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Originally a burial ground for soldiers, it quickly filled to capacity with an estimated 10,000 burials over the half-century it was in use as Kingston’s Upper Cemetery. Kingston suffered through at least 6 major epidemics including the cholera epidemics of 1832 and 1834. In 1847 hundreds of Kingstonians died from typhus carried by the Irish fleeing the Great Hunger and many were buried in Skeleton Park. (There were an estimated 1400 unclaimed bodies of Irish men, women and children buried on the grounds of Kingston General Hospital, in addition to the hundreds of Kingstonians who were buried in Skeleton Park during what is known in Irish culture as black'47.)
St Mary's Cemetery and Cataraqui Cemetery opened in 1856 and 1853 respectively. In March 1865, a bylaw passed by City Council came into effect, preventing any further burials taking place in Skeleton Park. Over the years, letters appeared in the local newspaper protesting the desecration by owners who allowed animals to graze, as well as various acts of vandalism, in the cemetery. This is the reason why the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches proposed that the bodies be exhumed and re-interred in St. Mary's and Cataraqui Cemeteries, and the area be converted to a city park. On the 27 May 1893, the land was officially granted to the city by an act of the province of Ontario. However the land was granted with the following strict conditions set out in schedule B of the act:
LIST OF CONDITIONS
1) The fences along the streets to be taken down, the surface of the grounds to be levelled and made into a green sward.
2) The tombstones to be laid level with the surface of the ground immediately over the graves, which they mark, and a plan to be made indicating the position of each known grave.
3) Gravel or cinder footpaths to be made through the grounds but no driveways.
4) The grounds to be planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers.
5) The grounds to be maintained in good order as a public square and the same as other like public squares.
6) Proper police protection to be provided by the Police commissioners.
7) No walk shall be made over any grave.
8) The bodies interred in the burying ground to be taken up and removed to another burying ground. The said removal to be done at the expense of the city and all applications of relatives or individuals are by said city to be entertained.
(Province of Ont. (1893), p288)
Catholics were to be re-interred in St. Mary's Cemetery and Anglicans and Presbyterians in the Cataraqui Cemetery, but only upon request.
The citizens of Kingston reacted to the re-internment in a variety of ways. Some approved, and others strongly disapproved on religious grounds, or due to health risks that dis-interred bodies might represent. A Mister Adfit and his workmen billed the city for the removal of 540 bodies, plus an additional 167 boxes of remains. Some of the graves, when opened, where empty. Others contained up to 11 bodies. Moreover, in other cases, bodies of loved ones could not be located. Out of an estimated 10,000, (i.e. approximately 4,000 Catholics, 4,000 Anglicans, and 2,000 Presbyterians) less than 1000 bodies were removed from Skeleton Park. During this work, the city announced to the press that plans were underway to erect a monument in the park, dedicated to the memory of the deceased. Work on the park stopped early in 1894.
On 6 February 1894, Kingston’s Upper Cemetery was officially named Frontenac Park and on 26 February 1965 it was renamed McBurney Park.
The Kingston Irish Folk Club, Tir na nOG Irish Pub, Kingston Brewing Company and the 2002 City Council completed the work of the 1894 council by erecting a Celtic Cross Monument in Skeleton (McBurney) Park on March 10th 2002.
The Celtic Cross makes visitors to the park, aware of its history as a major burial ground and is dedicated to the memory of all those buried in Kingston’s Upper Cemetery including the many thousands of Kingston's early settlers, the majority of whom were from Scotland and Ireland.
Submitted by Tony O'Loughlin
Originally May 2001- Revised May 2004
Booklets published by Kingston Irish Folk Club & Tir na nOg of interest re Irish & Canadian history include:
(1) Kingston Ontario – Last Resting Place Of Over 1500 Victims Of An Gorta Mor
(2) The Queen vs T.Kirkpatrick 1847
(3) From Ireland They Came by Neil Patterson
(4) Kingston Irish Folk Club’s Celtic Cross Tour – The history behind Kingston’s recently . erected monuments including 3 Celtic Crosses, a memorial drinking fountain and plaques.
If you can assist by volunteering to type or help with ongoing research contact:
Tony O'Loughlin
Founder & President Kingston Irish Folk Club
1093 Hickorywood Cres
Kingston, Ontario
Canada K7P 2H2
tel (613) 389 0754
email: irishtol@ihorizons.net
or
Kay Bonvie
(Joint Vice President KIFC)
tel (613) 613-389-5324
or
Chris Doran
(Joint Vice President)
tel: 613-542-5252
About the Author, Tony O'Loughlin
Tony O’Loughlin is Belfast born and reared. He worked as a youth and community worker in the lower falls road in Belfast in the early 70's. He then worked as a lay apostolate in the British Columbia interior for a number of years before moving to Kingston Ontario in 1989. Tony felt that the huge Irish history in the heart of Loyalist Canada was being ignored and founded the Kingston Irish Folk Club in 1989 and founded the Kingston Irish Famine Commemoration Associationin 1995 with the aim of promoting the visible signs of the Irish and promoting all forms of Irish culture. Tony remains the President of both organizations.
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