Acton Pioneer

Pioneer Cemetery, Acton

NE Lot 28, Concession 2, Esquesing Township.
Knox Street, Acton.
GPS 43.63067°N, –80.0443°W

History: In 1843 land was purchased from the Adams family for the erection of a Scottish Kirk. In 1848 a lot at the rear of the church was was obtained for a graveyard. Several members of the Adams family had already been buried in the north-east corner of this lot before the purchase was made. The price paid was £25 for 33¼ perches. The trustees of the Acton Public Burying Ground were: Alex Brown, Duncan Kennedy, Alex Grant, Samuel Smith,Donald McAinsh, Asa Hall and James Cameron. In 1873 another 1/3 acre was purchased. The trustees at that time were Alex Brown, Asa Hall, James Cameron, Alex Grant, John Speight, Charles Symon and Malcolm McPherson.
The cemetery soon became too small, and land was obtained on Lot 27, Concession 2 for the new Fairview Cemetery. Many members of the old families secured plots and moved the remains of their loved ones from the old cemetery to Fairview.In 1933 a new board was elected consisting of Nelson Moore, W.A. Lasby, R.N. Brown, R.L. Davidson, D. McDougall, W. McDonald and J. McGregor. They assembled the remaining headstones and built them into a cairn in the centre of the cemetery. An entrance was purchased off Knox Street. The land was deeded to the Corporation of the Town of Acton and a fence was erected.The “burial records” referred to in our transcription were in a small booklet printed for the Memorial Service which took place on 3 June 1934. According to this booklet the records were in the Registry Office in Milton. [by Elaine Bertrand Robinson]

Transcriptions of this cemetery are available on-line by credit card from the O.G.S. web site click here for price/order.

References:
Acton’s Early Days
Acton Pioneer Cemetery – memorial booklet, Presbyterian Archives