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.

Tombstone Tourism: Medway Cemetery

It's that wonderful time of year again, when those of us crazy enough to enjoy pioneer cemeteries go on the prowl. Last Sunday I was at Medway, once Decker, Cemetery in the former London Township.

This cemetery is on 10 Mile Road just east of Richmond Street (or the 10th Concession, just east of the Proof Line or Hwy 4, if you live in the past like I do). Apparently, it was called Decker Cemetery until 1932* - or until 1936 if you prefer to believe the sign on the gate. 

The Deckers were early settlers on Lot 16 Con. 9 who came from the United States. As with most families in the "good old days," the Deckers lost at least one child at an early age. In 1833, little Teunis Decker died at age 4. Hence, the need to found a cemetery that year. One David Youngs Decker (1795-1891), the little fellow's uncle, donated the land. The child's gravemarker, carved from a stone found in nearby Medway Creek, was the first of many commemorating Deckers. Another early burial was that of David's wife Maria who died in 1841.

In the mid-1800s, a small Free Will Baptist Church was built just to the west. While some Baptists were buried in this cemetery, many of the graves are those of Presbyterians who attended Bethel Church over on the Proof Line. The Baptist church was not a long-term success, being used only for funerals after 1900 and being gone by 1920. 

Since my friend Nick is a descendent of Deckers, it's not surprising he'd be paying a visit on the cemetery decoration day held on the fourth Sunday of every June. Of course, he can come here any time he wants but "decoration days" are an opportunity to chat with the cemetery caretaker(s), local historians, and other folks with relatives buried within the gates, not to mention leave a donation for upkeep of the cemetery if you like. And, of course, I came along for the ride as usual, despite not having relatives here myself. When it comes to Tombstone Tourism, who needs relatives as an excuse? 

As in most of our cemeteries, a great many early markers are fragile, broken or illegible. Caretakers can cut the lawn but rarely have funds to do much else. Occasionally money comes from the township, from relatives, or from trust funds, but unless people are willing to spend more money on departed ancestors, we may as well get used to looking at stones like these:

Fortunately, historical societies and fundraising committees occasionally come up with funds for monuments like this, preserving the names of people who are known to have been buried here but for whom a monument is eroded or destroyed: 

Local resident Bill Dobbie chats with Nick Corrie who has ancestors, including Deckers, in Medway/Decker Cemetery.

* Cemetery and early Decker family information from London Township: A Rich Heritage, Vols. I p. 198 and Vol. II p. 82.

St. Mary's Napier, Oldest Church in Middlesex

Normally, if you want to see the pioneer buildings constructed by our ancestors, you have to visit a museum like Fanshawe Pioneer Village. That's because most of our early buildings were torn down and replaced with larger, grander ones as soon as it was practical to do so. If not demolished, the earliest buildings were usually modernized to include electricity, plumbing, openable windows, and insulation. Nobody likes privations. 

That's why it's fascinating to enter one of those rare pioneer structures that's almost completely unchanged. I'm talking about St. Mary's, Napier.

St. Mary's Anglican Church, Napier, southwest of Strathroy in the Township of Adelaide-Metcalfe, held its Annual Decoration Day service on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Fred Cahill, who lives down the road, rode his horse, Beauty, to the event. She was a reminder of those long-ago days when most of the congregation arrived by horse and buggy. 

This unassuming little frame building was built in about 1841 in the village of Napier in what was, in those days, Metcalfe Township.  Centre of a thriving community founded by retired veterans of the British Army and Navy, the church remained open for weekly services until about 1920.  Then, with a dwindling congregation, the church closed. Instead of being demolished, though, it became a Chapel of Ease, still used for occasional services like the one I attended with about 30 other people (and Beauty, the horse) last Sunday.

No, my ancestors didn't live nearby, they didn't worship here, and I don't have relatives buried in the adjoining graveyard. So why attend? Because St. Mary's is now the oldest remaining church in Middlesex County and a treat for history buffs.

The story inside the service booklet states that early settler Captain Christopher Beer (gravemarker at right) was about to build himself a new house out of the local black walnut. But when he heard a church was to be constructed, he put off the building of his own home and donated the lumber to the church project instead. The walnut was used to build the chancel, pulpit, pews, and wainscotting. It's still in there today, dark and handsome as ever. 

There was more to the building project than Captain Beer, of course. The land for the church and cemetery was donated by Lieutenant Charles Preston. The Phillips family donated the oak stringers and some bricks came from Captain Johnson's brickyard. That was how a pioneer community worked; everyone pitched in what they had, whether it was time, labour, materials, or funding. 

At one time, services were so popular that a gallery was installed to accommodate everyone. But by 1895, the  gallery was deemed unsafe and the congregation was too small by then to warrant it anyway. It was removed. 

Let's step inside and see what it's like today:

"Box pews" with doors, designed to provide warmth and privacy. Such doors were common before churches were heated, allowing seating areas to retain warmth, either from bodies sitting close together or from foot warmers. When pews were owned or rented, such doors helped ensure that everyone sat in the correct place. 

Fresh flowers for the Decoration Day service. Note the walnut pulpit.

Storage.

View from the pulpit.

Pump organ added in the 1900s has not worked for 20 years. (I heard a rumour about mice.)

Close-up of the foot pedals reading "Doherty Organ." For a history of Doherty, see here.

I wonder who was small enough to sit on the back row pews? Were Victorian bums this much smaller than ours? Or did children sit here? 

Photos and documents hang on the wall. Here's a photo of those in attendance on June 30, 1963 when the blue plaque from the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario was placed out front. One of the gents is a great-grandson of Captain Beer. 

By the way, while sitting through the half hour service presided over by Rev. Patty Dobbs Luxton of Strathroy, I became aware of the extent to which our pioneer ancestors were at the mercy of the elements. It was over 30 degrees on Sunday and this little building has only one door, early unopenable windows, and no electricity. So no air conditioning and not even a cross breeze. The heat you can't imagine. Every time I stood up, my dress stuck to the rear of the pew. Just imagine sitting there in long sleeves, multiple petticoats and a bonnet. Egad. 

Next, think about winter. No electric heat. No insulation of the modern variety. (Could there be horse hair in those walls?) No storm windows. And I'm not sure if there was ever a wood stove. The congregation might have seen the officiant's breath in the air. Huddle with your neighbours to keep warm. 

Back outside, I trotted around the graveyard. Since I first visited St. Mary's back in the 1990s, the stones have greatly deteriorated. Aside from the monument to Captain Beer (now "Anchored in the harbour of eternal rest") the others are mainly illegible:

Some TLC is obviously needed. But I'm sure that diocese funds are woefully inadequate. What's required is a fundraising organization. Would someone like to start "The Friends of St. Mary's, Napier?" I'll join.

You may be wondering why this little church closed. That's easy. It's in a ghost town. Napier, on the Sydenham River, was once one of the most important villages in west Middlesex. It was a milling village, built to take advantage of the walnut trees in the vicinity. Once the walnut trees were depleted, there was obviously less work for the sawmills.

But in 1857, according to Lovell's Canada Directory, Napier also had a gristmill, woollen mill, school, store, blacksmith, shoemaker, waggon maker, saloon, and many homes. By 1864, there were two hotels, the Napier Inn and the Sydenham House, and a population of about 250. A post office named Napier opened on November 6, 1851, under postmaster James Keefer, who was running a store with Captain John Arthur. Mail came by stagecoach. 

In all probability, Napier faded after being bypassed by the railroads. Both branches of the Great Western Railway, later the Grand Trunk or CNR, were built elsewhere, the north branch through Kerwood and the southern through Glencoe. Later the village was bypassed by the CPR and the Michigan Central. The community just couldn't win. The post office closed in 1915. 

Recently there was an attempt to restore one of Napier's old buildings, the 1872 Napier House store. The effort failed and it now looks like this: 

Apparently a saviour is needed here too. 

A greater puzzle, as far as I'm concerned, is why St. Marys was preserved after closing. In 1939, it was in poor repair, turrets fallen off the tower, windows broken, and the graveyard thick with weeds. It was restored, when and by whom I'm not sure. But with no regular congregation, there was no need for updates. It seems that enough people cared about St. Mary's to preserve it, even if it remained a primitive pioneer structure.  

I hope it remains for many years to come.