Hours: Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries Business Office – Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm; Elizabeth Manneke, Hamilton Cemetery record keeper and historian – Available by appointment
Location: 777 York Boulevard, Hamilton, ON L8R 2A4
Contact: cemeteries@hamilton.ca (Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries Business Office); Elizabeth.Manneke@hamilton.ca (Elizabeth Manneke, Hamilton Cemetery record keeper and historian)
Telephone: (905) 546-4704
Access: Open to the Public.
Website: https://www.hamilton.ca/people-programs/hamilton-municipal-cemeteries
Hamilton Cemetery was the first municipally owned and operated cemetery in Canada. It contains the graves of many notable Hamilton residents.
The site of the Hamilton Cemetery on Burlington Heights was initially used by the British Army as a strong point to defend Head-of-the-Lake against American attacks during the War of 1812. In July, 1814, 8 traitors convicted at the Ancaster “Bloody Assizes” were hung and buried along the heights.
In January 1847, Trustees of Christ Church Cathedral purchased land for a cemetery from Sir Allan Napier McNab along the Burlington Heights. The first burial here, for George Pennington, took place that year. The next year, Christ Church sold much of its Burlington Heights property to the City of Hamilton for use as a municipal cemetery. The first internment was William Hetherington in 1850. This marked the start of the first municipally owned and operated cemetery in Canada. In 1872, the Church of Ascension purchased 3 acres from Christ Church on adjoining land to create their own cemetery. For the first 50 years, the three cemeteries (Municipal, Christ Cathedral and Ascension) operated independently, but by the 1890s, the churches were finding it difficult to afford the maintenance. In 1892 an agreement was reached between the interested parties to transfer all responsibility to the City of Hamilton, creating one entity out of the three cemeteries, unified under Hamilton Cemetery. In 1899 a system of perpetual care was created, which charged lot owners $0.50 per grave per year.
While the cemetery was heavily used until the end of the 19th century, by the first decades of the 20th century there was little vacant burial space. New municipal cemeteries were needed and ultimately created at Woodland and Eastlawn. Hamilton Cemetery is still open for burials for those who own deeds to unused plots.
Guided walking tours of Hamilton Cemetery take place regularly. They begin at the Cemetery Gatehouse at 11:00am and last for approximately 2 hours. Please click here to view a schedule of upcoming walking tours.
The Cemetery Gatehouse, which was used as both public chapel and caretaker’s residence, houses all of the cemetery’s on-site historical records, including burial and interment information. Additionally, the Gatehouse contains the office of Elizabeth Manneke, the record keeper and historian.
The Hamilton Cemetery is divided into two major sections: the Old Church Grounds and the City Grounds.
The Old Church Grounds, comprised of the former Christ Church Cathedral and Church of Ascension cemeteries, features the oldest graves in the cemetery. The burial and interment records for both churches are located in the Gatehouse, however, many of the records are incomplete, especially during the years 1850 – 1881, and for Sections J and K of the grounds.
The Old Church Grounds contain the Land Family Lot (Section CC-C, Lot 4), including the bodies of Robert Land Sr., one of the first white settlers at the Head-of-the-Lake (now known as city of Hamilton) and of his son, Robert Land Jr., a distinguished military veteran from the War of 1812.
Dr. William Case, said to be the first medical doctor of the region, is also buried in the Church Grounds (Section CC-A, Lot 160). Due to his agnostic beliefs, after his death on March 29, 1848, he was first placed at the Hamilton family’s private cemetery instead of religious grounds. His remains were transferred to their current location in 1951 along with a plaque commemorating his contributions to the city.
Adelaide Hunter Hoodless (Section C of A-A, Lot 360) was an accomplished and influential women’s rights activist. After the early death of her fourth child from contaminated milk, she began a two decades long career as a social reformist, advocating for stricter health regulations, improved educational opportunities for women, and domestic standards. She co-founded the National Council of Women, the Victorian Order of Nurses and the first Women’s Institute. Hoodless introduced domestic science courses in Ontario schools, and lobbied for necessary funds to build the Institute of Household Science, now known as the Macdonald Institute, University of Guelph.
At the north side of the Old Church Grounds are the City Grounds, formerly known as Burlington Heights Cemetery. The earthworks built by the British Army during the War of 1812 across the high ground of Burlington Heights are still visible today at Sections CC-E/H5, A8/A7-B7/C7-D7. Historical accounts suggest that some of the casualties from the Battle of Stoney Creek were buried near the British earthworks, although no clear record remains. Two stone markers commemorate the site (Section A3-B3, Section C7-D7).
The City Grounds include the burial site of George Hamilton, the founder of City of Hamilton (Hamilton Family Lot, Section Z1, Lot 431).
The City Grounds also contain the victims of the cholera epidemics of the mid-19th century. During the epidemics, patients were treated and cared for at the abandoned barracks from the War of 1812 at Burlington Heights. Most of the victims from the first epidemic in 1832 were buried in lime pits near the City Grounds, although no records exist from prior 1850 to ascertain the exact locations. The third cholera epidemic in 1854 decimated the city’s population, resulting over 500 deaths. 391 of these victims are known to be buried in Section J of the City Grounds. Since none of the graves bear markers, the cemetery has erected a large, stone memorial. Historian Gary Winston Hill is credited for the discovery of the site.
264 victims from the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 were buried throughout the northern sections of the City Grounds.
Colin Campbell Ferrie (Ferrie Familty Lot, Section F, Lots 19-20-21) was Hamilton’s first mayor when the city was incorporated in 1846. Additionally, he was appointed as the chairman of the Hamilton Board of Health during the 1832 Cholera Epidemic, and became one of the founding members of Wentworth County’s first Mechanics Institute.
15 Hamiltonians who died from the Desjardins Canal Disaster in 1857 are honoured with a monument at Section A6, Lot 8 – 8 ½.
Dr. Calvin McQuesten (McQuestion Family Lot, Section D5, Lot 2-3) was originally a medical doctor and later helped to found one of Hamilton’s first foundries. Members of the McQuesten family were responsible for the development of industry in Hamilton, and for parks, highways, bridges, and landmarks throughout the Golden Horseshoe, Niagara, and other parts of Ontario.
Alexander William Aitcheson was appointed as the chief engineer for the city’s fire brigade in 1880. He contributed to the formation of a paid fire department, devised novel procedures for combatting chemical fires, and improved the speed and efficiency of fire response. He was killed in action and is buried in Section C9, Lot 78.
Kathleen “Kit” Blake Coleman (Coleman Family Lot, Section V, Lot 525), was one of Canada’s most popular and influential journalists. She voiced her opinions on women’s issues, such as low wages, and spousal abuse. She was the world’s first accredited female war correspondent (Spanish American War of 1898) and later helped found the Canadian Women’s Press Club.
The MacNab Family Monument is placed at Section N, Lot 257. Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798 – 1862) was one of the most influential and powerful men in the Province of Canada. In 1830, he was elected to represent Hamilton in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada holding the position for 27 years. He served as the premier of Canada West from 1854 to 1856. He was also responsible for the construction of the Great Western Railway. In 1909, the bodies of MacNab and his second wife were transferred to Holy Sepulcher Catholic Cemetery in Burlington.