SF9 #112 - Ramara History - Abandoned St. John's Traditional Cache
Be-Strong-Carry-On!: "It's the emptiest and yet the fullest of all human messages: 'Good-bye."
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Bluebeard
SF9 #112 - Ramara History - Abandoned St. John's
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Size: 
(micro)
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St. John's Anglican Cemetery, on Balsam Road, west of Courtland St. in Atherley, is a small abandoned cemetery, with only 18 burials. The first in 1871, the last in 1884. Only a hand full of broken gravemarkers remain. A memorial monument has been erected, honouring those who are laid to rest here.
This series of caches will take you to some of the many Historic locations around Ramara Township. The first settler in Mara arrived in 1823; Rama’s settlement began in 1836. Each of the sites we have chosen were significant prior to 1900.
As each of these locations is historically significant, please pay extra attention and do not unnecessarily disturb anything at the site. In the case of active cemetery caches, please be respectful of any mourners that may be present and wait to make your "find" until they have left. It goes without saying that dogs should not be taken onto cemetery or historically sensitive grounds.
Each cache placed in this series is micro-sized. As much as most people prefer larger cache containers, we felt that the micro size allowed for the least disruption of the historic location.
St. John's Anglican Cemetery and Churchyard - Abandoned
Atherley (1848)
The Uptergrove area of Ramara Township was first settled in the earliest years of the 19th Century. The early pioneers of the area were mainly Irish and Scottish Catholic immigrants fleeing from religious persecution and lack of opportunity for land ownership, compounded by the terrible potato famine of the 1830's and 40's.
The nearby Township of Mara was opened for settlement in 1821 with the first officially listed settler being the Corrigan family in 1823. The Township of Rama wasn't opened until 1835. In 1841, Rama reportedly had only 14 people.
Although we have spent many hours attempting to find information on the St. James English-Anglican parish, we have come up mostly empty handed. This historic cemetery is considered "abandoned" and appears to be at risk of losing any protected status.
Through discusions with local historians, we have learned that there was once a wooden church on the large open grassy area at the front of the current property. Some reports date this church as far back as 1848. A somewhat raised area where the church once stood can be seen. Records suggest that the church and burial ground were finally officially consecrated on July 12, 1870 by Bishop Alexander N. Bethune of Toronto. The first Minister was The Reverend Alexander Stewart. Only 18 burials were ever recorded for this parish, all occurring in the thirteen-year period between 1871 and 1884. The church burned down over one-hundred years ago and was never rebuilt. The remaining timbers were pulled down between 1935-38 and the useable timbers were transported to Foxmead Crossing. There they were used to build a dance hall that, eeriely also burned down. The site of the original church and cemetery was in a state of overgrown disrepair for most of the past hundred years.
The graves of the pioneers buried here are actually at the rear of the property, within and behind the cedars and bushes. The gravestones were "moved" to their current location by a plow or back-hoe that came in and levelled the property several years ago. It was at this time that the "new" monument was erected and the Township of Ramara took over the groundskeeping of the property. Unfortunately, beyond occasional lawn-mowing, care seems to be non-existant or haphazard at best. Given the lack of attention, the broken and cracked stones are deteriorating rapidly.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gvrq Gerr
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