Cloverville Cemetery

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Descriptions

Stone #1:

Stone #2:

Stone #3:

Stone #4:

Stone #5:

Stone #6:

Stone #7:

James Thomson

Dimensions: approx. 8’ x 2’

Orientation: South

Inscription:

In

Memory

of

James Thomson

Died

Oct 9^th 1891

Aged 60YRS

Blessed are the Dead

Which Die in the Lord

Material: Sandstone

Condition: Obelisk is tilting slightly. There is also some significant moss and lichen growth.

Records at the Antigonish Heritage Museum and an obituary in the Antigonish Casket indicate that Thomson was a religious and literate man, who attended the Church of England.

Jonathan Cumminger (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #8:

Elizabeth Welling Brine

Dimensions: approx. 9 ’x 3’

Orientation: South

Inscription:

Elizabeth Welling

Brine

Feb 16 1848

Dec 29 1908

-

Henry Kenneth

Brine

Feb 18, 1848

Mar 3, 1909

Material: White bronze, metal plates, grey granite

Condition: Monument slightly tilted on account of the ground shifting.

Little information exists on Elizabeth Brine outside of that of her in-laws. Chiefly, she was born in Nova Scotia, though her father was from New Brunswick and her mother American. It is possible that he was a logger or fisherman, which would have taken him to New England fairly frequently. The Brine family appears to have been a prominent one, and Elizabeth’s husband owned a woolen goods factory. They belonged to the Church of England

There is a great deal more symbolism on this stone than many others, rivaled only by stones erected for bishops by the Catholic Diocese. On Elizabeth and Henry’s, there is a lady kneeling before a cross, vines and ivy, and an anchor with a chain attached. This level of decoration at once indicates both the family’s wealth and (at least is intended to show) their devotion. The presence of an anchor can be religious symbolism, but also may confirm her father’s occupation.

Jonathan Cumminger (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #9:

Gregory Monument

Dimensions: 59” x 43” x 25”

Orientation: North/South

Inscription:

South:

In Loving Memory

Of

Maude Charlotte Gregory

Wife of C.E. Gregory, K.C.

Born Oct 31, 1870

Died at Fredericton, N.B.

May 26, 1917

North:

In Loving Memory

Of

Charles Curry

Barrister and C.

Born at Fredericton, N.B.

Died at Halifax

Material: Red Granite

Condition: Very good, with little erosion.

Charles Curry Gregory was the son of John Gregory of

Fredericton, and grandson of Thomas Gregory of Edinburgh.

Record of his presence in Antigonish dates back to 1879,

when he built the Mount Carmel Farm, which still stands. He

was trained as a civil engineer and worked for the railway.

The extension of the railway from Saint John, N.B. to

Mattawankey, ME was within his purview, and in the latter

part of the 19^th century he moved to the Antigonish area to

oversee the eastern expansion of the rail lines. He took up law

in order to assist in resolving the rising number of legal

disputes arising from the operations of the railway company and was admitted to the bar in 1884. A member of the Church

of England, he married a RC woman named Sarah Ann

Doherty, and together they had a son named Charles Ernest.

His obituary clearly states his respect within the community,

noting that his “striking presence, courtly and gentlemanly

disposition made him a familiar figure of all the people of this

County” (The Casket, June 4, 1903). The cause of his death

was a severe heart attack.

C.E. Gregory, his son, graduated from King’s College, Halifax,

was a veteran of the First World War, and sat on the King’s

Council in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. C.E. died in 1932,

five years after his wife. It is unknown where he is buried, as

presumably it would have been with his father and wife.

The stone features a number of intricate designs on its upper

section, including a monogram of sorts with a large Gothic G.

Peter Hill (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #10:

Rosina A. WollenHarp

Dimensions: 4’5”x1’5”

Orientation: South

Inscription:

In Memoriam

Rosina A

WollenHarp

Revered wife of

Rev R F---- Brine

Died Sept 2, 1889

Material: sandstone, white marble

Condition: The cross has broken off and been repaired, albeit with a compound that has seeped and stained the surrounding stone. Also, enough moss and lichen have grown on the stone to prevent some of the text from being legible.

Similarly to other stones erected in memory of members of the Brine family, Rosina’s has a not insignificant amount of imagery carved into the stone. Most obviously, the top half of the stone is a large Roman cross, which unfortunately did not withstand the stresses of weather and erosion and had to be reattached. There is also a floral design on the cross, perhaps representing vines and ivy, as well as an I.H.S. christogram in the centre. This is interesting because, typically, that christogram is used more often by Catholics than Anglicans, the latter with which the Brines were affiliated.

Rosina herself was born in Nova Scotia, though her mother came from Newfoundland and her father from England. She and her husband, Reverend R.F. Brine, lived on Pleasant Street. Rosina was educated and could read and write. There is little information more than that available.

Jonathan Cumminger (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #11:

William Joscelein

Dimensions: 46”x25”

Orientation: South

Inscription:

In Memory of

William Joscelein

Died

June 13, 1881

Aged 80 yrs,

Also his wife

Charlotte

Died Feb 11, 1885

Aged 82 yrs.

Material: White marble

Condition: Stone is tilting forward, and eroding noticeably as is typical with other stones of this material.

William Joscelein was in his time a member of the Church of England and a gaoler for the community. Not much more information on him is readily accessible because he was born in England. Presumably he and his wife, Charlotte, were married in England and immigrated to Canada.

Bordering the stone is a border of vine leaves and branches, which usually are a reference to John 15:5, where Jesus states: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing,” The way they are arranged on the stone could also be a nod to Joscelein’s employment. Likewise, the clasping hands at the top of his stone typically represent departure and

reunion, but here could be construed as indicating a man who could be trusted, and whose word was his bond.

Peter Hill (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #12:

James McAmis

Inscription:

Memorial

of

James W. McAmis

DIED

Sept. 29, 1892

IN THE 20^th YEAR

OF HIS AGE

Material: White Marble

Condition: The stone is fairly progressed in its surface erosion, although the inscription is still visible through some staining and the obvious deterioration of the inscription.

There is little information extant on James McAmis, aside from the fact that he was a farmer and member of the Church of England. The open bible motif was a popular form of ornamentation with its obvious symbolic allusion to piety and biblical literacy.

Peter Hill (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #13:

Stone #14:

William T. Foster

Dimensions: 55” x 10” x 10”

Orientation: North/South

Inscription:

TO THE

MEMORY OF

WILLIAM T.

FOSTER

DIED

JAN. 5, 1901

AGED 25 YEARS

Material: White marble

Condition: Slightly tilted, some moss development.

William Foster, who was described in his obituary as “a capable and reliable druggist, and a very popular young man,” and his brother, Charles Tupper Foster, owned and operated the Foster Brothers’ Pharmacy. The first record of them in the area is in the 1891 census, which indicates they were born in Nova Scotia, though it seems they moved to Antigonish County from somewhere else. William was a student at the time, receiving his diploma in pharmacy with special distinction before going into business with his brother for a few years before taking ill. Both were (publicly, at least) members of the Church of England at the time of that census.

William’s stone is adorned with very obvious Masonic imagery, hence the above parenthetic, and though he was a young member he clearly had some standing within the Lodge. The prominent square rule and compass are the chief indicators, but given their attention to symbolism, it would be interesting to know what the urn-like carving on the top of the stone represents, if anything.

Peter Hill (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #15:

Henry P. Hill

Dimensions: 41” x 19”

Orientation: N/S

Carver: Not given

Inscription:

IN AFFECTIONATE

REMEMBRANCE OF

HENRY P. HILL

WHO WAS

FOR UPWARDS

OF 47 YEARS THE HIGH SHERIFF OF

THIS COUNTY

DIED AUGUST 2, 1890

AGED 42 YEARS

‘TOLD HIM O FATHER IN THINE ARMS,

AND LET HIM HENCEFORTH BE

A MESSENGER OF PEACE BETWEEN

OUR HUMAN HEART AND THEE”

Material: Marble

Condition: Some deterioration of the inscription, making the smaller and more condensed epitaph harder to read. The large cross carved as the top half of the stone has broken off at the juncture between it and the body of the stone and been repaired.

Henry Palmer Hill was the son of John Thomas Hill, who was the High Sheriff of Kings County for eight years before studying law. John moved to Antigonish in 1820, becoming Antigonish’s first settled lawyer. Henry, about fourteen years old at the time, continued in his father’s footsteps and was admitted to the bar in 1837. Eleven years later, he was appointed High Sheriff of Sydney County, which at the time included what is now Antigonish County, a position he held until his death. The large cross and biblical inscription convey a message of religious piety and devotion.

Peter Hill (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

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Stone #32:

John Bishop

Dimensions: approx. 4 feet high

Carver: illegible, possible J.M.

Inscription:

"IN LOVING / REMEMBRANCE / OF / JOHN BISHOP / DIED / JULY 5 1886 / AGED 66 YRS/" "CYNTHIA / HIS BELOVED WIFE / DIED / AUG. 1 1886 / AGED 46 YRS/" "BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN / HEART FOR THEY SHALL SEE / GOD. MATT. V5"

Condition:slightly tilted, lichen covered but sound

This white marble gravemarker is a headstone with no base. White marble was extremely popular in Nova Scotia between 1845 and 1920. According to Deborah Trask, white stone appealed to people on several levels. She writes, "Marble may have been used because of its cost -- an external and lasting demonstration of the wealth of the deceased." She further notes, "The Biblical attribution of white stone to a pardon or reward, when applied to a white memorial, implies that the dead one is pardoned for his earthly sins and finds a reward in death--perhaps heavenly bliss."

All the lettering and decorative detailing on this headstone are incised except for the hands. The two hands clasped in a handshake are in relief. This motif was a popular tombstone ornament in Maritime graveyards. According to Trask, it represents the last farewell on earth or even the hand of God reaching down to claim its own. Betty Willsher offers another explanation: "two hands clasped in a handshake, a nineteenth-century symbol, is a sign of farewell, or perhaps reunion."

According to the 1871 census, John Bishop was a carriage-man or coachmaker. He lived at 16 Court Street. This property also served as his place of business, for it included his personal residence as well as a carriage shop and blacksmith shop. Cynthia Bishop, a native of Antigonish, was John's first wife. She died on 18 August 1866 of tuberculosis. It is interesting to note that although she predeceased her husband, her name was positioned below his on the tombstone.

Irene Yorke.

Stone #33:

Stone #34:

Stone #35:

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