Town of Georgina
Cemeteries
They stand in mute testimony to the lives of those who have helped build our community.
Etched in stone, their names, the date of birth, of death, perhaps a short poem expressing the feelings of those left behind. Perhaps a short biography extolling their accomplishments.
Many now long forgotten. Many more whose names would have slipped away forever had it not been for the dedication and hard work of people like Helen Cuthbertson.
Georgina's cemeteries and their monuments have suffered the ravages of time, and more lately mindless destruction of vandals.
Thankfully repairs can be made, but at great economic and emotional cost. Helen Cuthbertson, a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society and her team of volunteer workers have recently completed an inventory of Georgina's cemeteries, including the careful cleaning of the stones. It was long and exhausting work, but thanks to them out precious local history will be preserved - at least until the next generation.
Mrs. Cuthbertson spearheaded an effort which saw the careful chronicling and cleaning Georgina's known cemeteries: Briar Hill in Sutton, Mann in Keswick, St. George's (The Sibbald Memorial Church) at Sibbald Point, the Baldwin "Abandoned", The Auld Castle on Park Road, The Boyer Road (Sheppard Family Burial Ground), Cooke's Church in Pefferlaw, Christ Church in Roches Point, Johnston in Pefferlaw, Knox Church in Sutton, St. Anthony's in Virginia, St. James in Sutton, and Georgina Island.
Each cemetery was carefully "read" with the names and epitaphs on the stones recorded, locations mapped, and the results filed with the Genealogical Society.
Source: Georgina Advocate - Our History December 1992. Reproduced with permission