Derry West Anglican Church Cemetery
Location:
25 Derry Road West, Mississauga, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada.
NW corner Derry Road West and hurontario Street.
Concession 1W Lot 11, Toronto Township.
GPS::
Latitude: 43.6455°N
Longitude: -79.7070°W
History:
Derry West Anglican is one of the very early cemeteries of Toronto Township. Church services were held at the site from 1829 to 1867 when the village was destroyed by fire. The first burials were likely in the 1830’s, but there now remains no trace of these. Burials continued after 1867, but at reducing frequency. The last burial we know of was that of Mary J. Graham in 1936.
In the 1930’s, Wm. Perkins Bull attempted to locate the cemetery records, but by then, he could find nothing and was informed by locals that, even then, many of the grave markers had disappeared.
The cemetery was described in 1936 as “full except for some vacancies in some family plots”. It was estimated that there should have been over 70 of these plots, but many were unmarked.
It was also said at that time that the cemetery “was surrounded by 24 elms, maples and ironwood trees, and a cedar post fence topped with a strand of barbed wire”. It was in a deplorable state. It was being used as a pasture by the nearby farmer, a dump by the adjacent service station and was “a very bad bog hole – everyone there is in a couple of feet of water!”
In 1932, Howard G. McCracken, in a letter to Wm. Perkins Bull, stated that “The oldest persons buried there are:
Hugh Graham
Mr. Armstrong (Joe’s father)
Mr. Aikens (Tom’s father)”
(There is no marker left for any of these three men)
He stated too that the Aikens and Scanlon families were two of the many local families with plots. (There are no markers left of either family).
The earliest marker now left is that of Annice Nixon (1842) and the last is that of Mary J. Graham, mentioned earlier. Mary J. lived in Kincardine but wanted to be buried in Derry West with her family.
The cemetery is now closed and well cared for. Annice, Mary J. and the others all can now rest quietly.
Harry Duff
Historic Plaque in Cemetery is inscribed as follows:
1819 – Derry West – 1973
This is the site of the original Hurontario Church (Anglican). In 1822, Joseph Carter received a Crown grant for 200 acres on Lot 11 Con 1 WHS, Toronto Township. On this portion he built a small log church which opened July 27, 1829.
The cornerstone was christened by whisky bought from the hotel across the road. Bishop Strachan said: “I heard that this church was begun in drunkenness and ribaldry”, so he refused Carter Holy Orders. Carter, broken-hearted, sold the farm to Wm. Orr, reserving ½ acre on which the church sat, deeding it to the Church of England.
In 1843 a mud brick replaced the old church and opposite a small rough cast Presbyterian Church was built.
Derry West was named by George Graham to honour his forefathers who fought at Londonderry, Ireland. Derry West had the first Post Office in Peel Co. in 1826. No. 10 L.O.L. built their first hall west of the corner (origin of Derry West District Lodge).
Beside the cemetery stood a small brick Armouries used at the time of Fenian raids (1865).
Taverns, a temperance hall, blacksmith, shoemaker, and carpenter shop with horse sheds made up Derry West in 1857, with a population of 100.
Throughout the years there have been 3 schools here. In 1867, Derry West was swept by fire; little remained, and the small hamlet never regained the former prominence of those early years.
Erected by the Derry West Women’s Institute and Community.
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.