A
Tour of Brampton Pioneer Cemetery
The Brampton Pioneer Cemetery stands today as a symbol of the people who helped form
the character of the City of Brampton. 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.
The Brampton 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.
ome Facts About
Brampton Pioneer Cemetery
In 1856, Rev. William Millard, a missionary, and Rev. Brooks, organized an open
communion Baptist Church and a Chapel was erected on Main Street adjoining the
old cemetery, which was near the northern limits of town. It was converted into a
dwelling house in about 1860. The chapel does not seem to have anything to do with the
cemetery; but there is a story in the Perkins Bull collection that does link them together.
“The cemetery previously belonged to the Baptists.”
S
When the owner of the land, in which the cemetery was located, passed away it was
discovered that the land was not registered. His two sons reclaimed the land and made
them move the bodies and stones. The land was procured directly across the road and
most of the bodies were moved. Robert Wilson and his wife were amongst some of the
bodies that were not moved. The bodies remained under a barn on the property, which
was then owned by Mrs. King.
Archibald Pickard and Dr. Johnston deeded half an acre each for a term of 999 years and
Brampton Pioneer Cemetery was opened and the bodies were moved to their new resting
place in 1831.
Early in 1872 a letter was received by the council asking that the village take over the old
cemetery, and this question was raised to the village fathers at least every second month
until 1875. Late in 1875 a resolution was unanimously passed that Messrs Sharp, Lowes,
Marshall, Golding, Wilson and Smith be a committee with instructions to have the old
cemetery transferred to the Town Council.
In 1901, the land near the old burying ground was sold to a newcomer and no reserve had
been made in the deed that portion of land set apart for that purpose, it then became
necessary to provide a new grave yard.
From the inscriptions on the tombstones we can tell that there were burials as early as
1825, a child of Dr. Johnston’s and in 1872, an infant son of John Scott.
1830 – 1839
1840 – 1849
1850 – 1859
1860 – 1869
1870 – 1879
13 Burials took place
22 Burials took place
75 Burials took place
36 Burials took place
31 Burials took place
1864 The Brampton Cemetery Opened
There were only a few burials a year after 1879. The last burial in this cemetery was in
1907, Elizabeth McCandless, wife of Robert Smith.
T
he Founding
Of Brampton
Chinguacousy Township, part of the Mississauga Indian tract, was surveyed in
1819. John Elliot, John Scott and William Buffy were early settlers here of a crossroads
hamlet first known as Buffy’s Corners. In 1834 Elliot laid out a village plot and by 1837
the community numbered 18 families. Elliot and William Lawson, a fellow native of
Brampton, England, were influential in naming the village, which was incorporated in
1853, and in establishing a Primitive Methodist congregation and they hauled all the
lumber for the “Iron Block” from Huttonville. Robert Smith came about 1827 from
Richill, County Armagh, Ireland, with his wife, Mary Thompson and their family. The
family name
This coming of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 aided Brampton’s economic
development. A foundry, established in 1849, and a horticultural business, started in
1860 and later internationally known, became important industries. Chosen as the county
seat in 1867, Brampton was incorporated as a town in 1873.
1. BUFFY, Mary
February 18, 1843
Mary Buffy was the 21-year-old wife of William Buffy, tavern keeper.
2. WILKINSON/LOWES
1853 &1871 & 1853 & 1835
1861 & 1895 & 1874 & 1848 & 1843
John Wilkinson Sen. Feb 17, 1853; Martha wife of John July 4, 1871; James son of
John Feb. 27, 1853; Ann Bell wife of Robert (daughter of John); Martha Jane
daughter of John Jr. & Elizabeth Wilkinson July 9, 1861; Elizabeth wife of John Jr.
Nov. 8, 1854; Margaret Lowes wife of John Jr. Aug. 28, 1895; John Jr. July 30, 1874
Isabella Lowes wife of Sen. Robert Lowes Oct. 4, 1848; Robert Lowes Sen. Mar. 8,
1843.
The Lowes were one of the original families that came from Cumberland England,
they farmed on Lot 7 Conc. 1W.
3. FORSTER
1842 & 1844
James Moffit Forster and Martha Jane Forster were the only children of William
Forster and Jane Wilkinson. William was an issuer of marriage licenses and was born
in Brampton, England His wife, Jane was born in Soulby, Kirby-Stephen Parish,
Westmoreland, England and came to Canada with her family in 1819.
4. SMITH
1849 & 1841 & 1857 & 1851
1900 & 1907 & 1899
June 15, 1849 Robert Smith Sen September 20, 1841 his wife Mary Thompson;
March 15, 1857 William, son of Robert and Mary; September 29, 1851 Robert son of
Robert and Eliza J; September 19, 1900 Robert Smith and December 22, 1907 his
wife Eliza J. McCandless; November 12, 1899 James Smith.
The family name was originally Smythe, but became Smith in Canada. Robert Smith,
with John McCandless and John McClure held the deed to the property on which
Temple Church stood. The Smith family gave the deed to the Archives of Immanuel
College. Robert Smith Jr. was a trustee of Temple Church, as well as his father-inlaw, John McCandless. When he was young he voted conservative but when the man
he had been backing supported the Clergy Reserve, he changed to liberal. He served
as a member of the Township Council, Deputy Reeve and Reeve. He ran as a
Reformer against John Hilliard Cameron in the first dominion election in 1867, but
was defeated. He was elected in 1872, with a majority of 16, the first federal member
in the Reform side to represent Peel. He was known as “The War Horse of Peel”.
5. FENTON
1862
David Fenton, young son of David and Margaret
Fenton who died in 1862. When
David Sr. died in 1870, he was buried in the new cemetery with full military honours
by his comrades of No. 1 Company.
6. ELLIOT FAMILY
Mary Amelia Elliott Daughter of John & Harriet Elliott – March 25, 1854
Mary the beloved wife of William Elliott – June 12, 1860
John Elliott Esq. Brampton – April 1, 1871
Mary Elliott Wife of John Sen. Brampton
October 18, 1859
Nancy Elliott beloved wife Thomas P. Wolfe – March 17, 1860 (Daughter of John
& Mary Elliott and mother of Nancie Elliott 1868)
Ann Elliott beloved wife of Richard Elliott – December 24, 1853
Harriet Elliot wife of John Elliot – July 20, 1854 (Daughter of Charles King)
John Elliot and his brother in law John Mitchell testified in 1823 that settling duties on
the west half of the Centre Road. John Elliot owned several other lots in the vicinity. In
1834 he subdivided Lot 5 Con. 1E, and named the village after his native town of
Brampton, Cumberland, England. He was a member of the first village council,
postmaster, pound keeper, warden, a director of the County Agricultural Society, a
director of the Board of Agriculture of Upper Canada and a Petit Juror. He was known
as “Old Daddy Elliot” because of his hospitality and geniality. In an unmarked grave in
this plot is 8-year-old Nancie Elliott Wolfe, his granddaughter, who died unexpectedly
in the spring of 1868. Nancie’s mother died soon after she was born so far a time she
was raised by her Aunt Margaret Elliott, wife of Kenneth Chisholm. In 1864 Mrs.
Chisholm died too. When young Nancie died she was living with an uncle, J.W. Main
near Churchville.
7. BUNTING, James & Elizabeth
1857 & 1869
Elizabeth, wife of James Bunting, was the daughter of Frederick Markle, United Empire
Loyalist. James was Pathmaster in 1821, and was on of the men who secured the lease
for this Cemetery.
8. JOHNSTON
1831 & 1874 & 1873 & 1875
1833 & 1825 & 1848 & 1881
July 13, 1874 Dr. William Johnston and May 13, 1873 his wife Sarah McMicking.
March 18, 1833 Thomas; April 2, 1831 Amoret and Sarah Johnston. November 11, 1848
Josiah; Sept 29, 1875 James B.; September 15, 1881 Mary. On August 11, 1825 the first
interment took place in this cemetery John Johnston, son of William and Sarah.
Dr. William Johnston’s family left Vermont about 1766 and settled in the Niagara
district, where he was born in 1791. He took part in the battle of Queenston Heights. Dr.
Johnston and Mr. McMicking came first in 1818, cleared a road through then went back
to Niagara and returned in 1820 with Johnston’s wife and two children. Dr. Johnston is
said to have sown the first wheat in the county. Although he was recognized in the
profession by diploma only, he was of incalculable service to the residents of the county
for many miles around, especially in the days when no regularly accredited practitioner
was to be found nearer than Toronto. He was the first coroner, postmaster, auctioneer,
town clerk and schoolmaster. The first post office was in a corner of the Johnston
kitchen. He was a Trustee of Trinity Church. Ellen, Isobel and William Streets are
named after their Children.
9. PICKARD
1878 & 1866 & 1854 & 1876
March 16, 1878 Archibald Pickard; May 21, 1866 Mary Ann wife of Archibald; April 25
1854 James Darby; March 19, 1876 Eliza Margaret wife of James.
Archibald Pickard, his brother and father, moved for Pennsylvania after the American
Revolution; The Pickards are on the United Empire Loyalist list. He built a mill on Four
Mile Creek near Niagara in place of an older one, which had burned. Later he built a
tavern, where the militia met to drill each year on the 4th of June. This cemetery was
occasionally referred to as the “Pickard Cemetery”.
10. DAWSON, Martha Ellen
July 16, 1863
Infant daughter of Charles and Ann Dawson. They landed in Portland Maine in 1857,
and arrived in Brampton in 1858. Mr. Dawson was the first man in Canada to export
Canadian fruit and poultry to Great Britain. The first apples were shipped in 1860.
11. HAGGERT 1859 & 1854
1867 & 1867
Feb 2, 1859, Eva Bryson, daughter of John and Catherine Haggert. June 10, 1854,
William infant son of James and Jane Haggert. June 18, 1867, Jane the beloved wife
of James Haggert and daughter of Wm Johnston Esq. also their infant son May 12,
1867.
John Haggert was born near Paisley, Scotland in 1822. He came to Brampton in 1849
and was joined by his brothers James, and William, they went into partnership as
Haggert Brothers. The Haggert Brothers sent the first plow, the first separator, and
the first tractor engine to Manitoba. John Haggert died Jan. 26, 1887. He had been
President of Haggerts up to the time of his death, and was mayor for several years. In
the new cemetery, John Haggert purchased a few plots for the use of his own
connection, but whenever there was a death in the family of one of his workmen or
one of his dependents who could not afford a plot, Haggert would permit the burial in
his.
12. McCLELLAND Oct. 16, 1856
Hamilton Warren McLelland was one of 10 children of William McClelland and Sally Ann
Gardiner. William came out as a young man from County Tyrone, Ireland with a brother.
He established what was probably the first shoe-making business in Brampton, employing
from 20 to 25 shoe-makers. He traveled through the country and bartered with the
farmers; shoes for your family in return for my winter supply of wood, and so on. He built
the “Iron Block” on the west side of Main St., North of Queen, so-called because twice fire
burned all around it but this block came through safely each time. He had a famous little
team of black horses from Quebec.
13. MITCHELL
1847 & 1840 & 1833
September 21, 1847 John Mitchell; December 25, 1840 Mathew Mitchell; May 15,
1833 John Mitchell
The Mitchell’s came with the Elliott’s from Brampton, England. Mary Jane, daughter
of John Mitchell was the wife of John Elliott. Matthew Mitchell lived at Lot 8 Con
1W and married Nancy McKinley, United Empire Loyalist.
14. HOLMES
1856 & 1863
March 18, 1856 Sarah Hepinstall the beloved wife of John Holmes and September 2,
1863 John Holmes.
John Holmes was born at Broadgate Hall, Staffordshire, England. He settled on
Yonge St., and his family, particularly his brother William, were friends of the David
Gibson family of Willowdale who were closely involved in the 1837 Rebellion. John
moved to Brampton in 1844, where he built a tannery on the hill and did a thriving
business for many years. John Holmes and Gilvert Van Wyck were appointed
commissioners in 1846 to lay out and expend the sum of L25 on Hurontario Street.
In 1862, he retired as Honorary Major of the 6th Battalion, Peel Militia. In 1853 he
introduced a bylaw to provide for organizing a fire company. So he might be
described as the Father of the Fire Department.
Wison
Ave
Queen Street
Church Street
Main
Street
Cemetery
Centre St.
Brampton
Cemetery
English
St.
Vodden Street
Hwy # 10
8. Johnson
9. Pickard
11. Haggert
12. McLelland
10. Dawson
7. Bunting
13. Mitchell
14.
Holmes
5. Fenton
6. Elliott
1. Buffy
4. Smith
3. Forster
2. Wilkinson
Lowes
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, Melissa McCracken
and Paul Webster.