St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Also known as: The Stone Church
Location:
17621 St. Andrew’s Road, Caledon, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 5E, lot 12, Caledon Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.8837°N
Longitude: -79.9310°W
History:
The earliest services for this congregation were held in the home of Donald McKinnon, one of the earliest settlers in the area, by itinerant preachers of various denominations. St Andrew’s received its first pastor in 1831 when the Rev. Duncan MacMillan was inducted in the big stone barn of Alexander Ferguson. This event was attended by numerous other ministers who travelled by foot and on horseback from such surrounding areas as York, Erin and Nelson Townships, and Dufferin and Simcoe Counties.
Gaelic was the tongue of the first parishioners of St Andrew’s most of whom were natives of Argyleshire Scotland. When the church held its 100th and 125th Anniversary services (in 1931 and 1956) the sermons were delivered in Gaelic!
The first church structure of this name was a tiny log cabin located across the road and approximately one half mile from the present site on Lot 12, Concession 5 East, Caledon Township. Early pews were most uncomfortable seats made from boards set on rounds cut from trunks of trees.
Land was donated by Allan McKinnon where the present stone church now stands, erected first in 1853 from local stone.
From 1831 St Andrew’s shared a minister with Mono Mills. In 1888 it joined with Knox and Caledon East to become a pastoral charge. Since 1925 it has formed part of the Claude- Caledon East circuit and has ceased holding regular services.
Jan Speers
Cemetery
An old newspaper clipping states: “According to the cemetery records the first burial was that of Sarah, wife of Farquhar McKinnon”. She died in June of 1835. Unfortunately, in about 1934, the house where the records kept was burned and the records destroyed. The monument with the oldest date is that of Christian McLeaven, wife of Donald Cameron. She was first buried on the family farm, but Donald Cameron moved to Vaughan and in 1855 he moved her remains to “Mrs. Allan McKinnon’s burying ground at the church on Lot No 12 of the 5th Concession Caledon”.
Many of the names found in the cemetery (McLeish, Ferguson, Speers, McLeod, McArthur and Heard) are also names of the families that married into the MacKinnon family. The cemetery is still open for burials.
Elaine Robinson
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.