The 2026 MCA Cemetery Tour: Brrrrr and Beyond

It's that time of year again, when dedicated tombstone tourists lace up their walking shoes and head to Delaware to board the bus. On October 17, I joined the Middlesex Centre Archives Cemetery & Heritage Tour, along with about 30 other bundled-up tourists who braved 10° C weather to visit our local pioneers. 

Our first stop was Birr (yesterday it was brrrr) United Church Cemetery. I've visited this cemetery many times before, mainly to see the oak grave marker of pioneer George McConnell. Here's one of many photos I've taken of it over the years:

At one time, many grave markers were of wood, for the obvious reason that trees were the one resource our ancestors had in abundance. Most of these markers have not survived, of course, but this one has, since the Birr Women's Institute set it in cement in 1924 and the cemetery board had it incorporated into this brick cairn in 1986. George McConnell, by the way, lived up near Elginfield and operated a small tavern. Rev. William Proudfoot, the early pioneer preacher, is said to have stayed overnight at McConnell's and, later, in his diary, praised the supper of "venison and tea for 1 s. 6d." *

I've also photographed this 1988 cairn, which contains the bell from S. S. # 5, Birr School. When the school closed, former pupil John Haskett purchased the bell at an auction. After his death, his sister, Neva Loft, donated the Bell to Birr United Church, to be erected in the cemetery. 
 

As for the former Birr United Church, built in 1879 as a Methodist building, it's across Thirteen Mile Road and renovated into a gorgeous home. A fabulous example of adaptive reuse:

But I never object to going back to places I like, even cemeteries. This time, I photographed a few other graves, including that of John Griffith, a weaver from Birr, Ireland. Griffith, who operated a small shop on the cemetery property, is credited with naming the community after his old home.

These monuments are for Thomas Langford and his wife Martha Parkinson, who departed Mountmellick, Queen's County, Ireland, and arrived in the former London Township with their four sons in 1827. Thomas' sister Maria and her husband Isaac Langford died of cholera on their own voyage to Canada, leaving eight orphaned children. Someone, perhaps Thomas, picked up the children in Hamilton, brought them by ox cart to London Township, and dispersed them to various family members. Among the adoptive parents were Thomas and Martha, although they'd had five more children of their own after settling in London. Then poor Thomas was injured by a falling log at a barn raising and died on October 23, 1838.** Stories like these make me so glad I'm living today. 

I've discussed "white bronze" (actually zinc) monuments before (here and here), but I keep finding more of these markers, probably built by the White Bronze Monument Company of St. Thomas:

A close-up of the figure above. An anchor is a symbol of Christian hope.

Another white bronze monument nearby is dedicated to Catherine Morrow, who died in 1883, aged 28. Her marker also has an anchor, among other symbols and inscriptions:

This gravestone bears the name of the monument manufacturer. C. Miller & Co., Ingersoll, which also operated under the name Dominion Marble Works, produced ornamental stonework and gravestones. The company exhibited at Ontario agricultural fairs, hoping folks would remember their name when it came time to order a grave marker.

To the rear of the cemetery is a pump with the initials "BT." Below it states "Pat'd. 1918." The pump was made by Beaty Bros. Ltd. of Fergus, Ontario, founded in 1874 by George and Matthew Beatty. In 1918, the company secured the Canadian patent for a double-acting pump. Eventually, George's son William Beatty held over 300 such patents. Pumps say "BT" instead of the whole name because the pump parts are so small. The company amalgamated with General Steel Wares in 1969.

Our next stop, Birr Trinity Anglican Cemetery, was just down Thirteen Mile Road to the west. I'd never been to this cemetery, and I was intrigued to discover it was much larger than I thought, stretching a long way back from the road:

This was once the site of Birr Trinity Anglican Church, a Gothic edifice that opened January 18, 1880. It was designed by London architect Thomas Tracy (1848-1925), who also designed the London Mechanics' Institute on Dundas, the Grigg House on Richmond Street,  and the 1878 High School at Dufferin and Waterloo.***

Birr Trinity Anglican, from the tour flyer.

Sadly, attendance in this church declined in the 1970s, and it closed for regular services. For years it remained available as a chapel for the cemetery and for special occasions like weddings and memorial services. At some point, however, it was demolished. Today, only the steps remain, leading to nothing:

The highest point in the cemetery is the mound on which the church stood:

The most remarkable monument here is undoubtedly that of the Hobbs family, constructed by Hayes Brothers of St. Marys. While it's not unusual to see the Independent  Order of Foresters (I.O.F.) insignia, I've never seen it with a stag's head before. Impressive.

Also of interest is this monument to William Clark, complete with sailing ship:

And here's William's wife Margaret, complete with bird (I think). Note, however, Margaret's monument tells us more about William than his wife. Clark was "Late a deputed Officer in H Majesties Revenue Coast Guard, England." Sounds like he served in the English anti-smuggling maritime service. And he was so darn proud of it he bragged about it on his spouse's grave. 

Next, our group arrived at Melville United Church**** Ivan. Here we enjoyed coffee and tea prepared by the church ladies and had a chance to see the sanctuary. Not to mention warm up for a few minutes.

There's no danger of Melville United going the way of Birr Trinity Anglican for some time. It's still a going concern.

With a simple, yet beautiful, interior:

The congregation even built a new side entrance in 2016, in a style and colour that complements the main building:

The most interesting grave in the adjoining Ivan Cemetery is likely that of little Jimmie Johnson, age 7, who perished in the Victoria steamship disaster, May 24, 1881. 

Jimmie's one-year-old sister Margaret was also thought to have drowned, but was revived and died in 1976 at the age of 96, the last known survivor of the disaster.*****

Another sad tale happened to the family below, although the marker doesn't record it. Mrs. Bessie Argo, wife of the Rev. Argo of Melville Church, went to London with three others on December 19, 1906, to buy presents for the Sunday School children. On their return home, as they approached the CPR crossing on Richmond Street, they heard a train whistle. The driver whipped the horses, but Mrs. Argo couldn't wait. She was so frightened she jumped out of the cutter and was killed instantly. The horses became excited and overturned the cutter a short distance away. Rev. Argo was left with five motherless children but was given a plot in the cemetery for free. ******

Last, our tour arrived at Melrose Cemetery at the corner of Egremont Road and Vanneck Drive. This corner was once the heart of the flourishing pioneer village of Melrose. Here a Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1872 and later became part of the United Church. 

Melrose United Church ca. 1930, from the tour flyer.

In 1961, a construction team working for the Department of Highways was widening Hwy. 22 (Egremont Road) near the church. Their work involved digging a ditch along the church's wall, which unfortunately resulted in the displacement of the wall and the discovery of quicksand along its base. 

Now if you're like me, you're surprised to hear we have quicksand in Middlesex County. I suppose I've seen too many Hollywood films and goofy old TV shows in which people were sucked into a bottomless pit. After thinking it over, I suppose quicksand can happen anywhere groundwater saturates the soil, making it unstable. It wouldn't have to be particularly deep.

At any rate, no one was allowed to worship in the church again. It closed and was demolished soon afterwards. The brand new organ was donated to Kilworth United and a stained glass window in memory of Mr. B. L. Cohoe was transferred to Hyde Park United.*******

So our tour saw another cemetery with a gaping hole where the church used to be:

This cemetery's celebrity is Robert Boston (1836-1922). Starting out as a Lobo Township councillor and reeve, Boston later became Middlesex Warden in 1889. He won a by-election in 1893 to become MP  for South Middlesex but didn't stand in the 1895 general election. Instead, he became Governor of the "London Gaol" from 1897 to 1906. "Mr. Lobo" was respected for his distinguished public service. Robert never married, and is buried with his sister Jane, who acted as his "hostess." ********

Below is the grave of Christian Boston, with what I think is a willow and a lighthouse. If that's a lighthouse, I suppose it would symbolize a guiding light through dark times, or perhaps a soul finding its way to a safe harbour in heaven. 

A lot of young children are buried at Melrose, a reminder of the days before vaccines:

Thanks to Krista Taylor, Middlesex Centre archivist, for organizing another interesting tour! Not to mention volunteers Bev Hughes and Glenn Scarborough, who provided interesting commentary at the cemeteries. 

* Jennie Raycraft Lewis, Llyndinshire: London Township, 1967, p. 46. 

** Alice Gibb, ed., London Township II: Families Past and Present. Arva, Ont.: The London Township History Book Committee, 2001, p. 246. 

*** The church has a brief write-up in Nancy Z. Tausky and Lynne D. DiStefano's Victorian Architcture in London and Southwestern Ontario: Symbols of Aspiration. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1986, pp. 220-222. The writers noted the church has "an aura of Gothic mystery."

**** In 1869 the church was named Melville, probably after either Andrew Melville or James Melville, prominent Scottish Presbyterians. The Heritage of Lobo 1820-1990. Ilderton, Ont.: Lobo Township Heritage Group, 1990, p. 102. 

***** Daniel J. Brock, Fragments From The Forks. London: LMHS, 2011, p. 312.

****** The Heritage of Lobo, pp.102-103.

******* Above p. 101.

******** Above  pp. 268, 290.

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. [Update, August 2026: The tree next to this grave has indeed been trimmed back, allowing for a better view.]

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.

Baseball historians should pay tribute to George "Mooney" Gibson, the Londoner who played 14 seasons in the major leagues and was considered Canada's best ball player of the first half of the twentieth century. Nicknamed for his round face, Mooney played for the Pittsburgh Pirates when they defeated the Detroit Tigers to win the 1909 World Series. Note the baseball someone has left on top as a tribute.

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.