The Old Burying Ground Article No. 5

From the St John Daily Telegraph

28 Oct 1874

Author Unknown

Among the ancient graves and tombstones not yet mentioned is that erected to the memory of Charity ANSLEY, wife of Ozias ANSLEY, Esq. who departed this life, May 6th, 1801 in the 53rd year of her age. Ozias ANSLEY was an ensign in the first battalion of New Jersey volunteers and adjutant of the corps. At the peace he settled in New Brunswick and received half pay. He was a magistrate and judge of the Common Pleas for several years. He died at Staten Island, New York in 1828, aged 85. His son, Rev. Thos. ANSLEY, an Episcopal clergyman, died at St. Andrews in 1831, aged 65. Some of his descedants still reside in St. John.

Another ancient tombstone which has been thrown down and broken is:

Sacred to the memory of

Helen SCOULLAR

wife of James SCOULLAR

who died March 4th, 1800

aged 27 years.

A very ancient stone near the south west angle of the ground is:

In memory of

Benjamin SEAMAN

late of Staten Island

Province of New York

The remainder of the stone is buried so that the rest of the inscription cannot be seen. Benjamin SEAMAN was a loyalist and belonged to New York and came to the Province at the peace. His name does not appear among the original grantees of St. John, nor have we been able to ascertain what he did.

Two other loyalists are buried near the south walk of the ground:

William BURTIS

a native of Long Island

who died in 1835

Aged 75 years

and

Thomas HANFORD

a merchant of St. John who died

10th January 1826

Aged 75 years

Mr. HANFORD was from Connecticut. He owned the land on which the Royal Hotel now stands. His grandson, T.T. HANFORD died a few years ago.

Another ancient stone is that erected to the memory of:

Eliza CLARK

relict of Latham CLARK

of Newport, Rhode Island

who departed this life on

14th Oct. 1801

Aged 81 years and 11 days

Latham CLARK was never in this Province. James CLARK, also from Rhode Island, who was one of the original grantees of the city and died here in 1820, age 90, was probably a brother of Latham.

Another female loyalist of whose history we have no trace, is Rebecca McKAY whose monument is a flat stone near the centre path. The indcription informs us that she came to this Province from Pennsylvania in the U.S. of America, A.D., 1783 and died on the 6th of Feb. 1839, aged 91 years. She must therefore have been 35 when she came to New Brunswick, and we may presume from the inscription that she was never married. Angus McKAY, who died here in 1799, aged 44, may have been a brother.

On the hill near the east walk is the monument of John KNUTTON, Esq. who died on the 28th day of July 1827, aged 88 years. He was a native of Barnsley, Yorkshire, England and an eminent merchant of this city. His place of business was on Market Square. He had been living in Boston prior to the war, where he was engaged in the business as a tallow chandler, but was proscribed and banished in 1778. He came here in 1783 and was one of the original grantees of the city.

Near his tomb is a stone:

Erected to the memory of

Gloriany BETTS

wife of Dr. Azor BETTS

who departed this life

March 16th, 1815

Aged 63 years.

Dr. BETTS was a loyalist and died at Digby in 1807.

The enclosed space near the east walk is a stone to the memory of:

Thatcher SEARS

who died July 9th, 1819

Aged 67 years

This gentleman, whose sons Edward SEARS, Robert SEARS and John SEARS are still living and highly respected in St. John, had the distinguished honor of being the only loyalist by that name. He was born in Connecticut, and was the second son of Nathan SEARS of Norwalk, and a descendant of Rev. Peter THATCHER of Boston. The noted Whig, King SEARS, as he was called, was his father's brother. In early life, Mr. SEARS was much employed in the Mowhawk country in the purchase of furs. The burning of Norwalk and his adherence to the Crown during the war troubles destroyed his commercial prospects and he finally had to take refuge with the Royal Army in New York. He came to St. John in 1783 and was one of the original grantees of the city. His lot was on King St., the one on which M.R.A.'s building now stands. His second child Anne SEARS was the first infant born of loyalist parents in St. John.

Near the southeast corner of the ground is a flat stone which has been very badly smashed and thrown down. The following inscription upon it tells all we have been able to learn of the family history:

In Memory of

Jasper STYMEST,

a native of Long Island, New York State, who

was for many years a resident of this city.

Born 10th Sept. 1751. Died 2nd March 1826.

Also his wife

Milcah STYMEST

a native of Peekskill, New York born 23rd

Sept. 1762; died 17th January 1828

Their son

Jesse M. STYMEST

who was born in this city on the 25th Oct.? 1803

unfortunately drowned on his passage to

England December 12th, 1828.

The grave of Charlotte KNIGHT wife of Solomon KNIGHT and youngest daughter of Jasper STYMEST, and of their infant children, is at the junction of the centre and east walkways. It is directly crossed by the latter and therefore, we regret to say, trampled upon by everyone who goes that way. She died the 20th January 1828, aged 28 years.

A stone in the south east part of the grounds marks the last resting place of Mrs. Ann KEAN widow of Adjutant William KEAN who died 26th Sept. 1820, aged 63 years. Wm KEAN was from Pennsylvania and was Adjutant of the Pennsylvania Loyalists and settled in this Province after the corps was disbanded. We do not know where he died or where he was buried.

Not far from this last is the grave of another loyalist, James GAYNER who died 19th January 1823, aged 71 years. Mr. GAYNOR was one of the original grantees of St. John and a member of the Royal Artillery. Several of his family are buried with him.

End

From:

Daniel F Johnson: Volume 36 Number 277

Date : October 28, 1874

County : Saint John

Place : Saint John

Newspaper : The Daily Telegraph

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