Palgrave United Church Cemetery
Also known as: Old Cemetery
Also known as: Primitive Methodist Church Cemetery
Location:
34 Pine Avenue (Palgrave), Caledon, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 7, lot 27, Lot W-½, Albion Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.9510°N
Longitude: -79.8352°W
History:
The history of Palgrave United Church began in 1843 in the home of John Coates three miles southeast of Palgrave on the ninth line. In the beginning, this location was named Mount Pleasant and later changed to Mount Wolfe.
In 1841 and 1842 John Coates and his son James attended outdoor revival meetings in Albion held by the Primitive Methodist Church. In 1843 James started Class meetings in his father’s home. The Class was the basic unit of organization of the congregation in the Methodist Church.
The earliest members of Palgrave Church first worshipped at the home of John and James Coates. There was no other centre of worship in the area of more than thirty square miles for Primitive Methodists and therefore Levi Card, Edward Gibson and Benjamin Rowley, later to be the founding fathers of Palgrave congregation walked or rode with their families to Coates’ house.
The Trustees, James Brown, John Steele Sr, Simon Gower and Joseph Tomilinson, purchased Lots 17, 18 and 19 of the 50-acre Gower Block (Lot 27 Concession 7) from Robert Gower for the sum of $90.00. The Lots were enclosed by the angle of Pine Avenue and Maple Lane.
The congregation immediately built the church, and it was ready on June 7, 1898 for dedication for divine service.
1884 the Wesleyan Methodist Church united with the Primitive Methodist Church. There were several other small congregations also in the area that later became connected with Palgrave and formed part of Palgrave Circuit.
Ultimately all the Methodist churches in northeast Albion united in Palgrave under Palgrave United Church.
The cemetery is located behind the church. Perkins Bull noted that when he recorded the cemetery in 1932 it was overgrown with high grass and bushes all over the place. The monuments were broken, falling and obviously uncared for. It was surrounded by a four-foot wire fence. Today it has been restored.
References:
1) Palgrave – The United Church and the Community by Palgrave United Church.
2) Perkins Bull Records.
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.