Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of

Mount Royal Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the ...

in the borough of

Outremont Outremont is an affluent residential borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists entirely of the former city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec. The neighbourhood is inhabited largely by fran ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada.

Temple Emanu-El Cemetery A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

, a

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cemetery,

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery (french: Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges) is a rural cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada which was founded in 1854. The entrance and the grounds run a ...

, and the Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, an Ashkenazi Jewish cemetery. Mount Royal Cemetery is bordered on the southeast by Mount Royal Park, on the west by Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, and on the north by Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery. Although the cemetery is non-denominational today, it continues to be governed by its original charter, with a board of trustees representing the founding

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

denominations. The cemetery is a private

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. Burial rights have always been offered in perpetuity, with the commitment that no graves would ever be reused or abandoned. The founding charter stipulates that all profits should be entirely devoted to the embellishment and improvement of the property. Mount Royal Cemetery is still in operation, and even the old portion of the cemetery has some burial sites available.

Design

Cimetière Mont-Royal - Cimetière de guerre 03

Crematory

The first

crematory A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...

in Canada was built by Sir Andrew Taylor in 1901 on the eastern side of the Mount Royal Cemetery property with funds donated by Sir

William Christopher Macdonald Sir William Christopher Macdonald (10 February 1831 – 9 June 1917) was a Canadian tobacco manufacturer and major education philanthropist in Canada. Though born in Prince Edward island, he is considered a Scots-Quebecer. Early life and ca ...

, a well-known tobacco

tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

and great philanthropist. This building is the oldest of its kind in the country and it remained the only crematorium in

until 1975. The first cremation took place on April 18, 1902. Built with Montreal limestone, the original building had a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

, a room for the cremation chambers, a large winter storage vault and a conservatory filled with exotic plants. In the 1950s, for maintenance reasons, the conservatory was demolished but the original chapel, on the left of the building, is still intact with a beautiful hand made mosaic floor.

War Graves section

The cemetery contains 459

war graves War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regu ...

of Commonwealth service personnel, 276 from World War I and 183 from World War II, most of which form two War Plots in Section G. A Cross of Sacrifice stands on the boundary with Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery. Military graves at Mount Royal did not take significance until World War I, when Canada lost over 60 000 soldiers. After this event, the population of the city started looking toward public memory more seriously, and gave an entire section to war veterans and fallen soldiers.Young, Brian with photographs by Geoffrey James. Respectable Burial: Montreal’s Mount Royal Cemetery. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003.

Notable interments

A few of the prominent people interred in the cemetery are: *

Sir John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Canada from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbot ...

(1821–1893), prime minister of Canada *

Sir Hugh Allan Sir Hugh Allan (September 29, 1810 – December 9, 1882) was a Scottish-Canadian shipping magnate, financier and capitalist. By the time of his death, the Allan Shipping Line had become the largest privately owned shipping empire in the wor ...

(1810–1882), financier and shipping magnate *

Sir Montagu Allan Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan, (October 13, 1860 – September 26, 1951) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the principal heir of his father, Sir Hugh Allan, and became deputy chairman of the family-owned A ...

(1860–1951), businessman, Hockey Hall of Fame member *

Richard Bladworth Angus Richard Bladworth Angus (28 May 1831 – 17 September 1922) was a Scottish-Canadian banker, financier, and philanthropist. He was a co-founder and vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, president of the Bank of Montreal, president of th ...

(1831–1922), banker *

Henry Birks Henry Birks (30 November 1840 – 16 April 1928) was a Canadian businessman and founder of Henry Birks and Sons, a chain of high-end Canadian jewellery stores. He was born to English immigrants from Yorkshire, England. His parents moved to Ca ...

(1840–1928), businessman *

William Thomas Benson William Thomas Benson (20 April 1824 – 8 June 1885) was born at Kendal, England and, after some years in business in England, immigrated to Canada in 1858. In Montreal, Benson met a man with whom he formed a partnership to open the first ...

(1824–1885), businessman, politician *

Frank Calder Frank Sellick Calder (November 17, 1877 – February 4, 1943) was a British-born Canadian ice hockey executive, journalist, and athlete. Calder was the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL), from 1917 until his death in 1943. He ...

(1877–1943),

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

executive * William Cecil Christmas (1879–1941), businessman, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame * William Clark-Kennedy (1879–1961), Scots-born

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipient *

Sir Arthur Currie General Sir Arthur William Currie, (5 December 187530 November 1933) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who fought during World War I. He had the unique distinction of starting his military career on the very bottom rung as a pre-war ...

(1875–1933), First World War military commander, educator * Sir Mortimer Barnett Davis (1866–1928), businessman and philanthropist *

Norman Dawe Robert Norman Dawe (October 18, 1898January 4, 1948) was a Canadian sports executive. He originated as an ice hockey referee for minor ice hockey games in Verdun, Quebec, before becoming involved in the administrative aspect of sports. He was ...

(1898–1948), Canadian sports executive *

J. William Dawson Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899) was a Canadian geologist and university administrator. Life and work John William Dawson was born on 13 October 1820 in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Pictou, Nova Scotia, where he attended and graduated from Pict ...

(1820–1899), scientist, educator *

George Mercer Dawson George Mercer Dawson (August 1, 1849 – March 2, 1901) was a Canadian geologist and surveyor. Biography He was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, the eldest son of Sir John William Dawson, Principal of McGill University and a noted geologis ...

(1849–1901), scientist * William Dow (1800–1868), brewer and businessman * Sir George Alexander Drummond (1829–1910), entrepreneur *

William Henry Drummond William Henry Drummond (April 13, 1854 – April 6, 1907) was an Irish-born Canadian poet whose humorous dialect poems made him "one of the most popular authors in the English-speaking world," and "one of the most widely-read and loved poets" ...

(1854–1907), Irish-Canadian poet, doctor *

Edith Maude Eaton Sui Sin Far (, born Edith Maude Eaton; 15 March 1865 – 7 April 1914) was an author known for her writing about Chinese people in North America and the Chinese American experience. "Sui Sin Far", the pen name under which most of her work was pu ...

(1865–1914), author, a.k.a. "Sui Sin Far" * Phil Edwards (1907–1971), athlete, physician * Henry Ekers (1855–1937), Mayor of Montreal 1906–1908. * Charles Edward Frosst (1867–1948), pharmaceuticals manufacturer * Henry Fry (1826–1896), ship-broker, ship owner and commission merchant based in Quebec City *

Sir Alexander Galt Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, (September 6, 1817 – September 19, 1893) was a politician and a father of the Canadian Confederation. Early life Galt was born in Chelsea, England on September 6, 1817. He was the son of John Galt, a Scottish ...

(1817–1893), businessman, statesman,

Father of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

(1777–1834), businessman, statesman *

Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard (1767 – March 24, 1857) was a Canadian fur trader, businessman, militia officer, justice of the peace, politician, and seigneur. He was the second president of the Bank of Montreal. From 1838 to 1841, he was a member of the ...

(1767–1857), businessman *

Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan (July 18, 1848 – January 28, 1938), known as Sir Hugh Graham between 1908 and May 1917, was a Canadian newspaper publisher. Biography Born in Athelstan, Canada East (now Hinchinbrooke, Huntingdon County, ...

(1848–1938), newspaper publisher * Frank Greenleaf (1877–1953), Canadian sports administrator *

Joseph Guibord Joseph Guibord (31 March 1809 – 18 November 1869) was a printer in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, known for the quality of his work. Guibord was acknowledged as one of the best typographers in Canada; he is thought to have introduced stereotype p ...

, (1809–1869), printer, temporarily interred here six years pending litigation about his disputed burial in

in 1875 *

Charles Melville Hays Charles Melville Hays (May 16, 1856 – April 15, 1912) was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway. He began working in the railroad business as a clerk at the age of 17 and quickly rose through the ranks of management to become the General M ...

(1856–1912),

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rai ...

executive and ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

'' victim *

Charles Heavysege Charles Heavysege (May 2, 1816 – July 14, 1876) was a Canadian poet and dramatist. He was one of the earliest poets to publish in Canada. He is known for his critically acclaimed play ''Saul''.Sir Herbert Holt (1856–1941), financier *

C. D. Howe Clarence Decatur Howe, (15 January 1886 – 31 December 1960) was an American-born Canadian engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician. Howe served as a cabinet minister in the governments of prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie ...

(1886–1960), American-born politician and engineer Leonowens 001

* Anna Leonowens (1834–1915), governess (Anna of '' Anna and the King of Siam''), founder of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design * Hannah Lyman (1816-1871), educator, biographer * Robert Mackay (1840–1916), businessman, statesman * Sir William C. Macdonald (1831–1917), tobacco manufacturer, philanthropist *

John Wilson McConnell John Wilson McConnell (July 1, 1877 – November 6, 1963) was a Canadian sugar refiner, newspaper publisher, humanitarian and philanthropist in Quebec, Canada. Early life J.W. McConnell was born to a farming family in the Muskoka region of Ont ...

(1877–1963), publisher, philanthropist *

David Ross McCord David Ross McCord, King's Counsel, KC (18 March 1844 – 12 April 1930) was a Canadian lawyer and philanthropist, philanthropic founder of the McCord Museum in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Life and career McCord was born in Montreal to ...

(1844–1930), lawyer, philanthropic founder of the

McCord Museum of Canadian History McCord may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places Canada * McCord, Saskatchewan *McCord Museum, Quebec *Mount McCord United States * McCord, Oklahoma * McCord, Wisconsin *McCord Bend, Missouri *McCord Crossroads, Alabama McCords Crossroads (formerly, Hopewe ...

* Air Vice Marshall F.S. McGill (1894–1980), professional athlete, businessman, RCAF officer *

John Jones McGill John Jones "J. J." McGill (June 22, 1860 – November 20, 1942) was an industrialist and philanthropist from Montreal, Quebec, and a prominent member of the English Speaking Community of Montreal. He was a major shareholder in, and later manage ...

(1860–1942), industrialist, philanthropist *

Peter McGill Peter McGill (August 1789 – September 28, 1860) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842. Biography He was born Peter McCutcheon in the village of Creebridge, Wigtownshi ...

(1789–1860), businessman, municipal politician * Duncan McIntyre (1834–1894), businessman *

Earle McLaughlin William Earle McLaughlin, OC (1915 – October 30, 1991) was a Canadian banker. Born in Oshawa, Ontario, to parents Frank McLaughlin and Frankie L. Houlden. Earle McLaughlin graduated with the gold medal in commerce from Queen's University and ...

, (1915-1991) cresident & chairman, Royal Bank of Canada * Charles Meredith (1854–1928), president of the

Montreal Stock Exchange The Montreal Exchange (MX; french: Bourse de Montréal), formerly the Montreal Stock Exchange (MSE), is a derivatives exchange, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that trades futures contracts and options on equities, indices, currencies, ETFs, ...

Frederick Edmund Meredith Frederick Edmund Meredith (January 16, 1862 – September 23, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer and businessman. He was the 8th Chancellor of Bishop's University; President of the Mount Royal Club; Bâtonnier of the Bar of Montreal; President of the Mo ...

(1862–1941), chancellor of Bishop's University * Sir

Vincent Meredith Sir Henry Vincent Meredith, 1st Baronet (February 28, 1850 – February 24, 1929), was a Canadian banker and philanthropist. He was president of the Bank of Montreal, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He was gove ...

(1850–1929), 1st Baronet of Montreal, president of the Bank of Montreal * William Campbell James Meredith (1904–1960), Dean of Law, McGill University *

Shadrach Minkins Shadrach Minkins (c. 1814 – December 13, 1875) was an African-American fugitive slave from Virginia who escaped in 1850 and reached Boston. He also used the pseudonyms Frederick Wilkins and Frederick Jenkins.Collison (1998), p. 1. He is known fo ...

(c. 1815–1875), American-born fugitive slave rescued from federal custody in Boston in 1851 *

Hartland Molson Hartland de Montarville Molson, (May 29, 1907 – September 28, 2002) was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers. Education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a wealthy ...

(1907–2002), brewing magnate, World War II fighter pilot, statesman *

John Molson John Molson (December 28, 1763 – January 11, 1836) was an English-born brewer and entrepreneur in colonial Quebec, which during his lifetime became Lower Canada. In addition to founding Molson Brewery, he built the first steamship and the fir ...

(1763–1836), brewing tycoon Colonel W. J. B. MacLeod Moore (Kildare (Ireland) Jan 14, 1810, died Prescott(Ont) on September 10, 1890. Founder of Masonic Knights Templar in Canada and Societas Roscruciana in Anglia (Canada) *

Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Blac ...

(1902–1937), Hall of Fame ice hockey player *

Henry Morgan Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming wea ...

(1819–1893), opened first department store in Canada *

Arthur Deane Nesbitt Arthur Deane Nesbitt OBE, DFC, CdeG (16 November 1910 – 22 February 1978) was a Canadian businessman and a decorated pilot and Wing Commander in World War II. Early life Nesbitt was born in Westmount, Quebec, the son of the very succes ...

(1910–1978), decorated soldier of World War II, stockbroker * Arthur J. Nesbitt (1880–1954), cofounder of Nesbitt Thomson & Co. and

Power Corporation of Canada Power Corporation of Canada () is a management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment management, including a portfol ...

* J. Aird Nesbitt (1907–1985), owner/operator of

Ogilvy's Charles Ogilvy Limited, or Ogilvy's, was a department store in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1887. For much of the 20th century, Ogilvy's was one of Ottawa's higher-end department stores. Charles Ogilvy (1861-1950) was born in Edinburg ...

department store in Montreal *

William Notman William Notman (8 March 1826 – 25 November 1891) was a Scottish-Canadian photographer and businessman. The Notman House in Montreal was his home from 1876 until his death in 1891, and it has since been named after him. Biography Notman ...

(1826–1891), photographer and businessman * Alexander Walker Ogilvie (1829–1902), miller, statesman * William Watson Ogilvie (1835–1900) miller *

Frank L. Packard Frank Lucius Packard (February 2, 1877 – February 17, 1942) was a Canadian novelist. Life Frank L. Packard was born in Montreal, Quebec and educated at McGill University and the University of Liège. As a young man he worked as a civil enginee ...

(1877–1942), mystery writer *

John Redpath John Redpath (1796 – March 5, 1869) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada. Early years In 1796, John Redpa ...

(1796–1869), contractor, built the first sugar refinery in Canada *

Robert Wilson Reford Robert Wilson Reford (1867–1951) was a Canadian photographer, businessman and art collector. Birth and education Reford was born in the Golden Square Mile, Montreal, the eldest son of Robert Wilson Reford and Katherine Sheriff Drummond, dau ...

(1867–1951), shipping executive, artist, photographer *

Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and '' Barney's Version'' (1997). His 1970 novel '' St. Urbain's Horseman'' and 1989 novel ...

(1931–2001), author * Anne Savage (1896–1971), painter and art teacher *

F. R. Scott Francis Reginald Scott (1899–1985), commonly known as Frank Scott or F. R. Scott, was a lawyer, Canadian poet, intellectual, and constitutional scholar. He helped found the first Canadian social democratic party, the Co-operative Commonwe ...

(1899–1985), scholar * Francis Scrimger (1880–1937), physician,

recipient * Sir George Simpson (c1786–1860),

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

administrator, explorer, author * Denis Stairs (1889–1980), chairman, Montreal Engineering Co. * George Washington Stephens (1832–1904), businessman, lawyer, politician, philanthropist * David Thompson (1770–1857), mapmaker, astronomer and explorer * David Torrance (1805–1876), merchant, banker *

John Torrance John Torrance (June 8, 1786 – January 20, 1870) was a merchant and entrepreneur of Montreal, Lower Canada. He entered the railroad industry in the 1830s and ran steamboats on the St. Lawrence River. He was also a director of the Bank of Montre ...

(1786–1870), merchant, shipper * Jocelyn Gordon Whitehead (1895–1954), delivered the fatal sucker punch to magician Harry Houdini * Thomas Workman (1813–1889), businessman, politician, philanthropist * William Workman (1807–1878), businessman and municipal politician *

John Francis Young John Francis Young (14 January 1893 – 7 November 1929) was a Canadian soldier who served in the First World War. Young was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Brit ...

(1893–1929), Victoria Cross recipient * Walter P. Zeller (1890–1957), founder of

Zellers Zellers was a Canadian discount department retail chain and is currently a brand name owned by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Founded in 1931 in London, Ontario, in later decades it was based in Brampton, Ontario. Zellers was acquired by HBC ...

References

External links

*
Entrance to Mount Royal Cemetery in 1866
{{Authority control Cemeteries in Montreal 1852 establishments in Canada Anglican cemeteries in Canada Lutheran cemeteries Protestant Reformed cemeteries Jewish cemeteries in Quebec Mount Royal National Historic Sites in Quebec Outremont, Quebec