French Village - Pioneer Cemetery Traditional Cache
Hidden : 4/7/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


The original cache located here was ``A Grave Situation aka Pioneering Spirit(s)`` placed by Vege (hidden on 02/03/2006 and archived on 01/18/2013). With Vege`s permission I am placing a cache in the same location and using some of her cache information about the cemetery. This location is too interesting to not have a cache.
 
 
This cache is located just outside the marked boundaries of the Pioneer Cemetery, in French Village.

I encourage you to visit the following site (formerly the site of the "Pioneer Cemetery Heritage Society of St. Margarets’s Bay").
(visit link)
The website documents some of the clean up that was done to restore this cemetery, as well as lists as much information about those buried in the cemetery as the society was able to determine. If you are interested in history or this area you will find the information on this website very interesting.
 
The following are excerpts taken from the website.

"During the 1780's a number of "Foreign Protestant" families began leaving Lunenburg to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Governor John Parr encouraged many settlers to come to St. Margaret's Bay. People took up land first on the Eastern side of the Bay and a few years later some moved to the North and Western Shores. They worked hard to establish homesteads, in total wilderness, where natives still camped along the shores. It is said they rowed and/or sailed to Halifax, Lunenburg, and Chester to acquire supplies, be married and baptize their children. The burial of their dead was another matter. In the beginning, family members would be buried on the homestead. Being religious people, this did not seem fitting."

"In 1794, a group of settlers got together and purchased an acre of land from one of their number, James Boutilier (to establish the Pioneer Cemetery)."

"This cemetery was nondenominational and the first cemetery in St. Margaret's Bay. Even settlers that had not purchased shares in the land were buried here... Elderly locals state that the Pioneer Cemetery was filled to capacity and people were even buried outside the original boundaries... A one acre property can and contain 400 plots, so it is conceivable there were that many interments here."


There is a path that runs in the center of the graveyard. You are better off walking on that until you get closer to the cache. There are collapsed graves so please be careful where you walk. There are also remains of old barb wire fences so again please be careful.

The container is a winter friendly micro. There is just a log and you will need to bring your own writing device.
 
Enjoy discovering this location. Congrats to hirtle for an early morning FTF!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va n taneyrq, cnegyl onexyrff gerr, nobhg 5 srrg va gur nve. Na rnfl ernpu.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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