St. James United Church Cemetery

1	2	3
4	5	6
7	7a	8
9	10	11
12	13	14

Descriptions

Stone #1:

Hugh McDonald

Dimensions: 12'8" in height

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription: There are incised inscriptions on two panels of the obelisk. The panel facing east is dedicated to Hugh McDonald and reads as follows: "In memory of/Hugh McDonald/Of Elmbank/A native of the Parish of/Lairg, Sutherland Shire/Having served his-----(this word is not legible)/By the will of God, he fell asleep/June 23, 1867 aged 76./I shall be satisfied when I/Awake with thy likeness/Psal. XVII. 15/. The second panel, facing north is devoted to his wife, Ellen McDonald: "Also his wife/Ellen/A native of the island/Of Lewis/Who died March 16, 1867/Aged 78/The master is come and calleth/For thee, as soon as she heard/That, she arose and came unto him./John XI, 2829./" There are no inscriptions on the other two panels. There is a separate foot stone for Ellen McDonald with the initials, E. McD.

Condition: Overall, this stone is in good condition, although there is evidence of deterioration. The white marble panels are discoloured and covered with small cracks and moss.

This imposing tombstone is an obelisk-shaped monument, with its tapering shaft and pyramidal top. It is made of grey sandstone with four white marble panels, two of which contain inscriptions. The stone consists of four distinct sections. Decorative motifs are minimal. Outrivalling adjacent monuments in height, it is the tombstone's size that captures the viewer's attention. Its inscriptions also differ markedly from the abbreviated epitaphs of an earlier era. They contain biblical passages and provide information about place of origin. In short, this stone stands as a commemorative emblem of faith and affluence.

Hugh McDonald was a man of both prominence and wealth. Based in Lower South River, this Scottish Presbyterian merchant operated a store as well as a number of mills and oversaw his own personal estate called Elmbank. He was reputed to rank among the wealthiest men in Antigonish County, although a disastrous partnership in a Halifax wholesale dry goods business substantially drained him of his fortune.

Catherine Hirbour

Stone #2:

John Baxter

Dimensions: 51” x 29”x 4”, squared shoulders with ogee top

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified. Sixteen point rosette. Unusual symbol found on bottom left side of front.

Inscription:

ERECTED/

To the Memory of/

John Baxter who/

Departed this life/

on the 13^th day/

of May 1851/

aged 55 years/

Material: Sandstone

Condition: Carving and inscription eroded, but discernible. Extensive lichen and moss coverage, tilted backwards slightly.

John Baxter was born in 1826 in Addington Forks, Antigonish Co., to Joseph and Elizabeth (Chisholm) Baxter. He married Mary Williams (b. 1826), daughter of John and Sarah (Pushie) Williams. Together they had 2 sons and 2 daughters, as attested in the 1838 Census of Nova Scotia. Baxter was a tanner and farmer, and according to the 1827 Dorchester Statistical Return, had produced 15 bushels of wheat, 20 bushels of other grains, and 12 tons of hay. He listed among his assets 9 cows, 15 sheep, 4 pigs, and his household included a male servant. His return was above the average of other farmers’ inventory for that year. It seems, at that time, despite his fairly plain headstone, that he lived a prosperous life.

(edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #3:

John Blanchard

Dimensions: 46 ”x 23 ½” x 2 ½”

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

IN MEMORY/

OF/

JOHN BLANCHARD/

Who died/

Nov 26^th 1840/

Aged 34 years/

Respected by all/

who knew him/

Material: Grey sandstone

Condition: The headstone is in fairly good condition, aside from some green moss present. The inscription is still legible and the detail of the carvings legible.

John Waddell Blanchard was born December 1, 1805 in Truro, NS to parents Jonathan and Sarah (Goggin) Blanchard who eventually moved to West River, Pictou Co., where John learned the tanning trade. He later moved to Antigonish, where he married Charlotte Frances Symonds and opened a tannery on the west side of St. Andrew’s Street. He owned 56 acres of land, 16 uncleared, and had 3 cows, 4 horses, 1 sheep and 5 pigs. The low number of livestock for the amount of clear farmland he had might be due to his profitable business tanning, which prevented him from capitalizing fully on his arable land. He and Charlotte had 4 children; William, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary. John Blanchard died in a runaway team accident on November 26, 1840.

The most distinctive detail on Blanchard’s headstone is the centrally positioned prominent rosette, a popular motif in many Eastern Nova Scotia cemeteries.

(edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #4:

Reverend James Munro

Dimensions: 82” x 42” x 4”

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

Original Monument of/

Rev. James Munro/

Sacred to the Memory of/

of/

The Rev. James Munro/

A Native of Mora ’Shire/

Scotland, and founder of the Presbyterian/

Church in this Place – Who died

May 17^th, 1819/

Aged 72 years/

Newer boxstone (13”x14”x3”) at foot of headstone reads:

The Reverend

James

Munro

1748-1819

Material: Grey sandstone. New piece black marble.

Condition: The inscription is weathered to the point of illegibility in places and there are two large breaks in the stone itself. Moss and lichen cover much of the top, and weeds have grown up around the stone. A newer addition at the foot of the stone indicates that the stone memorializes the Reverend James Munro, and a heading was inscribed on the headstone at the time that states that the broken pieces of sandstone, which now lay on the ground, are the original monument.

Reverend Munro was born in 1748 in Orbiston, Scotland. On June 18 1781, he was ordained a minister of the Church of Scotland but emigrated to the United States four years later. There, he was a Presbyterian minister in Delaware and Maryland for several years before moving to New Brunswick and finally Truro. Around 1794, he became a travelling missionary and toured the province. He was the first Presbyterian minister to visit Dorchester (Antigonish) in 1797, where he purchased land and visited frequently. In 1804, local Presbyterian families organized a place of worship and an acre of land was donated on the corner of Main and Church Streets where their church, schoolhouse and burial ground would be built. Reverend Munro was invited to be their pastor and took up residence there in 1808 where he remained for 10 years. In 1818 he became ill, and Revered Thomas Trotter was appointed to the position shortly thereafter. Reverend Munro died on May 17, 1818, and was interred in the church’s adjacent cemetery.

(edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #5:

Patrick Flinn

Dimensions: 45.5”x20.5”x2”, pointed arch with half-circle bumps on each slope

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

A memorial of/

Patrick Flinn/

DIED/

Sept. 27, 1875/

Aged 75 years/

---------/

--------/

Variety of fonts and text sizes. Name arranged in a semi-circle, the 3^rd line in majuscule block letters.

Material: Grey sandstone

Condition: The condition of the stone is quite poor: it is chipped, cracked, partially covered with lichen and moss, and significantly eroded, which make the stone quite difficult to read. Even the carving at the top of the stone – an open bible – is weathered to the point where most details other than the general shape are no longer visible.

Patrick Flinn was born in Ireland in 1800 and died in Antigonish 75 years later on Old Glen Road, according to his death record. Flinn married Mary Ella Bradshaw, and they had a number of children. The 1838 census indicates that there were three males in his household under 6 years old, and one female aged 14 and up, in addition to himself and his wife, for a total of six people. A later census documents other (adult) children living in the home. There are also additional parish baptism records. These children, who do not show up in later census returns, could have died in infancy/childhood.

Flinn’s property was documented in the 1871 Canadian census and indicates the family’s economic status shortly before his death. He owned 125 acres of land, 2 barns/stables, 2 carriages/sleighs, and 2 cars/wagons/sleds. One could draw the conclusion that the Flinn household worked and farmed for subsistence rather than at a surplus, like some of the more wealthy farmers and members of the church, like Reverend Trotter. However, both Flinn and his wife were buried with fairly substantial gravestones, which would indicate some amount of wealth.

Janley Grant (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #6:

Mary Ella (Bradshaw) Flinn

Dimensions: 50” x 30” x 9”, pointed arch.

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

A memorial of/

Mary Ella Bradshaw/

wife of/

P. Flynn/

who departed this life/

March 17, 1869/

aged 62 years/

[Dear as thou were and justly be/

We will not weep for thee./

One tho’t shall chick the starling/

It is that […] than art thee./

How lovely is they dwelling/

place O’Lord of hosts to me./ ]

Material: Grey sandstone

Condition: Mary Ella’s headstone is in much the same shape as her husband’s. The majority of the inscription on the sandstone marker is barely legible and shows extensive weathering and erosion.

Mary Ella Bradshaw, also known as Mary Elizabeth and Mary Eliza, was born in 1807 to James Bradshaw and Mary Smith. Her father was a farmer, as was Mr. Flinn, her husband. This is illustrative of a social dynamic at the time, where upward social mobility would have been limited.

Janley Grant (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #7:

Nathaniel Symonds

Dimensions: 45” x 35.5” x 4”, double ogee with rosette

Orientation: East

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

Front:

Memento [Glory?]/

In memory of M. Elizabeth/

Symonds wife of Nathaniel/

Symonds Esqr who departed/

This life Septr 25^th, 1808, in the/

38^th year of her age/

Behold and see as you pass by/

As you are now so once was I/

As I am now so must you be/

Prepare for death and follow me/

Back:

In memory of Nathanial Symonds/

died July 15, 1822,/

Æ. 58 yrs./

Also his 2^nd wife/

Mary Irish,

died Dec. 15, 1867,/

Æ. 94 yrs/

Line 1(front) is embellished with large gothic style lettering and fine

engraving around the text. The back is engraved in an entirely different

font and style, most likely by another carver.

Material: Grey sandstone

Condition: Nathaniel Symonds’ headstone is entirely legible and in good physical condition. Both the inscription and the carvings on the stone – a six point rosette, as well as a moulding that runs around the outside of the stone – have withstood weathering well.

Nathaniel Symonds was born October 12, 1763 in Middleton, MA to Deacon Joseph, himself the son of a deacon, and Lucy (Kimball) Symonds. Nathaniel married for the first time on December 29, 1791 to Elizabeth Blanchard in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was born in 1770 to Col. Jotham and Elizabeth (Treadwell Blanchard). Elizabeth died at an early age of 38 years on September 25, 1808, as specified on the headstone. This makes hers the earliest burial in the Presbyterian cemetery in Antigonish.

Symonds married again only four months after her death on January 10, 1809 to Mary E. Irish, who was born daughter to Levi and Hannah (Church) Irish. He predeceased her on July 15, 1822.

Following his father-in-law Jotham’s lead in moving to Truro in 1785, Symonds moved from Massachusetts to Antigonish, arriving June 27, 1804. Symonds opened the first general store in Antigonish and instigated a trading relationship between the town and St. John’s, NL for farm produce. Initially, he lived in a log house but would eventually build a large frame house on the south side of Main Street, east of Church Street. The Kirk Family acquired the property after his passing. Statistics from 1817 show that Symonds had a large household as well as a noteworthy home. Among the 13 people who made up his household were: himself, 5 people aged 16 to 49, 4 children (1 boy and 3 girls) and 3 women. His youngest child Charles would appear on school records in Antigonish, implying Symonds relative wealth and understanding of the importance of the education of his children.

The disparity between the inscriptions on this stone can likely be attributed to a few factors. The front side of the stone, memorializing Symonds’s first marriage, was carved according to his directions, and at a time when the family was doing well on account of his successful business. The reverse side, however, carved nearly 60 years later, would have been executed in accordance with the wishes of Mary, his second wife, or the children who were left with what was likely not a massive estate after her 45 years of widowhood.

Janley Grant (edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #7a:

Reverse side of the Symonds’s headstone, showing different font style.

Stone #8:

Cynthia Bishop

Dimensions: Base is 7" in height, 2'6" wide and 1'5" thick; headstone is 4'5" in height, 1'1" wide and 3.5' thick

Orientation: East

Inscription: Our mother/Cynthia/Wife of/John Bishop/who fell asleep in/Jesus/August.9, 1866/aged 46 years/also their son/George ---- (initial is not legible)/age 5 yrs./Adelia/Dau of/ T.T.+Susan/Thomson/ age 11 mos/

Carver: not identified

Condition: The stone as well as the base are extensively chipped. Lichen and moss are evident along the base. The inscription is also badly eroded.

Erosion has taken its toll on this stone. However, the skyward-pointing hand carved in relief on the marker is still visible. This popular Victorian motif pointed towards the soul's heavenly destination. The central importance of Cynthia's name is accentuated by its placement in a half-circle. As society's norms dictated, the inscription defined her identity in terms of motherhood and marriage.

Cynthia was the wife of John Bishop, one-time carriage-maker and blacksmith. In 1861, their ten-person household consisted of four males and six females.

Catherine Hirbour

Stone #9:

James Wilkie

Dimensions: 4'6" in height, 2'11" wide, and 3'1/2" thick

Orientation: East

Inscription: James Wilkie/In Memory of Mrs./Elizabeth Wilkie,/Who died on the 29th/Jany 1832, and of Alex/Smith Wilkie, her/Infant son who died/On the 8th Octr. 1830/Being 32 days old/

Carver: Not identified

Condition: No major tilt or break. Some green moss and lichen covered surface. Well preserved except for one deep crack on the right side and a few smaller cracks and pitting on surface.

This grey standstone marker is crested by one large incised rosette flanked by two smaller ones; all three rosettes are enclosed in roundels. The rosette, consisting of five or more petals, was a popular ornament on Scottish tombstones and in this instance, symbolized Wilkie's Scottish origins. There are two decorative vertical lines incised on each side of the headstone and the space allocated to James Wilkie's name is indented. The stone's decorative detailing features no overt religious imagery, although its shape echoes that of a portal or door.

The Scottish-born James Wilkie was a prominent local merchant. In 1827, his seven-person included two male servants and two female servants. He also boasted sixty acres of cultivated land, along with a horse, twenty horned cattle, three sheep and three swine. Wilkie married twice; Elizabeth Trotter, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Trotter, in 1830 and Annie E. McDonald, sister of Dr. William MacDonald, in 1835.

Catherine Hirbour

Stone #10:

Rev. Thomas Trotter

Dimensions: 9'1" in height, 24" wide at the top and 45" wide at the bottom, 11.5" thick at top and 26" thick at the bottom

Orientation: The stone faces west towards the street in marked contrast to the predominant east/west orientation of most tombstones in St. James cemetery.

Inscription: The inscription on the front reads: "In Loving/Memory of/The Reverend/Thomas/Trotter/1782-1855". Further down, it continues: "This monument was/Erected by the/Congregation." The reverse side reads: "In Loving/Memory of/ELIZABETH/Wife of Rev. Thomas/TROTTER/1783-1866"

Carver: Signed R.a.M'Kim on the bottom

Condition: This monument type of marker is in excellent condition. However, the scriptural verse on the side dedicated to Elizabeth Trotter is illegible.

This handsome marble monument with its red-brown sandstone base differs significantly from other stones in St. James Cemetery. It does not conform to the popular door or portal type. Moreover, the elaborate detailing such as the crown, epitomizing the heavenly crown, and the thistle motif, emblematic of Scotland, presents a striking contrast to the plain austerity of early 19th-century grave markers. Clearly, this stone was a fitting tribute for Trotter and reflected his congregation's respect and pride.

The Rev. Thomas Trotter settled with his family in Antigonish in June 1818. As the clergyman at St. James, he served Antigonish Presbyterians for thirty-seven years. He is better known as a prominent farmer and landowner, supervising an estate called "Hawthorne Farm" on the crest of the hill on Hawthorne Street and extending towards Brooklyn Street. He owned a number of houses and barns and was probably the first farmer in Antigonish to provide houses for his hired help. The censuses for 1827 and 1838 document Trotter's triumphant ascent. In 1827, it was noted that the Trotter household consisted of six persons. At this time, Trotter had fifty acres of cultivated land. Just over a decade later, the household doubled and the total amount of cleared acreage soared to 240 acres. The census for 1838 further notes that Trotter's assets included 120 acres of uncleared land, forty cattle, five horses, forty five sheep and twenty one pigs.

Janley Grant

Stone #11:

William Thomson

Dimensions: 46” tall, total. Base 35” wide x 11” thick, headstone 27 ½” wide by 4” thick

Orientation: West

Carver: Not identified

Inscription:

SACRED/

to the memory of/

WILLIAM THOMSON/

a native of Moray Shire/

SCOTLAND/

who departed this life/

on the 5^th July 1830/

Aged 67 years/

Material: Grey Sandstone

Condition: The headstone is in good condition, save for a chip out of the back of the stone. The carved rosette and emblems on the shoulder of the stone are in remarkably good condition, unlike the majority of other stones of that age.

William Thomson was born in 1763 in Elginshire (Moray), Scotland in 1763. He married Isabel Russell, also of Elginshire. They moved to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, in 1805. Ten years later, at the behest of Reverend James Munro, they moved to the West River area of Antigonish and lived at a place now known as “Maple Grove” farm. William and Isabel had nine children; John, David, William, James, Alexander, Anne, Sophia, Margaret, and Elizabeth.

(edited by Christopher Greencorn)

Stone #12:

Stone #13:

Stone #14:

Alexander Munro

Dimensions: Headstone (including base) is 5'5" in height; the main part of stone is 1'4" wide and 6" thick

Orientation: East

Inscription: The inscription is virtually indecipherable. It reads as follows: "A memorial of/Alexander Munro/......./......../......../ Died/November 26, 1872/Age 82 years./

Carver: Not identified

Condition: The stone is in deteriorating condition. It is covered with moss and lichen and the right corner of the based is chipped; there are no major cracks. The epitaph is barely legible in some places; at least three lines are completely unintelligible.

It is regrettable that this limestone memorial is in such poor condition. However, some of the motifs are still visible, including a coat of arms with a helmet and two birds as supporters. Munro's name appears carved in relief in big letters and enclosed in a semi-circle.

Sources indicate that this Scottish Presbyterian originated from Rosshire, Scotland, the son of a farmer, Donald Munro. Census data reveals that by 1871, Alexander Munro, aged 82 years, lived with his farmer-son, Joseph. The following year he died at Baileys Brook (also known as Briley Brook). The cause of death was cited as palsy.

Catherine Hirbour

[ Back ]