Primitive Methodist Cemetery, Hammertown, Twp of King

Earliest Marker
Mary Stewart and son John
1868

Stewart Family Monument

Marker of Matthew Stewart
15 years of age d. 1874
and Neil Stewart age 71 d. 1883

Hammerstone Primitive Methodist Church Cemetery is located on the west side of the 12 Concession Road, north of 17 Sideroad in Hammerstone, Twp of King.  The site is not very discernible from the road and is located behind a thick grove of shrubs and lilac trees up a small embankment.

Only two obelisk monuments are left standing one for the Wauby family located at the far west end on the property and the other for the Stewart family located at the front of the property. There are a few broken headstones about the grounds but there are no names on the fragments.

The church and cemetery were located on land owned by Neil Stewart, who's wife Mary and 14 month old son John were the first to be buried there in 1868.  In 1874 Neil's 15 year old son Mathew was also buried here and Neil would eventually join them in 1883 at the age of 71.

The church building was dismantled at some point and the stone was used in the construction of a private home.  Burials in this cemetery stopped after 1890 and today the site is in the care of the Twp of King.

First Baptist Cemetery, Hammertown, Twp of King

Marker of Donald Kennedy

Native of the Highlands of Scotland

First King Baptist Cemetery is located on the east side of the 12 Concession Road, south of 17 Sideroad in Hammertown, in the Twp of King.  The land was initially part of the farm of Donald Kennedy and the cemetery was established originally in 1839 when Ann Kennedy the wife of Malcolm McQuarry died on February 29, 1839. 

The land which the church and cemetery were located was still owned by Donald Kennedy in 1878 according to the York County Illustrated Atlas.  There is no information on whether he ever deeded the land to the Baptist congregation.

The church building was destroyed by fire in 1970. There are very few markers left on the property and the last burial took place in 1935.  The property today is designated heritage site and is maintained by the Twp of King.

Eleventh Line Presbyterian Cemetery, Twp of King.

Remnants of Foundation & Building
Stones from old Church Building 

Burton Family Monument

Old Fence Post of the Gould Family
Plot

Remnants of the Gould Family
Plot

The Eleventh Presbyterian Church Cemetery is located on the N/W corner of the 11 Concession and 18th Sideroad in the Twp of King.  In 1856 James Burton and his wife Janet Burton sold 1 acre of land to the Presbyterian congregation for 5 shillings for a church and cemetery.  

The earliest marker is for Robert Burton the 2 year old son of James and Janet Burton who died in 1857.  James Burton and his brother Robert are both buried here, Janet, James' wife does not appear to be, but that may not be the case as a large number of markers are badly damaged or missing.

At the time of the last transcription in the late 1990's there were thirteen known burials for the Gould Family.  Today the majority of the markers are either damaged or missing very few remain.  The Gould Family plot is over grown with wild raspberry canes and lilac bushes. Most of the markers are buried within the tangled mess.  

As for the church building, like most of these stone churches, it was probably removed in the late 1950's.  There is s a pile of stones at the south east corner of the lot which are of the type used in the construction of the Presbyterian stone churches of the mid 19th century.

The cemetery is supposed to be in the care of the Twp of King, but unfortunately like most of the old settler burial grounds in this area the markers are not in cairns and are left standing. This hastens their deterioration and also encourages vandalism.   I give this old burying ground five years at the most then there will be nothing, not even the memory.