HILLTOP GORE CEMETERY WALKING
TOUR BROCHURE
A
Tour of Hilltop Gore Pioneer Cemetery
Founded in 1832, John Eaton and Dickenson Fletcher each gave half an acre of their
pastoral lands (lots 3 & 4, concession 9). On October 1, 1834, a long lease on the
property was given to the first trustees, John Bland, Dickenson Fletcher and Elisha
Lawrence.
The first burial was of Mary Nattress, aged 5 weeks on May 21, 1832.
The last burial was Mary Clark, wife of John Bland, who died in 1953m at the age of 93.
Hilltop-Gore Pioneer Cemetery presently stands as a symbol and monument to the people
who endeavoured to build the character of Toronto Gore area. Their stories provide an
image of the past and an understanding of what life was like in the early years of the
developing community. The cemetery monuments take on a whole new meaning as the
struggles and achievements of Brampton’s past residents are brought to light.
Hilltop-Gore Pioneer Cemetery is not a relic of the past, but an enriching and vital landmark
that represents the strength and endurance of our forefathers and indicates the importance
of understanding our heritage.
S
ome Facts About Hilltop Gore Pioneer Cemetery
Hilltop Gore cemetery was made unique; lacking common characteristics that typically
served to distinguish a village. For example, in the place of a formal church stood a
schoolhouse. With a removable altar, for use on Sundays, the school became an available and
convenient resource to various religious denominations. It was often referred to as “The
Schoolhouse Burying Ground” and sometimes as the Anglican and Methodist Cemetery.
This Protestant school, built in 1835, was the first in Toronto Gore. It stood on top of the
hill, on the northern edge of the cemetery. It was one room, about thirty square feet, built
of hardwood logs lined with dressed lumber. At capacity, the schoolhouse held as many
as 80 pupils.
In 1847, James Sleightholm and his wife Ann provided the legal deed, turning over the
necessary land rights. It was under this transfer of property, which gave way to the creation
of the building that would serve as both a school and cemetery to the community. In
exchange for the deed to the land the Sleightholm’s would receive five shilling.
By 1849 the school was too small, so extra funds were sought for the building of a new one.
The money was granted and a larger frame building was opened that year and new trustees
elected.
They continued to use the old schoolhouse as a meeting place for the community. In 1891 a
new school district was formed [No. 10] at Ebenezer. The new district worked to incorporate
the new students form the school on the hill.
William Hewgill was the first teacher as well as a preacher of the Wesleyan Methodists. He
was also the secretary of the cemetery, and kept an accurate account of all burials from the
first interment.
William Hewgill and his son Daniel both served as Trustees of the Cemetery, as well as others
such as: James Sleightholm, Thomas Foster, Robert Bowman, William and Emmanuel Foster,
Thomas Nattress, John Lawrence, Harold Lawrence, Samuel Hewgill, Isaac Lawson, Everard
Kellam, Mrs. Charles Johnston, Harry Fieldhouse, and Ira Champline.
In time, the cemetery became neglected. It was not until 1932 that Samuel, son of Daniel
Hewgill, took an interest in the cemetery. Samuel’s involvement would lead to electing the
new trustees, as well as the collection of funds to install new fences, culverts and gates for
both entrances.
In 1959, the Clairville Fair Association was disbanded and from its failure came $1,000.00,
which was allocated, to the Hilltop Cemetery. This money was set aside as a perpetual care
fund. It was also during this time that the name “The Hilltop Gore Cemetery” was chosen.
In 1966, the cemetery was again set in order; the brush cleared, the ground leveled and the
larger stones set on concrete foundations, and re-lettered. The monuments that were flat were
built into a concrete cairn with a central monument, which reads as follows:
HILLTOP
GORE CEMETERY
1832 – 1966
In Commemoration of the Pioneers in
This Community and Surrounding Area
Faith of Our Fathers Living Still
Fred W Faber
Erected by the Trustees in 1966
The monuments in this cairn show an almost unique selection of the symbols used for
memorials of their time – you can see the weeping willows, dove, hand pointing upwards,
clasped hands, an open book, garlands, etc. all in a row.
T
he Founding Families Of The Toronto Gore Area
Amongst the early settlers in this area, some of the family names provided are as follows:
Agar, Allison, Bland, Bowman, Carefoot, Cawthra, Duck, Dunn, foster, Hewgill, Kellam,
King, Lawrence, Linton, Maw, Nattress, O’Grady, Porter, Readman, Sleighthom, Watson,
Wetherall, and Wiley. Many of these family members are buried in this cemetery.
1. to 3. PORTER
This Yorkshire family came to America in 1819. William was a contractor on the Welland, Erie and
Rideau Canals, before settling (on Lot 3, Concession 3) in 1830. In later years (1910), William
would go on to write a history of Clairville, illustrating that “ He was a very tall and strong man,
above the average in mental abilities, with a somewhat imperious manner, he died in 1866. Mr.
Porter had a family of four sons and one daughter. The eldest son Joseph was accidentally killed by
a gun shot when he was about 26 years old. His young wife died only a few months afterwards.
His second son William owned one of his father’s farms in Toronto Gore. William was Warden of
Peel County 1875 and also 1884, overseeing various factions of the community. Thompson, the
youngest son, was also a prominent figure in the township. Thompson became a public figure as
the Reeve of Vaughan Township for a number of years, and would become further honoured by
being Warden of York County (for one term. Thompson’s brother John (the third son) would also
experience success as the JP for Haldimand County at Hagersville. The only daughter, Alice,
married a Vaughan farmer, Mr. Peter Franks. She died in 1890.”
4. CHAMPLAINE, Walter Wm
1928
Son of Sarah Ann Woodswrorth, wife of Thomas Champlaine July 31, 1872.
5. FOSTER
1911 & 1929
Thomas and William Foster were twins. Some claimed that the brothers had such similar
physicality’s that it was difficult to distinguish between the two. William lived on Lot 6,
Concession 9 across from his brother Thomas who resided on the hill crossways from the
cemetery. As a result, in earlier days the townspeople acknowledged this spot as “Foster’s Hill”.
Mrs. William Foster came from County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1822.
Thomas Foster was married to Mary MacDonald, Thomas passed away suddenly December 15,
1911; Mary died September 8, 1929.
6. BLAND
1858, 1862, 1863, 1867, 1881, 1898, 1930, 1900
John Bland, a native or Yorkshire, settled (Lot 7, Concession 10 north) in 1835. He was
fortunate enough to be possessed to some measure of substantial wealth. His financial security
aided John in the purchase of several farms when land was cheap. Mr. Bland was clerk of the
township for several years. He was prominent among promoters of the Albion portion of the
Plank Road. Mr. and Mrs. Bland reached very old age; their sons John, George, and Thomas
Walker died only a few years after their parents.
7. CAREFOOT
1857 & 1869
They came from Queens County, Ireland in 1825, (homesteaded Lot 11, Concession 10 Toronto
Gore). They gave birth to Seven Children – Tomas, Richard, William, John, Esther, Elizabeth,
Mrs Chambers. He was the ancestor of all the CAREFOOTS in North America. Memorial by
Dr. R.L. Carefoot, Windsor, ON 1955.
8. HEWGILL
1840, 1849, 1874, 1877, 1882, 1895, 1909, 1926, 1934
William Hewgill and his wife, Alice Sleightholm, and four of their children came from the
Parish of Glaisdale, near Whitby, Yorkshire, England. A son Daniel, and his wife Isabella
Sanderson, lived on the homestead and had thirteen children, and looked after many other
children in e neighbourhood as well. Daniel was well known as an auctioneer, and as a
carpenter built most of the barns in Toronto Gore. Four of their children died of diphtheria
within a month in 1882 and were buried at Hilltop; their brother Edward died aged 10, and
also is buried at Hilltop. David Washington Hewgill, a bachelor, and his two unmarried
sisters, Hannah Elizabeth and Ann Alice are also buried in this location.
9. WILEY, Leonard & William
September 20, 1870 & April 5, 1887
The absorption of the River-View Farm by the Metro Area Conservation Authority ended
114 years of continuous occupation by the Wiley family. John Wiley and Rebecca Middleton
were married and five of their children born in Yorkshire. They family would settle on lot 2
Concession 8. The family experienced success on this lot and as a result, when John died in
1865 he left 50 acres to each of his sons, Leonard and William.
10. NATTRESS
1832, 1846, 1860, 1878, 1888, 1889
The Nattress family was another household, which pledged their devotion and membership to the
Primitive Methodist Church. The first burial in this cemetery was of little Mary, only a few weeks
old, daughter for Isaac Nattress, buried May 21, 1832. She was the first of over two-dozen
members of this numerous family to be laid to rest here. The majority of individuals buried there
were farmers.
11. LAWSON, William
November 29, 1872
The Lawson family were native to Perthshire, Scotland (Homesteaded Lot 4, Concession 8).
The Lawson family was noted for their fine horses. Joseph Lawson, (one of the Lawson
sons) erected this monument in his families honour.
12. LAWRENCE
1885, 1886, 1891, 1892, 1869, 1867,
Eilisha Lawrence was born in New Brunswick in 1799. His wife Sarah Devins came from
Pennsylvania to York in 1793. They lived on Lot 2, Concession 9. The Lawrence’s came
from New Jersey, New Brunswick, and then to Upper Canada in 1816, and to the Gore in
1821
Their son, John Rezeua Lawrence, was said to be the first to load a bag of grain on his back
and walk the fifteen miles to the mill at Weston. As a young and determined man, John went
to the United States, and fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. As a farmer, he
specialized in shorthorn livestock.
Isaac Huver Lawrence, another son of Elisha and Sarah, was a Captain of Militia under
Colonel Price, 1860-65. He farmed the south half of the farm and gave particular attention to
the breeding of horses.
John Rezeau Lawrence married Ann Kersye, and Isaac Huver Lawrence married her sister,
Mary Kersey. They were staunch supporters of Christ Church in Clairville. When the lights
were turned on in the Gore, it was Mrs. Isaac (grandson of Elisha and Sarah) Lawrence, who
turned the button from Ebenezer School.
Arial View of Hilltop Gore Cemetery
This is a picture taken from the entrance into Hilltop Gore Cemetery.
Arial View of Cairn at Hilltop Gore Cemetery
This is a picture taken of the Cairn into Hilltop Gore Cemetery.
Monuments on East Side of Cairn North to South
Sarah Bland
John Bland & Mary Clark
Sarah & Thomas Fletcher
James Watson
Samuel Watson
Elizabeth Woodsworht
John Geddis
Gewndoline Emily Dyer
William Sleightholm
Anne Scafe
Isaac Nattress, Mary Nattress, Joseph Nattress & Children of Isaac & Ann Nattress
Sarah C. Nattress
James Kerr, John Alexander, William Alexander, John Children of James & Janet Kerr
George & Mary Kellam
Children of John & Rachel Kellam
Children of John & Ann Porter
Monuments on West Side of Cairn North to South
Mary Jane Foster & John Saul
William Foster
Frances Foster
Charles & AnnWolf
Mary Smith
Sarah Ann Champline
Patrick & Susan McCort
John McCort
Jane McCort
Susan & Charles McCort
Richard Dark
Minnie & Margaret Annie Weatherill, children of John & Elizabeth
Children of Joseph & Fanny Sanderson
Margaret & William Henry Watson
John Allison
4. Champline
1. – 3 Porter
7. Carefoot
C
A
I
R
N
6. Bland
8. Hewgill
9. Wiley
10. Nattress
11. Lawson
12. Lawrence
Entrance
5. Foster
Cemetery Grounds open from
7:30 a.m. to sunset
Seven days a week
Brampton Cemetery Office hours:
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon – Fri
Phone: (905) 874-2997
Fax: (905) 874-2996
Email: cemetery@city.brampton.on.ca
This tour pamphlet was developed by the Parks Maintenance and Operations Division of the
City of Brampton.
Information gathered from the following sources:
Hilltop Gore Report
From This Year Hence – A history of the Township of Toronto Gore 1818-1983 By Geo. S.
Tavender
Research by Beatrice L. Byrne, Brian Gilchrist, Sharon Winski and Paul Webster.