Tombstone Tourism: The Third Annual Middlesex Centre Archives Cemetery Tour

Yes, it's that wonderful time of year again, when graveyard geeks like myself take an official bus tour to local cemeteries. I say "official" because some of us indulge in our own personal cemetery tours year-round (except during the depths of winter when the stones are covered in snow). The third annual Middlesex Centre Archives Cemetery Tour, held on October 4, featured three cemeteries, one in each of the historic townships (Delaware, Lobo, and London) that make up today's Middlesex Centre. For highlights from last year's tour, see here.

Creepy, you say? Don't be a cemetery cynic. Burial grounds are interesting indeed! 

Our tour started in Oakland Cemetery, located in the village of Delaware on Millcreek Lane. This cemetery was founded when Christ Church Cemetery, also in Delaware, became full in the 1880s. The church opened what was first known as the "New Cemetery" in the northeast part of the village. Later, it was renamed Oakland, and today, it's operated by the Diocese of Huron.

I should mention that tour organizers, including our guide, Krista, outdid themselves in providing information about persons buried at each of the sites.  At Oakland, archives volunteer Sid Prior placed biographical signs on various graves, just as he did last year when the group visited Christ Church Cemetery. This had the effect of bringing the dead to life - figuratively, anyway - by letting us know who they were and what they did. No longer were they just names on monuments. 

An example of Sid's research is below, at the grave of James A. Hughson, M.D., his wife, Fanny, and daughter, Arletta:

A close-up of the sign placed beside the grave describes Dr. H.'s early days on a local farm, his medical education at U. of T., career in Buffalo, meeting Fanny on a house call to her mother, the birth of Arletta in South Dakota, return to Delaware, purchase of an estate in Buffalo, and eventual death at Homewood Sanitarium in Guelph. 

A close-up of an interesting advertisement from Buffalo indicates the good doctor could cure many afflictions!

Another bio, for an English emigrant with the distinguished name of Albion Parfitt. ("Albion" is a poetic term for England.)

Mr. Parfitt's career was more local, since he was a merchant in Delaware. His sign is below, decorated with a few morning dewdrops:

The Parfitts were fond of a Latin phrase. I love the sound of Latin myself so I was interested in a nearby monument to Charles Parfitt that reads Beati Mundo Corde ("Blessed are the pure in heart" from the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:8.)

For Charles' wife Caroline, Terar Dum Prosim ("May I be consumed in service.")

Also of interest are monuments to former soldiers, such as William Richard Lowthian (1896-1924), son of Richard V. Lowthian and Edith Brown. William served in the 15th Battalion of the C.E.F. in World War I but died of tuberculosis at Queen Alexandra Sanatorium. His monument reads Pro Patria Mortus est ("He died for freedom and honour"). Perhaps he first became ill in Europe.

Below is a monument to Francis E. Jickels, a member of the Woodmen of the World, whose insignia is on his grave marker. The Woodmen of the World was a fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, which provided insurance and support to its members, including life insurance and a tombstone for those deceased. Note the organization's own Latin motto, Dum Tacet Clamet ("Though silent, he speaks"). Mr. Jickels belonged to Lambeth Camp. No. 102, the word "camp" being reminiscent of a woodmen's lumber camp.

A log or tree stump, sometimes known as a "treestone," usually signifies a life cut short, as in the case of Samuel George Winterbottom, who died in 1912, aged 17. According to a record in ancestry.ca, he died of appendicitis. 

A couple of sweet "hearts" mark the graves of Glen and Vera Prior. How romantic!

Members of the Masonic Lodge also have their insignia on their grave markers, as in the example below. I think the bow next to Verna's name means she was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, an association aligned with Freemasonry. 

The earliest grave in the "New Cemetery" is that of Marianne Osborne Girdlestone (1836-88). She was the wife of  Charles Fox, who is buried nearby.

Next the tour visited Old Campbell Cemetery on Oxbow Drive near Komoka, in the former Lobo Township. First established in 1837 on the farm of John Campbell, Sr., the cemetery was expanded twice, once in 1919 and again in 1968. And, yes, there is a "new" Campbell Cemetery nearby.

Below is the grave of John Campbell, Sr., who arrived in Lobo in 1825 and died here in 1837. Originally from Inverary, Argyleshire, Scotland, Campbell bought 300 acres of "wild land" just east of Komoka from a man named Secord who lived in London. Campbell's was the first burial here, and, while his stone is eroded, it's still legible:

The monument that most stands out here is this "Guardian Angel" in memory of a mother and daughter. Angels can symbolize so much: spiritual guidance, protection, and grief. The outstretched hand may signify the ascent to heaven, the bowed head sorrow, and the wings flight. 

An orb or sphere, such as the one below, may represent eternity, as well as the cyclical nature of life and death: 

So aggravating when a grave marker becomes obstructed by nature - in this case, an overgrown tree. This photo is the best I could do for the Rev. Richard Marshall and his wife, Susan. Marshall, a Baptist minister, came from England in 1885; his wife came in 1886. Their grey sandstone altar-type grave should be uncovered by family, a Baptist congregation, or the "Friends of Old Campbell Cemetery," although the latter organization is a product of my imagination.

Stephen Moore, Earl of Mount Cashell, was an unusual member of the aristocracy in that he migrated to the wilds of Upper Canada. Graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge, with an MA in 1812, he later became a Fellow of the Royal Society. While in Switzerland, he met his wife, Anna Marie Wyse. In 1833 they came to Lobo with their large brood of children. Through an agent, the Earl bought a 1,000 acre estate including Thames-front property. They lived in a large house known as the "castle," which would also have housed family servants. The name of the nearby village of Kilworth came from the family title of Lord Kilworth, the eldest son, who was only eight when the family arrived. The monument below is to Jane, wife of the Earl's third son, Hon. George Francis Moore.

The tour stopped for lunch at Kilworth United Church. No, the church hasn't been converted into a gourmet restaurant; it's still a church. But members of the church did provide tea and coffee while we ate bagged lunches in the church hall. Then they gave us a talk about the church's history. 

View of Kilworth United Church on a greeting card. Photo by Ron Watson.

Built in 1850, Kilworth is one of the oldest churches - if not buildings - in the area. Founded as an Episcopal Methodist Church, it became part of the United Church in 1925. You may have passed by this structure on Oxford St. W., just west of Byron, many times without noticing it, since it's almost hidden from the road by numerous trees. The building is constructed of stone walls two feet thick. Many are hand-hewn rocks from the nearby Wishing Well spring. Traditionally, those who looked closely would find fossils in the rocks, although erosion has made these more difficult to find. 

The building has many updates, especially to its heat and lighting, but its sanctuary is still the plain, simple interior the Methodist settlers would have preferred:

The final cemetery on the tour was Littlewood Cemetery on Twelve Mile Road north of Ilderton in the former London Township. Here, historian Glenn Scarborough gave us an overview of the site's history. 

As with many other cemeteries, there was once a church nearby. A Wesleyan Methodist congregation was established in the area in 1847, and a brick church was built nearby on the farm of John Littlewood, who arrived in the area in 1828. This church was replaced in 1875 by a larger brick structure that was eventually moved to Mill Street in Ilderton in 1892, and burned in 1910. Today, the cemetery is in the care of Ilderton United Church. 

In the 1940s, a marble triangle with the name of the 1875 church was found in the Scarborough family blacksmith shop. This cairn with a bronze plaque was erected in 1988 to tell the story of the Littlewood churches and cemetery, and the triangle was added to the upper part of the cairn. If you notice that it's not quite a "triangle," that's because, according to Glenn, the piece broke when it was being moved, and the other bottom corner was sliced off to make it symmetrical. 

In 1965, a half-acre was purchased to expand this cemetery. It remains open for burials, and some of the graves are quite recent. I, of course, am most interested in the pioneers.

Take John Littlewood, for example. Born in 1775 in Moffat, Scotland, as one of 13 children, he reportedly left home at an early age and ran away to join the navy. And not just any ship either. He apparently served on the HMS Victory under Lord Nelson. What stories he must have had about the old days and the great commander! He didn't share them with his descendants, however, because he never married. Instead, he took an interest in developing the local community, which is no doubt why he donated land for a Wesleyan church and parsonage. (The latter building was eventually moved to Birr.) Littlewood lived to the extraordinary age of 104. According to Glenn, this was because he was a bachelor, a suggestion we ladies pooh-poohed. Littlewood must have been strong to survive such an adventurous, hard life. 

The first burial here is that of John Armstrong, also born in the eighteenth century. He and his wife, Rebekah Cotnem (1786-1856), came to Upper Canada from the Lake Champlain district of New York State. This broken monument appears to be for John:

But a newer one has been placed nearby:

In 1930, when Fletcher Charlton died, his heirs decided to donate his estate to the cemetery. The funds allowed a wrought iron fence to be built across the front with the gate posts below:

Two young men who died in World War II are commemorated on their parents' grave markers at Littlewood. Flying Officer John Robert Paisley went missing over the North Sea on May 17, 1942, and was later presumed dead. Born in Ilderton, "Jack" attended London's Central Collegiate and Normal School, and taught school back in Ilderton and up at Thedford before joining up in July 1940. He also played hockey for the Ilderton village hockey team. He is memorialized at Runnymede Memorial, UK.

Also, Sgt. AG John Lewis Sparling (1923-1943), who first attempted to join the Air Force in 1940 but was declined, being underage. He finally enlisted at London in November 1941, just after his 18th birthday. On a night mission on January 21-22, 1943, he left on a mine-laying mission with four other officers. They left from the coast of the Netherlands near the Zuider Zee in a Wellington bomber and never returned. Also remembered at Runnymede. Note that his parents had already suffered a previous disaster in the death of another son, Robert, who drowned while swimming in the Thames.

Most of the information above comes from the day's excellent tour guides and the handouts they gave out. Those looking for further information are recommended to look at ancestry.ca and the following publications:

Gibb, Alice, ed. London Township: A Rich Heritage 1796-1997. London Township History Book Committee, 2001.

Grainger, Jennifer, ed. Delaware and Westminster Townships: Honouring Our Roots. Delaware/ Westminster History Book Committee, 2006.

The Heritage of Lobo 1820-1990. Lobo Township Heritage Group, 1990.

Another Demolition By Neglect

The empty lot at right, 514-520 South Street,  is the former site of an 1853 cottage. The once-adorable home listed on the city's Register of Cultural Heritage Resources was demolished in November 2024 after years of deterioration. See here for pictures of its advanced decay and subsequent demolition. 

The cottage may have been in poor shape when Anmoor Homes purchased it in 2022, but the company didn't make a heroic effort to save it. Damaged by fire in April 2024, the house was removed from the city register in July and knocked down in the autumn. 

Anmoor later requested a rezoning of the property to allow the building of about 25 stacked townhouses. Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) recommended this be done, and London City Council agreed at their August 26 meeting. 

Whenever a demolition by neglect (DBN) happens - and it happens frequently - the same thoughts come to my mind. One is that London needs a powerful property standards bylaw that charges hefty fines to the owners of deteriorating and/or vacant buildings. The current system is complaint-based and clearly doesn't prevent DBN. A mandatory inspection regime with escalating penalties could deter neglect, though enforcement costs and owner pushback would pose challenges. 

Another observation is that, in an age with lots of homeless people and a lack of affordable housing, we also have vacant buildings.  Little wonder that unfortunate individuals break into an empty structure to take shelter. And if they start a fire to keep warm in winter, who can blame them?

Some might argue that single-family homes on large lots should be replaced with densely packed townhome developments more often. We need lots of infill to house our increasing population, right? After all, we can't expand the city forever, using up more and more valuable farmland (although the city seems to be doing just that.) I would argue, though, that densification is ruining our historic neighbourhoods by replacing traditional architecture with newer buildings that don't blend in. Hence, new construction should be limited in such areas as South Street in Soho.

I'd rather see larger buildings in the core renovated into affordable housing. We already have older buildings that have been reused for this purpose, like Youth Opportunities Unlimited in the former Grigg House. Or the former Honest Lawyer bar, now converted to apartments. And Bluevale is converting a newish office building at 376 Richmond Street into one-bedroom and studio apartments; see here for details.  

Still, we're going to need more of these conversions if we're going to a) increase our stock of affordable housing, and b) prevent historic neighbourhoods from losing their charm. I'd argue that the buildings below would have made excellent housing units if only the city, a non-profit organisation, or even another corporation had wrestled them away from their current owners:

But I suspect demolition by neglect and inappropriate infill are here to stay. The cottage’s loss is only part of a larger debate, that of "progress" versus preservation. And progress means densification in older residential neighbourhoods unless public pressure shifts the narrative. 

Ripley, Believe It Or Not

 Believe it or not, I just went to Ripley.

Now why would anyone go to Ripley, Ontario? Well, having spent much time on the Lake Huron coastline, I decided to spend a little time inland.  This village of about 600 people in the former Huron Township,* Bruce County, is about 18 km from Point Clark. Such communities as this are often missed by travellers hugging Hwy. 21 and the shoreline.

The Ripley area was founded as a Scottish settlement in the mid-19th century by over 100 families forced to leave the Isle of Lewis during the Highland Clearances. They arrived in 1852, so that 1952 was the centenary of their arrival. This cairn was built that year to honour them:

From the 1850s to the 1870s this remained a farming community, although a post office named Ripley opened in 1857.** But when the Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway completed a line from Lucknow to Kincardine in 1873, the farms here were subdivided into lots and a station was built. In 1874 the post office name changed to Dingwall but it reverted to Ripley in 1880. 

The railroad became the Grand Trunk and later the CNR before the last train ran through on October 31, 1970. Ripley Station was torn down in 1971. Trucks for freight and cars for pleasure had killed the rails.

Postcard view of Huron Street, Ripley, early 1900s. Author's collection.

Ripley is the typical Ontario village, built on a grid pattern with some two-storey commercial buildings, churches, and schools in its core and twentieth-century buildings at its edges. Like most small communities, much of the business has died, leaving the deserted and underused business blocks to deteriorate.***

An unusual paint job and new windows aren't luring businesses back to this old block. 

The original hotel on this site burned in 1888 and was rebuilt in 1891. Various owners called it the Argyle Hotel, Hodgins' House, Commercial Hotel and Temperance House. Became apartments 1940s.

Next to the hotel is the 1890 McInnes Block built by Paul D. McInnes. Note his name and the date. 

Originally a Continuation School built in 1914.

Older school on Jessie Street is now apartments. 

The usual assortment of churches, at least two of which are homes. Knox Presbyterian, above, closed in 2019, and its documents and records hopefully end up in the archives opening here.

The former McInnes home at 80 Queen Street.

But here's what this community is doing right:

First, Lewis Park, named after those early settlers. Originally named Gore Park, it was renamed in 2002 to commemorate 150 years of Lewis family members in Ripley and Huron Township. The park was purchased by the village from CN in 1990.

South of the village is a lonely cemetery situated on the Lewis Trail, a three-kilometre roundtrip walk leading into nearby woods on the Pine River:

Note that this is a deserted spot and it's a good idea to bring a friend. 

This was the site of Huron Presbyterian Church, established by the Lewis settlers on a hill overlooking the river in 1858. After the church closed, only the cemetery remained. But, by mid-twentieth cemetery, the river bank was eroding, headstones were destroyed - and, yes, people were finding bones. In 1977, a cemetery committee formed to preserve the remaining headstones and about 60 have been preserved in a cement pad. It's hard to confirm how many people were buried here, since records are said to have burned in the 1890s.

The earliest marker is for John McLeod who died May 10, 1858 at age 38:

This stone commemorating John Smith confirms his birth as Lewis, Ross-shire, Scotland:

Also of interest is this stone in memory of Donald McLeod, who died aged 18, killed by a falling tree. 

A common fatality among the pioneers but unusual to find it stated on a grave marker.

Interpretive plaques at the cemetery entrance provide visitors with some history. Inside, these signs assist visitors in searching the stones, which will become more helpful as the remaining ones erode.

But guess what? Ripley has signs all over town! Check out this one at Lewis Park. It discusses the history of the village, the feud between McInnes and Hodgins (they liked to erect buildings blocking one another's views), and the former community newspaper. It even lists historical sources. The signs may be used as an historical walking tour or read individually.  All this is courtesy of the Township of Huron-Kinloss and the County of Bruce. See more info online here.

This sign tells the story of Ripley's Jubilee Arena, now replaced. The bell was used from 1927 to 1975 to signal the end of a hockey period. Children who volunteered to ring the bell got into the game for free.

There are smaller signs attached to buildings themselves:

Courtesy of Heather Phillips.

I didn't make it to nearby Lucknow on this trip but they have their own historic walking tour here so it's probable they also have signs. Will check next time I'm in Huron-Kinloss.

This history is important. Many people might drive through the village and see only the usual small-town decay. These signs remind us of a time when our smaller communities were bustling centres, alive with commercial and cultural activity. 

Ripley's best monument, however, may be the impressive war memorial in front of the former Huron Township Hall. The hall itself, built in 1909, was used as a community centre for plays and dances until, in 1997, it became local Council Chambers and Municipal Offices. 

Lewis monument on left and war memorial on right.

The memorial, unveiled on November 11, 1921, contains 262 names of men from Huron Township who served in World War I, 33 of whom did not return. The memorial was unveiled that long ago day by Gus McLeod, who had spent three years as a POW, and by Wilton Bell, who had lost two brothers in the war. 

Names from the second war are mounted on the side:

For complete names, see this blog, written by a modern-day explorer who travels Ontario on his motorbike, recording our war memorials. Bless his heart.

* The Township of Huron-Kinloss was formed on January 1, 1999 through the amalgamation of the townships of Huron and Kinloss and the towns of Ripley and Lucknow. 

**Named after a town in Derbyshire, not on Lewis.

***Having said that, you need to eat at Ripley's FIG Studio Kitchen. Not just the best food in Ripley. "Food Is Good" provided one of the best lunches I've had anywhere in years. I do not provide 5* reviews for just anyone.