their son John W. Hunter Gage, 21 Jan 1851, 9y 5m

Lot 6C – J. Peart

Jacob Peart, 22 April 1920, 81st y
his wife Jane Easterbrook, 31 Oct 1913, 67y
their dau Eva M. Peart, 17 May 1921, 56th y
their dau Annie A. Peart Smale, 22 Jan 1873 – 12 July 1970

Lot 7 – George Ghent

George Ghent, J. P., 31 May 1883, 78th y
his wife Catharine Bates, dau of Walter, 14th Feb 1844, 33rd y
Walter James, eldest son of George and C., 28 Mar 1842, 10th y
Anna Bray, wife of George Ghent, 11 Aug 1863, 46th y
Catharine Anna, 2nd dau of George and Anna, 25 Feb 1861 – 26 Mar 1953
William Ghent, 3 Aug 1853 – 11 June 1929
his wife Christina Fothergill, 26 Oct 1854 – 14 Jan 1929
their dau Charlotte, 11 Feb 1887 – 16 April 1898
Anne Wright, wife of Edgar Ghent, 4 April 1908, 22y
their son Franklin W., 1 April 1908 – 4 Aug 1908

Lot 8A – Crosby

Daniel P. Crosby, 14 Feb 1830 – 18 April 1906
his wife Kate Campbell, 1 June 1834 – 15 May 1911
their only son Elmer O., d at Sunnyside, Burlington, 29 April 1888, 21y
Jennie Crosby, wife of Dr. C. V. Emory, 3 Nov 1890, 34y
Seth Ryckman
his wife Mary Crosby

Lot 8B – J. P. Gage

Mary Josephine Gage, 12 Feb 1842, 1m
Delia Eugenia Gage, 3 Sept 1844, 375d
Thalia Catherine Gage, 7 Feb 1848, 4m 10d
James Gerald Gage, 25 Oct 1851, 6y 5m 10d

Lot 8C – A. Foster

Lot 9A – Grant Davis

Lot 9B – Asahel Gage

Asahel Gage, 1 July 1861, 63rd y
his wife Nancy McCollum, 5 Sept 1847, 46y 1m 9d
Margaret, wife of J. M. Gage, 11 Nov 1854, 19y 8m 14d
their dau Nancy, 11 Nov 1853
Sarah A., dau of John and ? Gage, 19 Aug 1855, 10m 1d

Lot 10 – David Ghent

Thomas Ghent, U.E.L. b Franklin, NC. 1770-1824
his wife Elizabeth Davis, U.E.L. b Orange Co, USA, 1772-1841
David Ghent, 20 Dec 1875, 71y
his wife Mary Green, 25 Oct 1891, 85th y
their son John G. Ghent, 30 April 1832, 1y 4m
their youngest son Andrew Fisher Ghent, 22 Dec 1876, 23y
Thomas Davis Ghent, 20 Jan 1917, 71y (in Toronto)
David Albert Ghent, 7 July 1911, 68th y (in Toronto)

The Union Burying Ground Minute Book
See Heritage Papers #31, #32, #33 – The Davis Connection with Waterdown (Parts I, II, and III)