Howard Christian Cemetery in Kingston – 1878
Yesterday’s History Working Bee in Clyde River was a great opportunity to share some unsolved historical mysteries arising from individual research projects. We all learned something new and are already working together to help solve puzzles or at least help glean a few more facts or possible theories. The mysteries hardly ever end which is what makes the pursuit fascinating. We will be sharing some of these stories with you over the next while, so please add any research, information or questions you may have in the comments section of the articles.
Joanne Turner brought along some research on a heritage cemetery called Howard Christian Cemetery in Kingston, near the end of the Linwood Road. If anyone is in the area and has a chance to take photos of the stones showing inscriptions, please send along. I have included a few of the photos that appear on www.historicplaces.ca site along with a description of the cemetery.
Photo credit: Bill Glen, PEI Genealogical Society, 2007
Photo credit: Bill Glen, PEI Genealogical Society, 2007
Construction Date(s)
1878/01/01 to 1902/01/01
Description of Historic Place
This cemetery is located behind a residence amid a grove of poplar trees on the north side of the Kingston Road (Route 235) about 150 metres west of the junction with the Linwood Road. There are several remaining headstones, two of which are enclosed by an ornate iron fence.
Heritage Value
The cemetery is valued for its historical association with early settlers to the areas of North River, Loyalist Road, and Kingston.
Charles Howard (1816-1878) was the first to be interred in this cemetery. According to Meacham’s 1880 Atlas, it was located in the front corner of 126 acres of land then owned by him.
Other families interred here included Alexander Scott (d. 1882) who was born in Perth, Scotland and emigrated to PEI in 1808. Two of his sons, Major and John, died young of lung disease which today would likely be treatable. James Phillips has two infant children interred here. He was a noted stone and marble cutter, who may have designed many of the stones here personally.
Farmer, John R. Diamond (1809-1902), and his family are also interred here. He had come from England in 1832 and established a farm which he called “Clifton Grange” on the Loyalist Road. An interesting engraving of the property in Meacham’s 1880 Atlas shows his Centre Gable house, bountiful grain crop, and cattle. It also shows a train from the PEI Railway chugging by – startling one of his horses who seems to be running away from the “ironhorse”!
Most of the people associated with this cemetery, aside from the Howard family, were members of the Church of Christ denomination. There is no record, however, of a church having been in the area, and it is unknown why the cemetery was established here.
The site was abandoned for many years until it was restored by the PEI Department of Health in 1978. Today, it is again in a neglected condition with tall grass and fallen tree limbs.
Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/P18
Editor’s Note:
On www.janedyment.ca, Jane shows Sarah Howard marrying George Beer. Their firstborn son was William Charles Hammond Beer. Would anyone know if Sarah was Charles Howard’s daughter?
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Sarah Elizabeth Howard was born in 1845 and died in 1930. Charles Howard was born 1816 and died in 1878. He would have been 29 at the time of Sarah’s birth.
Yes, it turns out that Sarah was Charles daughter according to Joanne Turner’s research.
Both Thomas and Charles Howard had daughters named Sarah, but Sarah Elizabeth born January 1847, the daughter of Thomas Howard and Melinda Mary Heartz, is a better match for Sarah Howard Beer. Thomas and Charles were either brothers or cousins.