Strangers' Burying Ground
The Strangers' Burying Ground, also known as Potter's Field, was the first non-denominational cemetery in York, Upper Canada (now Toronto, Ontario). It was established in 1826 as the York General Burying Ground,[1] and it was later known as the Toronto General Burying Ground after the town of York became the city of Toronto in 1834.
| Strangers' Burying Ground | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Established | 1826 |
| Closed | 1855 |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 43.67010673°N 79.3887205°W |
| Type | Non-denominational |
| Style | Rural |
| Owned by | York General Burying Ground Trust |
| No. of interments | 6,685 |
| Find a Grave | Strangers' Burying Ground |
The cemetery was located on the northwest corner of what is now the intersection of Yonge Street and Bloor Street. It operated from 1826 to 1855, with an initial £75 land purchase and 300 subscriptions for £1.[2]
History
The cemetery was founded in 1826 by the Trustees of the General Burying Ground for residents who were not Anglican or Catholic – and thus effectively banned from burial in the town's established cemeteries as undesirables.[2] The cemetery was located beyond the legal boundaries of the then-town of York, and within large wooded lots north of Bloor Street.
When the 6-acre cemetery closed in 1855 after 6,685 interments, the families of the deceased were invited to arrange for moving the graves to another cemetery.[3] During the subsequent twenty years, many of the graves were gradually relocated to Toronto Necropolis in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood.[2] The remainder (approximately 3,000) were moved between 1876 and 1881 to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, which opened in November 1876 near the Deer Park neighbourhood.[4]
As Toronto grew, the lands that were once part of the cemetery were acquired and developed for residential use.[2] The area later transformed into the upscale mixed-use (but now mainly commercial) neighbourhood of Yorkville.
Notable interments
- Samuel Lount, who was executed for participating in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837
- Peter Matthews, who was executed for participating in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837
- James Worts, co-founder of Gooderham and Worts, along with his wife and daughter (all died in 1834)
References
- Frederick H. Armstrong (December 1988). A City in the Making: Progress, People and Perils in Victorian Toronto. ISBN 9781554880485. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
- Bradburn, Jamie (29 October 2011). "Historicist: In Potter's Field". Torontoist. Buzz Connected Media Inc. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- "Potter's Field Cemetery". Toronto Historical Association. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- "Strangers' Burial Ground". Toronto Public Library. Retrieved 3 February 2022.