14

"What shall we say concerning those we commemorate today? Do they not now rejoice with us at what is happening today? Was it merely an accident of history responsible for the disappearance of the Black community of Artemesia? Were the gravestones destroyed and obliterated solely because of greed and bias? Or was their some higher purpose?
"The Whites from the community and Blacks who are descendants of those who lived here have reached and touched each other."

Reverend Wilfred Sheffield
from speech given Priceville, ON October 13 1990

15

Four recovered grave markers
1990
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

16

James M. Washington
1834 - 1856

17

James M. Washington grave stone
1812-1856
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

18

James Handy (1768 - 1863)
Ancient Broken Stone Among those Found Buried

In the 1800s this cemetery was the burial ground for people of African descent, some of whom it is believed came to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. These people wound their way west to the Erin-Fergus area, then up to the Garafraxa Road to Glenelg and Artemesia townships.
In the 1851 census almost every 50-acre lot along the Durham Road was settled by a Black family with the parents stating their birthplace as U.S., and children as old as 17, given Canada as their birthplace.
Some of these people registered Patents on their property and later fulfilled the requirements for a deed, but for some reason others never did and by 1865 Anglo-Saxon names showed up on the properties and some of the former disappeared from the records. Many of the men were tradesmen, so it seems understandable that they sought work other than farming. A number went to the ships of Collingwood, while others joined the Oro settlement in Simcoe County.

19

James Handy grave stone
1773-1863
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

20

Christopher Simons
1836 - 1854

This headstone identifies the resting place of Christopher Simons who died in 1854 likely of the typhoid that swept through the area that year. He was the son of Chauncey and Mehatable Simons who were in residence on lot#7 SDR (South of the Durham Road) and likely also lot #8. They were from the United States and may have come to the Durham Road by way of the Queen's Bush settlement on the Garafraxa Road. Chauncey was 47 years old and Mehatable was 40 years old. They had four children, Rozel (aged 20), Christopher (aged 16), Charles (aged 13) and Rosannah (aged 10). In 1855, Chauncey received the crown patent for lot #7 SDR, while his oldest son Rozel received the crown patent for lot #8.

He was buried in the cemetery and his headstone is one of the four that were recovered. He was nineteen years old.

21

Christopher Simons grave stone
1854
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

22

Ellen Handy grave stone
1850
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

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The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. In the eyes of many they seemed to die, and their departure was accounted for their hurt. And their going from us was taken to be their ruin; but they are in peace.

Reverend Wilfred Sheffield
Sermon,
excerpt from The Book of Wisdom
Priceville, ON
October 13, 1990

24

Crosses summer view Old Durham Road Pioneer Cemetery
2011
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton, ON

25

List of names in Old Pioneer Cemetery dedication ceremony document
Circa 1990
Old Durham Pioneer Cemetery

Credits:
South Grey Museum, Flesherton

26

Known people buried here:-

Philip Washington 1850 - 1851
James Jackson 1811 - 1851
Debra Sheffield 1840 - 1854
James Handy 1770 - 1863
James Washington 1834 - 1856
Ellen Handy 1836 - 1856
Christopher Simons 1836 - 1854
John Handy 1806 - 1881

"If you know the past you understand the present"