St. James United Church Cemetery 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) [ Back ]