Stewart Cemetery
South Dorchester, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada
(The old South Dorchester Twp. is now part of Malahide Twp.)
also known as
Kilmory Cemetery or Kilmartin / Stewart Cemetery
Gravestone Inscriptions and Burials without Monuments
Lot 19, Concession 7,
1001 Avon Drive, Malahide, ON, Canada
SD 614
OGS 2559
Recorded and checked by: Nettie Campbell and Mona Aitken
August 10, 1982
London-Middlesex Branch OGS
Revised and formatted for the Internet 6 September 2008 by Carol VanHarn
Latest Revision 17 October 2013 by CarolVanHarn
Copyright by the Ontario Genealogical Society, Elgin County Branch 1999
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microform reproduction, recording, or otherwise – without prior permission of the publisher.
This is a very old cemetery, located on Elgin County Road 37 (Middlesex- Elgin Townline), between Gladstone Road and Belmont. The land originally belonged to John Stewart. In the early days it was known as the Kilmory Cemetery. The property was sold to Alex Stewart on Nov. 18, 1871 for $10.00, signed by John and Duncan Stewart and Daniel Baxter. The caretaker of the cemetery in 1968 was Mr. Meikle, of Belmont
Information received from Brian Campbell regarding the history of Kilmory Cemetery:
This cemetery is also known as the Stewart Cemetery, and, in error, as the Kilmartin Cemetery. It is located at 1001 Avon Drive, east of Belmont, on the north west part of lot 19 and the north east part of lot 20 in the 7th concession of the former township of South Dorchester.
The cemetery was apparently surveyed in 1871 by Jesse P. Ball, Public Land Surveyor, who prepared a survey of the plots dated April 20, 1871. A note, signed by the surveyor on the survey states: “N.B. The above grave yard is known as the Kilmory Grave Yard, April 20, 1871″. The early plot deeds to the cemetery were printed with the name “Kilmory Cemetery”.
The local name “Stewart Cemetery”, is derived from the fact that it was laid out straddling the corners of the farms of two Stewart men, and that the most prominent monuments in the cemetery on either side of the front gate of Stewart monuments. The name “Kilmartin” was given in error to recorders who transcribed the cemetery. The Kilmartin Cemetery is located in north Yarmouth Township on Yarmouth Centre Road two miles south of St. James Presbyterian church. The Kilmartin cemetery marks the location of the old Kilmartin Presbyterian church and the name honoured the Kilmartin Parish in Argyleshire, Scotland from which many of the local settlers emigrated.
Burials probably took place in the Kilmory Cemetery before the 1871 survey took place. There are no known records of the plot owners or burials other than the actual monument inscriptions. A number of the monuments list death dates before 1871 although some of these burials could have taken place at other locations or reburials made in the this cemetery.
The name “Kilmory” probably was given to perpetuate the name of the hamlet from which the McColl family emigrated. It is located on the north shore of Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Argyleshire, Scotland.
Mrs. John C. Stewart (c 1839 – 1894) was born Catherine McColl, daughter of John McColl (he is buried in St. Thomas Cemetery, West Ave.), and granddaughter of Duncan McColl (buried on the south ½ of lot 11, concession 7, Westminster Township, Middlesex County in the McColl cemetery). Catherine (McColl) Stewart is buried just west of the front cemetery gate. I have been unable to find whether the Stewart family also came from Kilmory, Ardnamurchan. While there were Stewarts in that area in the early 19th century, I do not know whether they are connected. Catherine (McCol.) Stewart was a sister of Duncan McColl, the Catechist, who gathered the early Presbyterian congregations in South Dorchester, Yarmouth, Southwold and Westminster, including Knox Church, Belmont, Kilmartin (later St. James, North Yarmouth), and Fingal.
Prior to 1946, twin brothers, Jim and Bill McCord looked after the cemetery although the grass was not cut. Murray Campbell of Belmont recalled that in the 1930s a bee was held at the cemetery at which time overgrown brush was cut. The low masonry wall surrounding the Stewart plot to the east of the gate was also removed at this bee. The area inside that wall had previously been covered in asphalt.
Over the years an unknown number of remains were moved to other cemeteries, notably Dorchester Union Cemetery and the Aylmer Cemetery, which were being maintained. I have been told by Mrs. Angus (Florence Bennett) McCallum that several McCallum and Chivers graves were relocated, I think about 1931, due to the overgrown state of the cemetery.
I spoke with Mrs. Donald (Verna Meikle) Legg, of Belmont, Ontario in 2001 about the history of the cemetery. Her grandparents, David and Christina “Granny” Crawford are buried in the cemetery near the south edge. In 1946, following the deaths that year of the twin brothers James “Jim” and William “Bill” McCord, her father Douglas Meikle of Belmont was given on their instructions the key to a safe deposit box along with their instructions that “he was to look after the cemetery”. The safe deposit box was empty and he received no records for the cemetery. For approximately the next forty years the Meikle/Legg family maintained the cemetery at their own expense of time, labour and equipment. There was no perpetual care fund.
Verna Legg recalled that her grandmother used to place flowers on the unmarked grave of “a young boy who had nobody” who was buried near the south fence, not far from the Crawford monument. She speculated that the boy may have been a Barnardo child or orphan and said she did know his name or any other details of his death.
Responsibility for maintenance has now been taken over by the Township of Malahide. In the late 1990s vandals entered the cemetery with a vehicle and toppled the urns from the tops of the two large grey granite Stewart monuments. One was stolen and the other broken in pieces. A red granite obelisk was also toppled and broken at the same time.
Row 1
1. Old white marble
McCALLUM / In memory of / Jane McCALLUM / died Sept. 2, 1881 / AE 39 yrs. 6 ms./ wife of Archie McCALLUM / our children / Catherine J. / died Sept. 3, 1875 / aged 4 ms. 2 [days?] / Mary J. / died Sept. 2, 1887 / aged 1 yr. 2 ms. /
TAYLOR / Catherine TAYLOR / 1834 – 1878 / three sons / Gilbert 1862 – 1863 / John 1866 – 1867 / Angus 1856 – 1921 / at Rest Shreveport, La. / son Archibald 1864 – 1925 / at Rest / Enid Okla. /
4. Grey granite
BORTHWICK / Agnes / died Apr. 12, 1885 / AE 75 yrs. 6 ms. / and 12 ds. / native of Herrington Shire, Scotland / John Dixon / 1803 – 1892 /
Row 2
1. Large salmon granite
STEWART / John STEWART / born Sept. 11, 1870 / died Sept. 22, 1884 / John / died June 30, 1872 / AE 83 yrs. / Nancy / died Sept. 15, 1868 / aged 73 yrs. 3 ms. / Alexander / died Jan. 4, 1880 / aged 48 ys. 8 mos. 11 ds. / Archibald / died May 4, 1895 / AE 30 yrs. /
4. Salmon granite
5. Stone
McCORD / Rev. Thomas McCORD / 1872 – / Agnes DONNELLY / 1872 -1929 /
Row 3
1. Salmon granite , urn on top
FERGUSON / Donald FERGUSON / died Nov. 5, 1872 / aged 100 yrs. 2 ms. / native of Argyleshire Scotland / Duncan / son of Donald & Isabella / died Mar. 20, 1873 / aged 59 yrs. / Peter / son of Donald & Isabella / died Aug. 28, 1894 / aged 78 yrs. /
4. Old white marble
Row 4
1. Small white marble; broken
CAMPBELL / [illegible] / son of J. E. & Catherine CAMPBELL / [no dates]
Footstones : Mother, Father, Daughter, Brother
2. Large grey granite
STEWART / John STEWART / died Dec. 16, 1900 / AE 82 yrs. / Isabella / died Oct. 5, 1922 / aged [illegible] / John C. / native of Argyleshire Scotland / died Aug. 11, 1926 / aged 73 yrs. / Catherine / wife of John C. / died Nov. 16, 1894 / aged 64 yrs. / their daughter / Margaret / died Nov. 22, 1875 / aged 19 yrs. 2 ms. / Charles / died Jan. 31, 1906 / aged 44 yrs. / Alex / 1826 – 1915 / Christine / 1830 – 1916 /
Row 5
1. Stone
[front] McCORQUODALE / Duncan McCORQUODALE / died June 28, 1886 / aged 87 yrs. / native of Lochgilphead Scotland / Catherine KENNEDY / relict of Duncan McCorquodale / died Jan. 12, 1889 / aged 86 yrs. / native of Argyleshire Scotland
[back] KENNEDY / Katharine / died Jan. 8, 1929 / AE 87 yrs. / William / died Apr. 11, 1874 / AE 67 yrs. / native of Argyleshire
4. Base only
5. Grey granite
CRAWFORD / David Bruce CRAWFORD / 1877 – 1926 / Christian Jane / 1877-1966 /
Row 6
1. Tall pink obelisk, fallen over; in four pieces
FERGUSON / In memory of Janet KENNEDY / wife of John FERGUSON / died Mar. 31, 1891 / AE 81 yrs. / John FERGUSON / died Apr. 5, 1876 / AE 67 yrs. / natives of Argyleshire Scotland
Row 7
1. gs
McKELLAR / Donald McKELLAR / died Feb. 17, 1894 / aged 67 yrs. / Mary wife of the above / died Feb. 10, 1909 / aged 78 yrs. / Gertrude McKELLAR / died June 25, 1894 / aged 17 ys. 4 ms. 5 ds / Dougald McKELLAR / born Aug. 3, 1857 / died Mar. 16, 1930 / Jas. C. McKELLAR / July 3, 1884 / Feb. 3, 1932 / Ethel C. McKELLAR / Sept. 11, 1881 – Jan. 20, 1949 /
5. Footstone: H. ROBERTS
Row 8
1. Rust granite; urn on top
McPHAIL / In memory of Jas. McPHAIL / died Jan. 29, 1892 / 72 yrs. 7 ms. 24 ds. / a native of Argyleshire / also his infant son / In memory of Catherine N. / wife of Jas. McPHAIL / died May 31, 1894 / 59 yrs. 9 ms. /
4. Old grey marble
5. Footstone: McNAB
Row 9
1. Old white marble
REAVE / Jan / dau of Arch’d and Mary REAVE / died May 4, 1865 / 5 yrs. 2 ms. /
Row 10
1. Grey sandstone, in corner
LUCAS / Daniel LUCAS / died July 26, 1903 / 62 yrs. /
4. Footstone: Flora5. Grey sandstone in back right corner
STEWART / Alexander STEWART / 1826 – 1915 / Christena / his wife / 1830 – 1916 /
Row 11 [imaginary row to list a single tombstone recorded in 1968 but not found in 1982]
1. Stone
Walter E. / son of John B. & Cath’ne FRANCIS / died Oct. 26, 1879 / 5 ms. 14 ds
Burials without monuments
DAVIDSON – St. Thomas Times Journal, 7 June 1948, Page 6, c5 – Died – Thomas DAVIDSON, 64 years, June 5, son of William & Ellen DAVIDSON, nee NORRIS; brother of William N. & Jack B. DAVIDSON and Mrs Edith (William) TAYLOR. Funeral Tuesday June 8 1948 from Knox Church, Belmont to Kilmory Cemetery. No monument found – CVH May 2004
FISHBACH / FISHBACK – St Thomas Evening Journal, 14 April 1908, Page 1, c3 – Died – Mrs Effie FISHBACH, nee TAYLOR, 44th year, Apr 14, daughter of Neil TAYLOR; wife of Henry FISHBACH; mother of Clarence FISHBACH; sister of John and Angus TAYLOR. Funeral April 16 to Stewart Cemetery, Belmont. No monument found – CVH December 2007
GREER – St Thomas Evening Journal, 30 October 1906, Page 5, c4 – Died – Mrs Kate GREER, nee BUCHANAN, Oct 30, daughter of Alexander BUCHANAN; wife of S. A. GREER; mother of Eva GREER; sister of Mary and Nina BUCHANAN. Funeral November 2 to Kilmartin Cemetery. No monument found – CVH August 2008
McKELLAR – St Thomas Daily Times, 20 December 1910, Page 4, c2 – Died – Archibald McKELLAR, 88th year, Dec17, father of Mrs Annie SAGE, Mrs Kate PORTER and Dr Archibald McKELLAR. Burial Kilmory Cemetery. No monument found – CVH October 2007
McNEILL / McNEAL / McNEIL – St Thomas Daily Times, 20 November 1912, Page 4, c3 – Died – Mrs Sarah McNEILL, Nov 20, widow of J. McNEILL; mother of Mrs William COOK. Funeral November 21 to Kilmartin Cemetery. No monument found – CVH September 2008
ROBSON – St Thomas Journal, 8 July 1914, Page 5, c1- Funeral – Miss Ivy ROBSON, July 6 to Stewart Cemetery. No monument found – CVH May 2007