Wintermute Cemetery
Yarmouth Township, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada
(As of 1998 Yarmouth Twp. is part of Central Elgin Twp.)
Lot 4,Concession 2
42631-42901 Roberts Line, Union, ON N0L 2L0, Canada
Gravestone Inscriptions
YA 836
OGS 2608
Recorded by Mrs. Helen Pincombe and Tony Hofstee
Elgin County Branch OGS
1981 & 1982
Notes by Mrs. Helen Pincombe
Revised and formatted for the Internet and Mobile Devices 20 August 2017 by BCJ
Copyright by the Genealogical Society, Elgin County Branch 1982 – 2002
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.
Wintermute Cemetery
By Helen Pincombe
This is indeed a pioneer cemetery. Many of the earliest settlers in this immediate are are buried here – before there were any churches built in the area. As far as I know, there was never any connection between this cemetery and a church. Two of the earliest settlers on Concession 2 of Yarmouth township, Elgin County were Captain Joseph Smith and David Burgess. Smith owned 200 acres – Lot 4, Concession 2, and David Burgess owned Lot 9, further east on this same road. Quoting from a history of the United Church nearby in Union – “This first such meeting (religious) ………..was held in 1820 at the home of David Burgess ………….The speaker on this occasion was a Rev. Mr. Ryerson.” This was either William or John, well known saddlebag preachers from the Long Point Settlement in 1820. It was many years after this that the first church was built, the exact date is not known.
Joseph Smith was Col. Thomas Talbot’s foreman and through Talbot’s influence with Lt. Gov. Gore, Smith obtained several hundred acres of Crown Land. Joseph Smith lived on Lot 4, Concession 2 and he gave this small plot of land, which is part of his farm, as a burial ground. According to the Smith stone, the first burial was his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1818 at the age of 36 years. Later his daughter Sarah (Sally) married John Wintermute and they resided here also in 1835. It became known as the Wintermute Cemetery although it is sometimes called Captain Smith’s or even the McCall cemetery. The second oldest burial is “Sarah daughter of Hugh and Ainer McCall”, who died in 1832 aged 12 years . Hugh and Ainer are my great, great grandparents. Sarah came to the district in 1829 from Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County with her mother and 2 older brothers Allen S. and George. Her father and mother were the son and daughter of United Empire Loyalists, Donald McCall and Captain John Haviland respectively. They settled on Lot 3, Concession 2, the first neighbours west of the Joseph Smith farm.
The latest burial in this cemetery appears to be James Begg, who died March 5, 1890, aged 73 years.
While there are only 61 stones here at present, originally there were many more. People in the area tell me that it was also larger. It is about 30 yards across the front (north side) which parallels the road, and has a depth of about 34 yards. IT is just a short distance east of Highway #4 and north of Port Stanley on Lake Erie.
It seems odd that there are no Wintermute stones in this cemetery and maybe there were at one time. I found in the Union Cemetery nearby, a stone for “Sarah, wife of John Wintermute, born Aug. 30, 1810, died Jan. 10, 1881″. This is the only Wintermute stone in the Union cemetery except for a small baby stone for her grandchild. This stone is next to hers.
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1. Stone
James TOMLINSON / who died / Sep. 3, 1852 / aged 65 yrs /
2. Stone
Infant son of Tho’s Adoline HARVEY / born and died July 7, 1854 /
3. Footstone – no inscription
4. Stone
In memory of / Joseph TOMLINSON / who died / 31 August 1852 / aged 38 yrs /
5. Footstone:
J T.
6. Stone
In memory of / Mary Eloy / daughter of A. S. and Mary McCALL / who died / Oct. 21, 1853 / aged 12 /
7a. Stone
In memory / of / Mary / [stone broken]
7b. Stone
Beloved wife of / A. S. McCALL / who died / Sept. 22, 1854 / aged 34 years, 7 months & 28 days / [goes with 7a]
7c piece of stone with no inscription
7d. Footstone:
H. F.
7e. Stone
William / who died /………..[rest of stone is missing]
7f. Stone
Aged / [?] yr., 7 m & 8 d [rest of stone is missing]
8., 9, & 10 – three small footstones – no inscription
11. Stone
Rob’t Henry / son of / William & Jane /(F)ARR/ [rest of stone missing]
[Note: this is likely William and Jane FARR]
12 Stone
George McCALL / born Charlotteville C. W. / March 24, 1814 / died / April 19, 1843 / aged 29 years and 26 days /
13 Small piece of broken stone; no inscription
14. Stone
In memory of / William H. / son of A. S. and Mary McCALL / who died / 12 Sept. 1850 / aged 9 yrs. 5 m and 21 d /
15. Stone
George Simpson / son of / Allen S. and Mary / McCALL / born Yarmouth / April 18, 1843 / died Aug. 15, 1844 / AE 1 yr. 3 m. & 28 d. /
16. Sr[?]
James A. / son of A. S. / and Mary McCALL / died Sept. 22, 1854 / aged 8 yrs., 7 months & 16 days
17Footstone – no inscription
18. This stone was missing for a while but is now 7d
19 Footstone –
H. C.
20. Footstone –
A. S.
21. Stone
Sarah / daughter of / Hugh and Ainer /McCALL/ born Charlotteville C. W. / April 15, 1820 / died Sept. 18, 1832 / aged 12 years 5 m / & 3 days / Read this vain youth as you pass by / As you are now so once was I / As I am now so you must be /Prepare for death and follow me /
[Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County, Canada West (now Ontario)]
22 & 23 Footstones – no inscriptions
24. Stone
In memory of / Aner McCALL / died Sept. 15, 1864 / aged 76 years, 5 months, 25 days /
25 7., 29., 31, & 32 – row of square cement posts with pointed tops and large hole in each for black iron link chain to go throug
26. Footstone:
C.
27. Footstone:
28 Footstone:
T.
29 and 30. Cement posts as 25, etc.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
Father
35. Footstone –
Mother
36. Footstone –
Joseph S.
37. Stone
In / memory of / Joseph SMITH / died / Feb. 1, 1840 / AE 61 yrs / Elizabeth / wife of the above / died May 1818 / AE 36 years /
38. Stone
In memory of / Bryce J. THOMPSON / died / May 30, 1872 / AE 69 yrs. 9 m’s / Mary / wife of the above / died Feb. 27, 1870 / AE 52 ys & 10 m’s /
39. Footstone –
S
41. Tall square column
East – JamesBEGG/ died Mar. 5, 1890 / aged 73 yrs / Native of / Aberdeenshire / Scotland / Remember friends as you pass by / That all mankind are born to die / Then let your cares on Christ be cast / That you may dwell with him at last /South – Joseph S. / son of / Ja’s & Jean BEGG / died Sep. 16, 1866 / in the 27th year / of his age / Life is a span – a meeting hour / How soon the vapor flies / Man is a tender transient flower / That e’en in blooming dies /
West – Jean / wife of James BEGG / died / Dec. 13, 1851 / in the 37th year / of her age / My own dear wife has gone / To mansions above yonder sky / To gaze on the beautiful throne / Of him who is seated on high /
42. Stone
In memory of / Joseph SMITH / died / April 1, 1865 / aged 31 yrs / also / Bertha T. / died / March 16, 1862 / aged 3 mos / daughters of / Joseph & Louisa / SMITH / Blessed are the dead that die… / the Lord ……. / [rest missing]
43. Stone
In memory of / Mariam / wife of William SMITH / who departed this life / June 20, 1856 / aged 42 years / Remember friends as you pass by / As you are now so once was I / As I am now, soon you must be / Prepare for death and follow me /
44. Stone
Charlotte / wife of / Samuel GILLET / died / Nov. 9, 1849 / aged 34 years / The pain of life is past / All her warfare now o’er / Death and hell behind are cast / Grief and suffering are no mo/re /
45., 46., & 47. Small head or footstones – no inscriptions
48. Stone
In memory of / Julia / daughter of / Wm & Mariam SMITH / died Sept. 9, 1845 / aged / 3 years, 7 months / 18 days /
49. Stone
In / memory of / John McQUEEN / died Apr. 26, 1862 / AE 46 yrs. /
50. Footstone – H
51. Footstone –
H. J. H.
52 Footstone – P
53. Stone
John / died Sep. 10, 1852 / AE 1 yr & 8 ms / William E. D. / died Sep. 12, 1852 / AE 3 yrs & 10 ms /children of John & Cath’ne McQUEEN /
54. Stone
George / died /June 3, 1852 / aged 17 years / Lo the prisoner is released / Lightened of his fleshy load / Where the weary are at rest / He is gathered unto God /
[Note – index in original transcription lists this stone under McQUEEN ]
55. Stone
In memory of / Margaret / dau’tr of Geo. & Eliz. JOHNSON / who died / Nov. 8, 1848 / AE 19 yrs / Affliction sore long she bore / Physicians were in vain / The Lord did please to give her ease / And release her from her pain /
(Other sources indicate that Margaret died 1845)
56. Stone
In memory of / Elizabeth / wife of / Geo. JOHNSON / who died / June 12, 1863 / AE 62 yrs / A faithful friend & companion dear / A tender mother lieth here / Great is the loss that we sustain / But hope in Heaven to meet again /
57. Stone
In memory of / George JOHNSON / who died / Mar. 10, 1871 / aged 73 yrs / & 8 mos /
58. Stone
To the memory of / William THOMPSON / who died / 11th Nov. 1855 / aged 20 years / Erected as a tribute with respect / by his fellow employees in / the establishment of / Adam Hope & Co., C. W. /
59. Stone
Ellen J. PEACOCK / died Mar. 7, 1863 / AE 2 yr. 1 m. 20 d. /
60. Stone
Sacred to / the memory of / James HOLDEN / son of / John & Ann HOLDEN / who departed this life / Oct. 5, 1849 / aged 26 yrs /
61a. Stone
Sacred to / the memory of / John HOLDEN / who departed this life / Dec. 16, 1850 / aged 71 years / also / Ann HOLDEN / wife of / John HOLDEN / who departed this life / Apr. 29, 1845 / aged 69 years /
61b. Broken piece of stone
Allen S. (Simpson) McCALL, born April 15, 1820 at Charlotteville Township, C. W., died February 10, 1864 at St. Thomas. Buried in Wintermute cemetery. The birth and death dates are in a family Bible. Two St. Thomas papers – Canadian Home Journal and Weekly Dispatch, both of February 11, 1864, state: “Funeral will take place Friday at 2 p.m. and proceed to Wintermute burying ground near Port Stanley”
The righteous will never be moved / He will be remembered forever / Psal. 112 Ver. 6 / McDonald, Fingal /
Documented burials, no stones remaining:
James WILSON, died September 6, 1829 (from Anglican Church records), as printed in the booklet, “The Plains”, by Jean I. Griffin, 1981