The Old Burying Ground (also known as St. Paul's Church Cemetery) is a historic

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is located at the intersection of

Barrington Street View southward on Barrington StreetBarrington Street is a major street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, running from the MacKay Bridge in the North End approximately 7 km south, through Downtown Halifax to Inglis Street in the South End. Its ...

and Spring Garden Road in

Downtown Halifax Downtown Halifax is the primary central business district of the Municipality of Halifax. Located on the central-eastern portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour. Along with Downtown Dartmouth, and other de facto central business di ...

History

The Old Burying Ground was founded in 1749, the same year as the settlement, as the town's first burial ground. It was originally non-denominational and for several decades was the only burial place for all Haligonians. (The burial ground was also used by St. Matthew's United Church). In 1793 it was turned over to the Anglican St. Paul's Church. The cemetery was closed in 1844 and the

Camp Hill Cemetery Camp Hill Cemetery is a cemetery within Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on Camp Hill, adjacent to Robie Street. History The city's first cemetery, the Old Burying Ground was established in 1749, growing for nearly a century until ...

established for subsequent burials. The site steadily declined until the 1980s when it was restored and refurbished by the Old Burying Ground Foundation, which now maintains the site and employ tour guides to interpret the site in the summer. Ongoing restoration of the rare 18th-century grave markers continues. Over the decades some 12,000 people were interred in the Old Burial Ground. Today there are about 1,200 headstones, some having been lost and many others being buried with no headstone. Many notable residents are buried in the cemetery, including British Major General Robert Ross, who led the successful Washington Raid of 1814 and burned the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

before being killed in battle at

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

a few days later. Commanders of three of the ships that served Governor

Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacobite r ...

buried crew in unmarked graves: HMS ''Sphynx'' (1 crew), HMS ''Baltimore'' (1 crew) and HMS ''Albany'' (6 crew). HMS ''Sphynx'' was Cornwallis' own ship and the crew member was buried on the day his ship arrived in Halifax on 21 June 1749. HMS ''Albany'' was a 14-gun sloop commanded by Nova Scotia's senior naval officer, John Rous (1749–1753). There are four recorded Mi'kmaq buried in the burial ground, including a Mi'kmaw Chief Francis

uis Uis is a settlement located in the Erongo Region, Namibia. It belongs to the Dâures Constituency, Dâures electoral constituency. Located in the former Damaraland, it is known for the local mineral wealth. The settlement was established in 1958 ...

There was also a "protestant indian" named John Tray, possibly from John Gorham's rangers. There are also 167 recorded

Black people Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ...

buried in the graveyard, all with unmarked graves. (There is a grave marker, however, of the Huntingdonian Missionary who taught at the first school for Black students in Halifax, Reverend William Furmage.) Black people arrived with

New England Planters The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor (and subsequently governor) of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign ...

. During the arrival of the Planters, there were 54 Black people in Halifax. 7 were buried in the cemetery from 1763 to 1775. Black Nova Scotians also arrived in Halifax with

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

after the evacuation of Boston in 1776. During this period, 18 Black people were buried in the cemetery (1776–1782). Seventy-three free Black immigrants (and no slaves) also arrived in Halifax with the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Loyalists after evacuation from New York in 1783. Of the 73 who arrived from New York, there were 4 burials that happened during this time period. Rev.

John Breynton John Breynton (1719 – 15 July 1799) was a minister in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was born in Trefeglwys, Montgomeryshire, Wales to John Breynton (born 1670 Llanidloes) and his second wife, and baptised on 13 April 1719. He spent his f ...

reported that in 1783 he baptized 40 Black people and buried many because of disease. Between the years 1792–1817 there are no recorded burials of Black Nova Scotians. The largest number of burials happen in the 1820s (72 graves), presumably the graves of the 155 Black Refugees who arrived in Halifax during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. The last erected and most prominent burial marker is the Welsford-Parker Monument, a

Triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

standing at the entrance to the cemetery commemorating British victory in the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

. This is the first public monument built in Nova Scotia and is the fourth oldest war monument in Canada. It is also the only monument to the Crimean War in North America. The arch was built in 1860, 16 years after the cemetery had officially closed. The arch was built by George Lang and is named after two Haligonians, Major Augustus Frederick Welsford and Captain William Buck Carthew Augustus Parker. Both Nova Scotians died in the

Battle of the Great Redan The Battle of the Great Redan (or the ''Storming of the Third Bastion'';Konstantin Staniukovich, Staniukovich K. M. ''Севастопольский мальчик'': Издательство "Cоветская Россия"; Moscow; 1985 ) w ...

during the

Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) The siege of Sevastopol (at the time called in English the siege of Sebastopol) lasted from October 1854 until September 1855, during the Crimean War. The allies ( French, Sardinian, Ottoman, and British) landed at Eupatoria on 14 September ...

. This monument was the last grave marker in the cemetery. In 1938, the

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, commonly referred to as the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and abbreviated GLMA, is the main governing body of Freemasonry within Massachusetts ...

presented and dedicated a granite monument to Erasmus James Philipps, who is the earliest known settler of Nova Scotia (c. 1721) to be buried in the cemetery. He was also the founder of

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in present-day Canada (1737). The Old Burying Ground was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...

in 1991. It had earlier been designated a Provincially Registered Property in 1988 under Nova Scotia's Heritage Property Act.

Prominent tombstones

File:Welsford-Parker Monument at the entrance to the Old Burying Ground in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg, Welsford-Parker Monument File:Ross tomb4.jpg, Robert Ross (British Army officer) File:Lieut. Col James Fullarton, Old Buring Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. Col

James Fullarton Lieutenant-Colonel James Fullarton, Order of the Bath, C.B., Royal Guelphic Order, K. H. (17 December 1782, Isle of Arran - 8 March 1834, Halifax, Nova Scotia) was a soldier who fought in the Kandyan Wars (1803-1807). During the Peninsular War he ...

, died 1834,

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

(belonged to St. Matthew's) File:John James Snodgrass, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. Col John James Snodgrass, died 1841,

File:Erasmus James Philipps, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Gov. Richard Philipps nephew Capt. Erasmus James Philipps monument, died 1760, unmarked grave, 40th Regiment of Foot, participated in the

Battle of Grand Pré The Battle of Grand Pré, also known as the Battle of Minas and the Grand Pré Massacre, was a battle in the mid-18th century King George's War that took place between New England forces and Canadian, Mi'kmaq, and Acadian forces at present-day G ...

and the Cape Sable Campaign, Nova Scotia Council (1730–1760) File:Moses Delesdernier, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Moses Delesdernier File:Eliza Ussher, wife of Commodor Sir Thomas Ussher, d. 1835.jpg, Grave of Sir Thomas Ussher's wife, Eliza Ussher, died 1835 File:John Lawson's family, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Grave of William Lawson's father and family File:Thomas Cochran, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Honourable Thomas Cochran ( St. Matthew's)

Notable interments

Founding of Halifax (1749–1776)

File:John George Pyke, Halifax, Nova Scotia.png, John George Pyke's father John Abraham, died 1751,

scalped Scalping is the act of cutting or tearing a part of the human scalp, with hair attached, from the head, and generally occurred in warfare with the scalp being a trophy. Scalp-taking is considered part of the broader cultural practice of the taki ...

in Dartmouth massacre, unmarked grave File:TheHumoursOfTheFleet.png, William Paget (Shakespearean actor), died 1752, unmarked grave File:HMSSutherlandByRobertWilkins.jpg, John Rous' daughter Mary, died 1775 (Rous was in the Battle at Chignecto,

Siege of Louisbourg (1758) The siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal operation of the French and Indian War in 1758 that ended French colonial dominance in Atlantic Canada and led to the subsequent British campaign to capture Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of New France ...

) File:John Connor, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, John Connor (mariner), died 1757, involved in Attack at Mocodome File:RichardPhilippsByCarolineHall.png, Gov. Richard Philipps's nephew Capt. Erasmus James Philipps, died 1760, 40th Regiment of Foot, participated in the

and the Cape Sable Campaign, Nova Scotia Council (1730–1760) File:JonathanBelcherByCopley.jpg,

Jonathan Belcher (jurist) Jonathan Belcher (July 23, 1710 – March 30, 1776) was a British-American lawyer, chief justice, and acting Governor of Nova Scotia during the period of 1760-63 when Henry Ellis was in office as Governor but did not fulfil his duties. Bi ...

, died 1776, participated in the Halifax Treaty with Mi'kmaq (1761) File:Abigail Belcher by John Singleton Copley.png, Abigail Belcher, wife of Jonathan Belcher File:Malachy Salter.jpg,

Malachy Salter Malachy Salter (February 28, 1715 – January 13, 1781) was an American-born merchant and politician who sat in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1759 to 1772. Business career He operated a successful Boston distillery, along with his H ...

, died 1781 ( St. Matthew's)) File:Pierre Malliard Plaque.jpg, Catholic Priest Pierre Maillard was buried in the church yard. File:RichardBulkeleyHalifaxNovaScotia.JPG, Richard Bulkeley's wife, died 1775 File:Moses Delesdernier, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Moses Delesdernier File:Jonathan Binney, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Jonathan Binney, died 1807, signed Halifax Treaty with

Mi'kmaq people The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

(1761) * Mary Morris, wife of Charles Morris (surveyor general) * James Brenton * Honourable William Nesbitt * John Fillis (belonged to St. Matthew's) * Priscilla Ball, died 10 May 1791, Black servant, unmarked graveSt. Paul Cemetery Burial Records * Mi'kmaw Chief Francis uis/ Muice died 16 February 1781, unmarked grave * Captain William Kensey (Kenzie, Kinsey), sloop Vulture (1753–1755), died 30 April 1755, unmarked grave – he engaged in two naval battles to stop supplies going to the French, Mi'kmaw and Acadians; the battles were against La Margarite and another against the 'Nancy and Sally'

Siege of Louisbourg (1745)

Many of those who first established Halifax arrived from Cape Breton, which the British of New England occupied since their

Siege of Louisbourg (1745) The siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island) during the War of the Austrian Succ ...

. The following participated in the Siege: File:Benjamin Green 1756 by Joseph Blackburn.jpg, Benjamin Green, died 1772, served on the first Nova Scotia Council in Halifax (1749); signed Treaty of 1752 with Mi'kmaq File:Judge Joseph Gerrish by Copley, Halifax, Nova Scotia.png, Joseph Gerrish, died 1774; also wounded at the Battle of Grand Pre; signed Halifax Treaties with the Mi'kmaq File:Winckworth Tonge, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Winckworth Tonge, died 1792, also fought in Battle of Fort Beauséjour and

Battle of the Plains of Abraham The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (), was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War to describe the North American theatre). The battle, which took place on 13 Sept ...

File:Jonathan Snelling, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Colonel Jonathan Snelling's son Jonathan Jr. (Boston, Mass., born 28 July 1734; died 8 December 1782, in Halifax; buried 10 December 1782) * Joseph Fairbanks, died 1790 ( St. Matthew's)

American Revolution

Military figures

File:Hibbert Newton Binney.png, Hibbert Newton Binney, died 1842, painter,

Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

, Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment; son-in-law of John Creighton (judge) File:Stephen Hall Binney (1760-1836), Halifax, Nova Scotia.png,

Stephen Hall Binney Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the f ...

(1760–1836), Halifax, Nova Scotia File:John Stewart, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. John Stuart, died 1835 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders, son-in law of Dr James Boggs File:Peter Etter (1715-1794), Old burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Peter Etter, died 1794, a loyalist who was friend of future President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

; son Peter Jr. fought with Joseph Gorham in the Royal Fencible American Regiment against the Eddy Rebellion; another son was Benjamin Etter * John F. T. Gschwind (died 1827), surgeon for Hessians; arrived in Halifax 1781 * Charles Grant (military officer) (died 1785),

42nd Regiment of Foot The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment in the British Army also known as the Black Watch. Originally titled Crawford's Highlanders or the Highland Regiment (mustered 1739) and numbered 43rd in the line, in 17 ...

– fought in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

Pontiac's War Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a confederation of Native Americans who were dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754– ...

, and the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

(

New York and New Jersey campaign The New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776 and the winter months of 1777 was a series of American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of New York and the state of New Jersey, fought between Kingdom ...

, the

Philadelphia campaign The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British military campaign during the American Revolutionary War designed to gain control of Philadelphia, the Revolutionary-era capital where the Second Continental Congress convened, formed the ...

Battle of Stony Point A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The British ...

, and the

Siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

), unmarked grave

Boston Loyalists

The following were

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

who settled in Halifax after they were banished from New York and Massachusetts. While most Loyalist came to the region from New York (over 66%), most of the Loyalists buried with grave markers are from Boston. Reflective of the fate of many of the Loyalists, the grave of Edward Winslow (scholar) is inscribed: "his fortune suffered shipwreck in the storm of civil war". Part of the devastation of the war resulted from American family members having to choose sides. For example, the story of one American patriot listed below, Benjamin Kent. While in Boston he imprisoned his son-in-law Sampson Salter Blowers for being a Loyalist. Blowers and the rest of Kent's family (including his wife) escaped to Halifax (1776). After the war, Kent eventually moved to Halifax to be with his family, which included Chief Justice Blowers (1885). Both Blowers and Kent are buried in the Old Burying Ground. File:John Singleton Copley - William Brattle (1706-1776) - 1978.606 - Harvard Art Museums.jpg, William Brattle, died 1776, the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

; "wealthiest man in Boston",

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exact synonyms, as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are (or were, at least) largely the same but differed in that t ...

, owner of William Brattle House, lost gravestone File:James Murray (1713-1781) by Copley.png, James Murray (1713–1781) by Copley; File:John Winslow - Project Gutenberg etext 20110.jpg, John Winslow's brother Edward Winslow (scholar), died 1784 File:1825cJohnHowe.jpg, John Howe, died 1835, father of

Joseph Howe Joseph Howe (December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, public servant, and poet. Howe is often ranked as one of Nova Scotia's most admired politicians and his considerable skills as a journalist and writer h ...

File:John Halliburton (1725-1808).png, John Halliburton (surgeon), died 1808 File:James Stewart (1765-1830).png, James Stewart (1765–1830) File:ThomasHutchinsonByEdwardTruman.jpg,

Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson's brother Foster Hutchinson Sr., died 1799, Chief Justice of

, File:WLA lacma Smibert Scotland portrait of Paul Mascarene.jpg, Nova Scotia Gov. Paul Mascarene's grandchild Foster Hutchinson Jr., Chief Justice, died 1815, File:William Pepperrell.jpg,

William Pepperrell Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet (27 June 1696 – 6 July 1759) was an American merchant and soldier in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts. He is widely remembered for organizing, financing, and leading the Siege ...

's grandson William Pepperrell, died 1837, 34th Regiment of Foot File:Sampson Salter Blowers 2.jpg, Chief Justice Sampson Salter Blowers, died 1842 – instrumental in ending slavery in Nova Scotia; son-in-law of Benjamin Kent File:William Furmage, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Reverend William Furmage (Firmage) (died 1793), Huntingdonian Missionary to the

Black Loyalists Black Loyalists were people of African descent who sided with Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. In particular, the term referred to men enslaved by Patriot (American Revolution), Patriots who served ...

; established first school for Black students in Halifax (1786) File:Rebecca Byles Almon by Robert Field.png, Rebecca Byles Almon, died 1852, wife of William James Almon (surgeon,

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peri ...

); oldest child of Mather Byles File:Benjamin Etter, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Benjamin Etter,

* Governor Paul Mascarene's grandchild William Handfield Snelling, died 1838 * Theophilus Lillie (died 26 May 1776), unmarked grave * Byfield Lyde, (died 1776) unmarked grave * John Lovell (loyalist) (died 17 July 1778), unmarked grave * Christopher Minot (died 1783), unmarked grave * George Brinley (died 1809), unmarked grave *

Jeremiah Dummer Rogers Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with the assistance an ...

(died 1784), unmarked grave *

Archibald Cunningham (loyalist) Archibald Cunningham (30 April 1879 – 18 March 1915) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Scottish League for Leith Athletic. Personal life Cunningham was born in Rosewell and grew up in Lasswade. He ...

(died 1820), unmarked grave * Benning Wentworth (loyalist), died 1808 provincial secretary of Nova Scotia * Capt. William Burton, 98th Regiment of Foot, died 1817 (Boston) * Martha Howe, wife of John Howe, mother of Joseph Howe * William Taylor, died 1810, a Boston merchant; father of James Taylor (Nova Scotia politician) * Peter Lennox; * Jonathan Sterns, died 1798, killed by Attorney General Richard John Uniacke * Gilbert Stuart, * Gregory Townsend * William Burton (merchant) (c. 1748–1817) * Sylvia (died 12 March 1824, age 70) black servant who resisted the American Privateers in the Raid on Lunenburg (1782)

Boston Patriot

File:Benjamin Kent, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Benjamin Kent – lawyer who freed first slave in United States; First patriot Attorney General of Massachusetts

New York Loyalists

File:Charles Inglis by Robert Field.jpg, Bishop Charles Inglis' daughter Margaret (Inglis) Halliburton (and wife of Brenton Halliburton), advocated for education for

Black Nova Scotians Black Nova Scotians (also known as African Nova Scotians, Afro-Nova Scotians, and Africadians) are Black Canadians whose ancestors primarily date back to the Colonial history of the United States, Colonial United States as Slavery in the United S ...

File:Lawrence Hartshorne, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lawrence Hartshorne, died 1822, a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

who was the chief assistant of

John Clarkson (abolitionist) Lieutenant John Clarkson (4 April 1764 – 2 April 1828) was a Royal Navy officer and abolitionist, the younger brother of Thomas Clarkson, one of the central figures in the abolition of slavery in England and the British Empire at the end of t ...

in helping the

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

Nova Scotian Settlers The Nova Scotian Settlers, or Sierra Leone Settlers (also known as the Nova Scotians or more commonly as the Settlers), were Black Britons or Black Canadians who founded the settlement of Freetown, Sierra Leone and the Colony of Sierra Leone, ...

emigrate to

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

(1792) File:Jonathan Odell, New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, NB.png, Jonathan Odell's daughter Lucy Anne File:James Boggs (1740-1830).png, Dr.

James Boggs (surgeon) Dr. James Boggs (22 January 1740, New Castle, Delaware County, Pennsylvania – 8 July 1830, Halifax, Nova Scotia) was surgeon who migrated from New York to Nova Scotia during the American Revolution.http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Info/extras/BOGG ...

– Prince Edward's surgeon * Sarah Deblois, died 1827, Dr James Boggs' daughter-in-law * Mary Young died 1784 (New York) *

Charles Geddes (merchant) Charles John Geddes, Baron Geddes of Epsom, Order of the British Empire, CBE (1 March 1897 – 2 May 1983) was a British trade unionist. Born in Camberwell, London, his parents were active socialists in the Labour movement at a time that t ...

* Priscilla Ball, died 10 May 1791, Black servant, unmarked grave * Daniel Bessonett

French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802)

During the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

, Prince Edward was stationed in Halifax and personally commemorated four military personnel who died while on duty in Halifax.

Prince Edward Commemorations

* Lt. Benjamin James, Royal Nova Scotia Regiment, died while trying to rescue those who died aboard (1797); * Major Charles Domville, Royal Rifles, Dec. 1797, 7th Regiment (at Halifax from 1796 till 1799), Major 16 September 1795, died January 1798. * Charles Thomas, H.M. 7th

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many war ...

regiment, died from friendly fire; (son of Nathaniel Thomas, Loyalist) * James Brace Sutherland (c.1782 – September 25, 1798), son of Captain Andrew Sutherland; a midshipman who died in storm, age 16, in Halifax harbour on board HMS ''Prevoyante'' * Benjamin Etter – Prince Edward's honorary aide-de-camp * Dr.

– Prince Edward's surgeon

Other

File:John Catto, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Serg. John Catto Soldier Artificer Company and Mr. Mason of Halifax Garrison, died 1802 File:Thomas Huxley, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. Col. Thomas Huxley (military officer) File:Thomas Fortye, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Major Thomas Fortye

Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

File:JohnHoultonMarshall.jpg, John Houlton Marshall's mother Mary (died 1813) and brother Benjamin (died 1825), John's Portrait in

Province House (Nova Scotia) Province House () in Halifax is where the Nova Scotia legislative assembly, known officially as the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, has met every year since 1819, making it the longest serving legislative building in Canada. The building is Can ...

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

Richard Westmacott Mw111920 (retouched).jpg, Sir Richard Westmacott's brother Architect John Westmacott, died 1816; He was wounded in the

Siege of Badajoz (1812) In the siege of Badajoz (16 March – 6 April 1812), also called the third siege of Badajoz, an Anglo-Portuguese Army under the command of the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, the Earl of Wellington (who was la ...

; Richard reported to have created several marble mantles in

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

File:Captain Sir Thomas Ussher (1779–1848).png, Commodor Sir Thomas Ussher's wife Eliza Ussher, died 1835, Thomas conveyed

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

Bonaparte into exile to

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

(1814). File:Peter Waterhouse, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Peter Waterhouse * Major James Butler, 62nd Regiment He fought under the command of Sir Samuel Hulse in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

War of 1812

File:Major-General Robert Ross.jpg, Major-General Robert Ross (British Army officer), died 12 September 1814 leading troops during the

Battle of Baltimore The Battle of Baltimore took place between British and American forces on September 12–15, 1814 during the War of 1812. Defending American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, by British fo ...

. File:William Hughes, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, William Hughes, died 1813, Master Shipwright, HM Dockyard; assisted Prince Edward in the design of St. George's Round Church File:Richard Smith, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Sgt. Richard Smith, 104th (New Brunswick) Regiment of Foot; made the 600 men march from Fredericton, N.B., to Kingston, Ont. between February and April 1813; wounded five times in the Battle of Fort Erie, 1814 File:Esther Rowlands, Old Burying Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Esther Rowlands, wife of Dr. David Rowlands (surgeon), the naval surgeon for patients of (1813) (plaque in St. Paul's church) * Lieut, Col. John-Fowell (J.F.) Goodridge, 62nd Regiment of Foot (January 1768 – 12 November 1819) – monument erected by the 62nd in his memory; buried his 2-year-old in Halifax who died in fire * William Ross, died 1822, Nova Scotia Fencibles; founder of Ross Farm,

Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Lunenburg County is a historical county and census division on the South Shore of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Major settlements include Bridgewater, Lunenburg, and Mahone Bay. History Named in honour of the British king who was als ...

, unmarked grave

= Privateers

= * Captain Benjamin Ellenwood, died 1815, murdered * Captain Ebenezer Herrington, died 1812, , friendly fire

Battle of Waterloo

File:Lieut. Col James Fullarton, Old Buring Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. Col

, died 1834,

File:John James Snodgrass, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Lt. Col John James Snodgrass, died 1841,

File:John Charles Beckwith.png, Lt. Col. John Beckwith's (infant) siblings; lost his leg in the Battle of Waterloo * Lieut. William Johnson Thornhill, 03 Jan. 1812 99th (Prince of Wales's Tipperary) Regiment of Foot – His Commander James Orde was court marshalled in Halifax for abusing his soldiers.

Military Officers (1816–1844)

File:Charles Francis Norton, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Charles Francis Norton died 1835; son-in-law of Sir Colin Campbell; brother-in-law of writer Caroline Norton * Hon. William Cropton, died 1838, (2C) 85th Infantry; Brother to Baron Crofton, The Crofton Baronetcy, of

Mohill Mohill (, meaning "soft ground") is a town in County Leitrim, Ireland. The town of Carrick-on-Shannon is approximately 16 km (10 miles) away. History The Justinian plague of Mohill devastated the local population in the 6th centur ...

in the County of

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

(Plaque in St. Paul's) * Commander John George Dewar, . died 1830 (also plaque in St. Paul's church) Plaque also in North Middleton churchyard * John Thompson, Surgeon, HMS ''Saracen'', died 1818 * Serg William George,

74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot The 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1787. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot to form the Highland Light Infantry in 1881. History Formation ...

, died 1828 * William Pepperell, Quarter Master of the 34th Regiment of Foot, died 1837 * Elizabeth Pepperell, grand daughter of William Pepperell through marriage, died 1775; wife of grandson William Pepperrell * Col Sgt. John Reilly, 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot, died 1842 * John Ross, R.N., died 1844 * Lieut. Charles A. Ross, R.N., died 1828 * Lieut. James Philips, RN, died 1821 * Westmount, Capt. John 4 May 1816, Royal Staff Corps

Other

File:John Gillespie.png, John Gillespie, died 1772, 1st president of

North British Society The North British Society (also known as "The Scots" and "Scots Club") was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1768, the oldest Scottish heritage society outside Great Britain. North British is an adjective used as an alternative to "Scottish". ...

File:Ann Scott, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Ann Scott (died 1776),

midwife A midwife (: midwives) is a health professional who cares for mothers and Infant, newborns around childbirth, a specialisation known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughou ...

, gravestone: "She will be greatly missed by the people of Halifax" File:Hon Thomas Cochrane, Halifax, Nova Scotia.png, Hon Thomas Cochran, died 1801, and his family. ( St. Matthew's) File:William Bowie by Robert Field NS Archives.jpeg, William Bowie (merchant), died 1819, (killed by Richard John Uniacke Jr. in the last

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

) File:James Fraser.png, Hon James Fraser, died 1822 File:Roger Aitken, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Rev. Roger Aitken (died 1825), missionary at Lunenburg for

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organisation (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Pa ...

(SPG), St. John's Anglican Church (Lunenburg) File:John Lawson by Robert Field.png, John Lawson, died 1828, father of William Lawson, first president of the Bank of Nova Scotia File:Elizabeth Lawson by Robert Field.png, 2nd Elizabeth Lawson, died 1819, wife of John Lawson File:Peter McNab, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Peter McNab, namesake of McNabs Island File:Susan Cunard, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Susan Cunard, wife of

Samuel Cunard Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet (21 November 1787 – 28 April 1865), was a British-Canadian shipping magnate, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line, establishing the first scheduled steamship connection with North America. ...

, died 1828 Alexander Keith.png, Brewer Alexander Keith's first wife Sarah Ann, died 1832, and the first two children with his second wife File:Hon Stedman Rawlins, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Hon Stedman Rawlins, Slave/ Plantation Owner; died 1830, President of His Majesty's Council of the Island of St. Christopher File:Rev Archibald Gray by Robert Field.png, Rev Archibald Gray, died 1831, St. Matthew's United Church (Halifax) for 35 years File:John Albro (1764-1839).png, John Albro, died 1839 File:Jonathan Prescott, Chester, Nova Scotia.png, Jonathan Prescott's son Samuel Thomas Prescott, died 1816 ( St. Matthew's) * Mary Welsford, mother of Parker Welsford ( Welsford-Parker Monument) * Charles Morris (1759–1831) * William Annand, father of William Annand * Dr. Samuel Head, first doctor born in Nova Scotia * Robert Collins (died 26 March 1812) and his wife Sarah (Wisdom) Collins (died 31 January 1812), namesake of Collins Grove, Dartmouth * James Gautier * Honorable Charles Hill (jurist) died 1825; brother-in-law of Thomas Cochran (Nova Scotia politician); director of the Shubenacadie Canal Company * John Thomas Twining, died 1832, son of John Thomas Twining * Phoebe Perkins, died 1820, wife of Rev. Cyrus Perkins, Rector of Annapolis, 1807–1817,

Sculptor James Hay

There are various gravestones by stone carvers from London and the local region. Museum curator Deborah Trask asserts that one of the first stone sculptors,

James Hay James Hay may refer to: * James Hay (bishop) (died 1538), Scottish abbot and bishop * James Hay, 7th Lord Hay of Yester (1564–1609), Scottish landowner and courtier * James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle (c.1580–1636), British noble * James Hay, 2nd ...

(1750–1842), likely made the gravestone of Richard Bulkeley's wife Mary. On one side Hay carved the angel

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

trumpeting, symbolic of the resurrection. The religious text: "In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor. 15:52). (The trumpeting motive is also on the gravestone of the Lawson children). On the opposite side of the gravestone is an image in the

garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

. The religious text: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22). The image is taken from "The Child's Guide" (London, 1725).

Depictions in media

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lucy Maud Montgomery (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with '' Anne of Green Gables''. Sh ...

's '' Anne of the Island'', Anne moves to Kingsport (

) on the mainland and enrols at Redmond (

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

). She takes lodgings in an apartment that looks out over "Old St. John's Cemetery" – the Old Burying Ground:

They went in by the entrance gates, past the simple, massive, stone arch surmounted by the great lion of England.... They found themselves in a dim, cool, green place where winds were fond of purring. Up and down the long grassy aisles they wandered, reading the quaint, voluminous epitaphs, carved in an age that had more leisure than our own.

The text goes into some depth about the gravestone carvings and styles:

Every citizen of Kingsport feels a thrill of possessive pride in Old St. John's, for, if he be of any pretensions at all, he has an ancestor buried there, with a queer, crooked slab at his head, or else sprawling protectively over the grave, on which all the main facts of his history are recorded. For the most part no great art or skill was lavished on those old tombstones. The larger number are of roughly chiselled brown or gray native stone, and only in a few cases is there any attempt at ornamentation. Some are adorned with skull and cross-bones, and this grizzly decoration is frequently coupled with a cherub's head. Many are prostrate and in ruins. Into almost all Time's tooth has been gnawing, until some inscriptions have been completely effaced, and others can only be deciphered with difficulty. The graveyard is very full and very bowery, for it is surrounded and intersected by rows of elms and willows, beneath whose shade the sleepers must lie very dreamlessly, forever crooned to by the winds and leaves over them, and quite undisturbed by the clamor of traffic just beyond.

References

External links

*
The treatment of Halifax's poor house dead during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries By Cynthia Simpson. 2011

Memorials at St. Paul's Church. Acadiensis. Vol. 5, p. 57

Old Burying Ground Foundation

Finda a Grave – list of gravesite with photos

Honours Thesis. St. Mary's University

Loyalists in the Old Burying Ground

Nova Scotia Museum
* {{Nova Scotia parks Cemeteries in Halifax, Nova Scotia Anglican cemeteries in Canada National Historic Sites in Nova Scotia Cemeteries established in the 18th century 1749 establishments in North America 1749 establishments in the British Empire

History

Prominent tombstones

Notable interments

Founding of Halifax (1749–1776)

Siege of Louisbourg (1745)

American Revolution

Military figures

Boston Loyalists

Boston Patriot

New York Loyalists

French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802)

Prince Edward Commemorations

Other

Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

War of 1812

= Privateers

Battle of Waterloo

Military Officers (1816–1844)

Other

Sculptor James Hay

Depictions in media

See also

References

External links