History: The Village of Kilbride, now part of the City of Burlington, was named after a town in County Wicklow Ireland. It was laid out and named by William Panton, a native of County Wicklow and Francis Baker, both merchants in the milling and lumbering business. Panton and Baker Streets in this quiet residential community are named after these two men.

On 14 June 1794 the Land Board for the County of Lincoln granted 3400 acres in East Flamborough to Lieutenant Alexander MacDonell of the 84th Regiment when it became apparent the French Royalists, L’Abbe Phillipe Jean Louis des Jardins and Le Chavalier Lecorne and many emigrants who fled from the French Revolution had abandoned their plans to settle here. These Royalists had requested a township for themselves on 31 August 1793; their application had been accepted and the Township of East Flamborough held it in reserve for them. Nearly a year had passed when it became apparent that no French settlement would be taking place. As a result the first grant was made to Lieutenant MacDonell (sometimes spelled MacDonnell and MacDonel). On Concession 2 all 1400 acres of Lots 3-8, 11 and 12 were registered by him during the period of 1796 to 1800.

Kilbride Presbyterian Pioneer Cemetery is located on Lot 8 comprising approximately ¼ acre. The Presbyterian Church under the branch of the Free Church of Scotland began in 1846 as a mission and the grounds for the cemetery were purchased in 1848 from James Harris and deeded to the Presbyterian Church of Cumminsville. In 1856 a church was built east of Kilbride, but following church union in 1925 Kilbride joined with Waterdown and Nelson, then closing in 1940 after 84 years of Christian service. Later the church building was razed with usable timbers, furnishing, etc. going to the needs of other Presbyterian churches. A private home now stands on the former church site.

Open to the country on three sides, but with new homes constructed and other under construction across from the cemetery entrance, a high white picket fence and gate front the opening to the cemetery with about 60 visible monuments of the Irish, Scottish and English settlers of so long ago. The oldest marker reads “In memory of Mary Brown who died May 22 1824 aged 65 yrs. A memorial plaque has been erected which reads as follows: The City of Burlington acknowledges the assistance of the Hamilton Telephone Pioneers with the refurbishing of Kilbride Presbyterian Cemetery, 1986.