The Old Burying Ground Article No. 4

From the St John Daily Telegraph

27 Oct 1874

Author Unknown

In Memory of Hugh JOHNSTON, Esquire

a native of Murrayshire, North Britain.

He was one of the early settlers in this Province

for many years a Representative for the

County of Saint John in the General Assembly

of the Province and for nearly forty years

a highly respectable merchant of this city.

He died Nov. 20th, 1829 AE 74 years.

Sincerely regretted by his affectionate

family and a large circle of friends.

Not far from the stone of Mr. JOHNSTON is a stone erected:

Sacred to the memory of

Thomas SANCTON, Esq.

a native of Cockermouth, England

for many years Chamberlain of the City

and Treasurer of the County of Saint John

who lived respected and died lamented

on the 23rd day of February 1830

Aged 72 years.

This was the father of the late George P. SANCTON. Near this last is a well preserved slab

To the memory of

William Howe SMITH, Esquire

for many years a surgeon in this city

who departed this life

Oct. 9th, 1822

in the 46th year of his age.'

The gentleman was the father of the late Wm O. SMITH, Esq., formerly Mayor of Saint John and the grandfather of the present Mayor SMITH. His residence was in Prince William street where the Bank of British North America now stands. His father was Nathan SMITH, a physician of Rhode Island, who became surgeon of one of the Loyalist regiments and settled at St. John after the Peace of 1783. He died here in 1818, aged 81 years.

Another surgeon is buried near Dr. SMITH, his monument being a handsome sarcophagus with the following inscription:

Dr. John BOYD

late of the Medical Staff in this Province.

Died 27th December 1818, aged 64 years,

41 of which he served His Majesty

in various parts of the world.

Dr. Boyd's son, the late Dr. BOYD, is well remembered in St. John. Edward BOYD, the present Government Engineer of P.E.I. Railway is the grandson of Dr. John BOYD.

Another flat stone in the same section of the ground has inscribed upon it the following:

In memory of Robert PARKER, Esq.

who from the first settlement of this Province

held the office of Keeper of His Majesty's

Ordnance and Comptroller of

His Majesty's Customs at this place

the duties of which he firmly

and honestly discharged.

He died 15th July 1825, aged 73 years.

Mr. PARKER was a loyalist and came (from) Massachusetts in 1783. The late Hon. Chief Justice PARKER and the late Hon. Neville PARKER, Master of the Rolls, were his sons. The latter is buried at Fredericton; the grave of the former is in the Church of England burying ground beyond the Marsh Bridge. Judge PARKER died in 1865, aged 69, having been on the Bench of this Province for 31 years.

Near the east walk is a stone:

In the memory of

Barton Rowlett WALLOP, Esq.

late Naval Officer of the port of St. John

born at Southampton, England.

Died in January, A.D., 1824

in the 43rd year of his age.'

A large flat stone near the east walk covers the remains of a distinguished loyalist; the very legend on his stone seems to breath out defiance to all rebels:

Sacred to the memory of the Hon. Christopher BILLOP

A member of His Majesty's Council in this Province

whose uncompromising loyalty and distinguished services

as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Cause during

the American Rebellion obliged him at the termination

of that contest to abandon without compensation his

hereditary property on Staten Island and retire with

his family to this colony wherein he has since resided.

He died on the 28th day of March, 1827

in the 90th year of his age.

Beside this monument is an upright stone erected to the memory of Jane BILLOP wife of Christopher BILLOP, Esquire who died in 1892, aged 48 years. Mr. BILLOP was a resident of New York prior to the Revolution and a member of the Assembly of that colony. He commanded a corps of Loyalists raised in the vicinity of New York city, and was actively employed in military duty. He was unfortunate enough to be captured by the rebels and confined in Burlington jail. In the warrant of commitment, it was directed that irons should be placed on his hands and feet that he should be chained to the floor of a close room and fed on bread and water. Such were some of the slight penalties and inconveniences of being loyal at that period. In 1782, he became superintendent of police on Staten Island, where he resided and had an estate, but his property was all confiscated. He came to this Province at the Peace in 1783 and resided here until his death. None of his name reside in the Provinces now.

His daughter Louisa BILLOPP married John WALLACE, Esq., Surveyor of Customs. His daughter Mary BILLOPP became the second wife of Rev. Archdeacon WILLIS of Nova Scotia and died at Halifax in 1834, aged 43. His daughter Jane BILLOPP wife of Hon. Wm BLACK of this city, died in 1836. His two sons settled in New York and became merchants. They were partners in business at the time of the yellow fever, one married, the other single. The unmarried brother said the other, 'It is unnecessary that both should stay here. You have a family and your life is of more consequence than mine; go into the country until the sickness subsides.' The married brother, whose name was Thomas BILLIOPP, accordingly retired from the city, while the other remained and died of fever. The survivor afterwards failed in business and joined the expedition of the celebrated Miranda who in 1866, fitted out an expedition in the United States for South America with a view to establish a republic at Caracas. Thomas BILLOP was appointed a captain under him, but was captured by the Spaniards and shot. The Hon. BILLOPP therefore, survived both sons. His residence was on the north side of King St. above Germain St. and he is still remembered as a man of fine appearance and gentlemanly manners.

The grave of the mother of General WILLIAMS, the hero of Kars, is near the Southeast angle of the Old Burying Ground. Her monument is a large flat stone and it is recorded upon it that it is in memory of Anna Maria WILLIAMS widow of Thomas WILLIAMS, Esquire, late Commissary at Annapolis Royal, N.S. and that she died June 15th, 1828, aged 55 years. The stone is in a tolerably good state of preservation.

In the same vicinity and near the east walk are four upright stones in an enclosure, one of which is the Memorial of George MATTHEW, Harbor Master of this Port and a native of Dundee, Scotland, who died on 27th April 1832, aged 83 years. There is also a stone to the memory of Capt. David MATTHEW, who died at Carthagena, Republic of Central America 10th Dec. 1825, aged 47 years.

A yards distant is a stone inscribed as follows:

Sacred to the memory of Francis GILBERT

Naval Officer of this Province

also, Sophia WALLACE, his wife,

and Susan GILBERT, their daughter.

When they died the poor lost friends'

No age or date is given, and this inscription may therefore be regarded as a miracle of vagueness. Francis GILBERT, however, was 82 when he died, which event occurred in 1821.

The grave of Capt. Daniel LOVETT is in the same part of the ground. The inscription tells us that he died in 1833, aged 80 years. He was, we believe, the man who piloted the Loyalist ships into St. John, having been familiar with the coast and harbor from his youth. His descendants still reside in St. John.

End

From:

Daniel F Johnson: Volume 36 Number 268

Date : October 27, 1874

County : Saint John

Place : Saint John

Newspaper : The Daily Telegraph

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