East Plains United Church Cemetery
Location:
375 Plains Road East (Aldershot), Burlington, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 1, lot 3, Nelson Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.3162°N
Longitude: –79.8411°W
History:
Some of the Aldershot houses of worship date back to the early days. The oldest congregation in this area is East Plains United on Plains Road east. It is believed service began in a log building which may have been the home of Aaron and Jane Emory. Jane Van Norman was the first woman in Upper Canada to earn a BA degree and who taught in the Burlington Ladies Academy, Hamilton. She was the daughter of Isaac Van Norman who was deeded 200 acres of crown land in 1810 in East Flamborough. Jane married Aaron D. Emory, a widower who came to Aldershot from Appleby. Religious services held in their home led to the founding of the East Plains United Church. They purchased land from the Fonger’s (early settlers) a part of which is now included in the White Oaks survey. The church was originally part of the Oakville circuit of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
In 1793, Harcar Lyons and his wife Marcy Peer, widow of Thomas Rosebrough / RoseBorough / Rosebrugh, came from Warren, Sussex County, New Jersey and petitioned Governor Simcoe for a grant of land and settled in East Flamborough. In Harcar’s will of 1838 he bequeathed to Joseph Lyons, one of his sons, Lot 3 in Concession 1 East Flamborough plus 50 acres of broken front on the west side of Lot 3 Concession 1 East Flamborough, on payment to Harcar’s daughter 200 pounds of lawful Upper Canada money, share and share alike. On the East Flamborough map in the Wentworth County Atlas of 1875 Lot 3 Concession 1 is shown with a church on it. This is East Plains United Church. The monument for Joseph Lyons located in the cemetery reads “Joseph Lyons gave this land in 1843 and built the first church on it mostly at his own expen(c)e – died April 1872, aged 72 years”. (He died in Minnesota.)
The church built in 1892 was destroyed by fire about February 18, 1907. Any records in the church were lost, only the organ and a little furniture were saved. A new building was erected in the same year. A part of this building is still visible within the major restructuring which took place and was dedicated ca1957.
168 monuments are visible today in the well-kept cemetery. The earliest is for Dunnie, son of E. B. & E. J. Emory born July 3, 1822, died Feb 14, 1829. The most interesting contains an inscription to a lonely widow – “Here lies Granny Preston, widow of an old Waterloo soldier, lonely and without relatives, but had a few true friends. She rests in peace, died April 19, 1862 aged 82 years”.
Sources:
(1) East Plains United Church
(2) From Pathway to Skyway – A History of Burlington by Claire Emery and Barbara Ford
(3) Elinor Athawes, great great grand-daughter of Harcar Lyons
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.