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Genealogy/Loyalist Burial Ground  We are proud of our rich and diverse history in Charlotte County. Our roots may be traced back to pre-Loyalist days when settlers arrived from the State of Maine. The major influx of settlers was the United Empire Loyalists and Quakers, arriving from Nova Scotia in 1785. Maybe your ancestors are from our area! The following is a description of how many of the Loyalists ended up in St. Stephen We should perhaps start with one Capt. Nehemiah Marks who was born in Connecticut in 1747. He died 52 years later in 1799 in St. Stephen, N.B. History tells us the following facts.  Soon after the War of Independence (American Revolution) began, Nehemiah Marks joined the British at New York and was soon commissioned as Captain in the Corps of Armed Boatmen.  At this time the Loyalists formed one-quarter to one-third of the 15,000,000 who habited the 13 British Colonies in 1776. Back in London the pressure was on to "do right" by those who had placed their bets with the Crown and lost.  They had indeed endured great suffering, forms of public humiliation (tar and feather), imprisonment, confiscation and eviction and so in 1783 at the age of 37 Captain Marks, along with 122 men, women and children, set sail for the British territory called Nova Scotia which at that time included New Brunswick. They met with great hardship that winter due to inadequate food, shelter and many lives were lost.  The following spring in 1784 they set sail once again, this time for the St. Croix. On board with Captain Marks were 108 men, 45 women, 38 children, 6 man servants and 4 women servants.  On May 26 they came ashore, erected a British flag and called this place "Morristown" -- only several names later did the area become St. Stephen The first recorded transaction was the purchase of a tract of land from the Cove to Main Street for 25 pounds by Nehemiah Marks.  There were already settlers in the area who had no claim to their lands other than occupation. They immediately took an oath of allegiance to the "Crown" and were allowed to remain and receive grants of land. The late James Vroom had written: ''The Loyalists of St. Stephen, St. Andrews and surrounding parishes cleared land and built ships, sawed and exported lumber and when occasion required, were prepared to take up arms in defense of their new homes.  During the years between 1784 and the present, there have been times of friction, occasional bickering, ill tempers and actual war, yet through it all, this St. Croix River border has stood firmly by good will.  The brave soldiers and enemies laid aside their differences of the Revolutionary War and worked here together as neighbours to convert the wilderness into a safe community.  As they had been glorious in war, they were glorious in peace." Sixty-nine of these Loyalists are buried, most in unmarked graves, in the Loyalist Burial Ground on King Street. Today their descendants (probably thousands) are scattered across Canada and United States. A good example is the James Maxwell family who has many descendants involved in this restoration. Cemeteries can provide a lot of clues in locating ancestors and or trying to find the date someone died or even born. Sometimes, additional names can be found on a tombstone indicating another family member. The dates given on tombstones can vary from indicating a single year of the event or a complete day, month, year date. Birth dates are sometimes shown on stones or maybe just the age of the person at the time of death. Whatever the information that is shown, it must be remembered that it is considered as secondary evidence only. Quite often the information is incorrect, especially if a stone was erected years or even decades after a persons death. Most of the Ganong family is buried in the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery and many of the people who helped build this town are buried in the Loyalist Cemetery on King Street. Your search may include the Milltown Catholic Cemetery on Church Street Extension. And not to be forgotten are the many rural cemeteries in the surrounding countryside, each holding a unique glimpse into the past. As a result of interest in our ancestry, The Charlotte County Genealogical Society, a branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society, was formed. This non-profit organization was founded in 1978 to encourage and facilitate family historical research in our picture province.

Proposed Monument at Loyalist Burial Ground               DESCENDANTS AND/OR HISTORIANS, WE NEED YOUR HELP: The following is a list of people buried in the Loyalist Burial Ground, which was compiled in 1906. We would greatly appreciate any discrepancies you may discover in this list and get in touch with us so we may have an accurate accounting of these names for the permanent monument we will be placing on the Burial Grounds. The Loyalists Burial Ground Restoration Committee is working with great diligence to restore, beautify and provide long overdue respect for these founding mothers and fathers of the Town of St. Stephen. The proposed monument, pathways, berm with remaining stones, lighting, benches and landscaping should come together to create a place of serenity, allow for meditation and to correct to whatever extent possible, the damage brought to bear by many years of neglect, vandalism and mother nature. We should never forget, it is our history after all.                                              Loyalist Burial Ground 1784 - 1863  Rev. Richard Clarke 1737-1824 Wife Rebecca Clarke 1747-1816 Peter Christie Esq. 1763-1818 Wife Nancy Christie 1767-1837 son, Absalom Christie 1787-1807 son, Jessie Christie 1789-1807 George C. Owen (son of William & Ann) (date NA) Lawrence Ryder 1790-1856 Archibald A. Welock (son of Samuel & Huldah Welock) Died 1841 Thomas Welock (son of Samuel & Huldah Welock) Died 1843 Susann Burton (wife of Capt. Thomas) 1763-1823 C. T. Batchelder Died 1846 John Wilson, Jr. 1823-1853   Elizabeth Wilson 1828-1853 Jane Wilson (wife of John, Sr.) 1786-1853 Allice Wilson 1823-1823 Jane Hosford (wife of George Hosford) 1816-1848 William Hosford 1780-1853 John Glass Died 1853 Elizabeth Robinson (wife of Hambleton Whitaker) 1806-1846 James Robinson (grandson of Thomas & Jane: 1820-1833 Thomas Robinson 1785-1851 Wife Jane Robinson 1787-1841 John Barber 1803-1843 Elizabeth A, Dwyre (daughter of John & Ann Dwyre) 1847-1854 Thomas McGarry        1808-1846 MaryMcCaw (daughter of James & Nancy McCaw) 1835-1854 James Watters 1824-1853 Archibald Thompson 1789-1863 Wife Christian Thompson 1796-1859 Eleanora Coulter 1842-1853 James Holiday 1818-1842 Rose McBride (Mrs. John) 1825-1845 Isaac R. McElroy (son oflsaac & Elizabeth) 1853-1853 Samuel McElroy (son of Isaac & Elizabeth) 1847-1853 Samuel Hutchinson 1829-1853 Mary Jane Hutchinson (Mrs. Alexander) 1818-1854 John Grant 1794-1854 Wife Anna Grant 1814-1854 Son George W. Grant 1836-1855 Alice Logan (Mrs. David) 1799-1849 William Grant (father of John) 1759-1831 Elizabeth Grant 1797-1835 John Smith 1781-1834 Wife Catherine Smith 1789-1855 Thomas Grimmer 1759-1828 Wife Lydia Grimmer 1765-1834 Levi Weston (son of Levi & Mehitabel) 1819-1819 Richard S. Weston (son of Levi & Mehitabel) 1825-1842 Mehitabel Weston (wife of Dr. L.Weston) 1786-1833 Mary Clark Weston 1797-1815 Ann Weston (daughter of Levi & Mehitabel) Died 1819 Juliette L. Gibbes (daughter of Levi & Mehita 1823-1823 Levi Locke (son of Levi & Mehitabel) 1817-1817 Amy Fraser (Mrs. William) 1805-1841 James Henry Frink (son of James & Martha) 1827-1830 Hestor Frink (Mrs. Nathan) 1764-1829 Capt. Nathan Frink 1757-1817 James Maxwell 1762-1847 Sarah Maxwell (daughter-in-law) 1801-1831 Elizabeth Maxwell (Mrs. James) 1765-1853 Hannah Porter Hayden Williams (Mrs. Johnathan) 1799-1828 John Grant 1794-1854 Wife Anna Grant 1878-1854 John A. Grant (son of John & Anna) 1828-1855 Robert L. Herrick 1833-1853 Elizabeth Herrick 1836-1853 Lindsay (unknown) 1819 Mary Ann Hutchinson Wife of Howard Hutchinson Alice Logan Wife of David Logan 1769-1819 W.R.B. 1793 Veterans buried in the Loyalist Cemetery    Capt. Nathan Frink - died Dec. 4, 1817 John Barber - member of armed boatmen (Grace Meader, Calais) Lt. William Grant - quartermaster in 71st  Regiment of Foot, known as the Fraser     Highlanders - died 1831 Thomas Grimmer - belonged to one of the corps disbanded at New York at the time of the evacuation - Died 1828 James Maxwell - ran away from home to join British Army. Was present at Cornwallis surrender - died 1947 Captain N. Marks - Kings Own Maryland Loyalists - died July 12, 1799 - Loyalist Burial Ground and later removed to the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery Col. Marks-  Died 1853? His wife is buried in rural cemetery

For more information or to make a donation to the Loyalist Cemetery please contact:  Donna Hossack-Thornton at (506)466-1758 or tiadonna@nbnet.nb.ca Judy Thompson at (506)466-0084 or twojays@nbnet.nb.ca