St Paul’s Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Location:
3318 Dundas Street, Burlington, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 1 SDS (South of Dundas Street), lot 14, Nelson Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.38630°N
Longitude: -79.82988°W
History:
St. Paul’s Cemetery is situated on the south side of Highway #5, just west of Walker’s Line. It partially surrounds St Paul’s Church.
Rev. William King organized a congregation here in 1819. The first frame church was built on Dundas Street (Lot 12, Concession 1 SDS) and was opened for service in 1822. The land was deeded to the Trustees by Gilbert Bastedo. Worshippers came from Bronte, Port Nelson, Wellington Square, Waterdown and points north.
The present church was begun in 1867 a little to the west of the original frame building. A fire in 1960 damaged the interior which was restored the following year. Over the years St Paul’s has been connected in some way to Waterdown, Kilbride, Knox Burlington and Knox Sixteen.
The first known burial, which predates the erection of the first church, was Sarah Bastedo daughter of Gilbert and Marion Bastedo who died in 1817 at the age of 21 days.
Many veterans from the War of 1812 are buried here. One monument is that of Lieutenant Peter McGregor born 1763 in Pennsylvania who served in the Fourth Royal Veteran Battalion. He died in Nelson twelve years after the war had ended.
The church remained the home of St. Paul’s congregation until 1993 when the congregation moved to a new church east of the older building. The 1867 building was sold and is now a music therapy centre. The cemetery is under the care of the City of Burlington. Both sources have been checked for records, but no burial register has been found to date.
Jane Watt and Trudy Mann
Updated 2023, Dorothy Kew
Transcription purchase:
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