06/01/2026
History
John Crawford arrived in Canada in 1821 with his wife and four children aboard the Commerce, sponsored by the Hamilton Emigration Society. They took a farmstead on the west half of Lot 9, Concession 12 in the Township of Dalhousie. In 1839, he and his wife, Janet Bryce, set aside a portion of his land for a burying ground. The earliest burial in the cemetery is that of William Bryce, who died in 1844. If others were buried in the cemetery before that date, there are no markers.
A formal agreement with the Presbyterian Church was made in 1855 and on November 28, 1855 they sold the land to the Church for five shillings, for the purpose of erecting a meeting House or Church for use of the congregation, and for a burial ground. The deed (Instrument #154) was registered October 7, 1856. An additional 1 acre was donated to the Presbyterian Church of Dalhousie, at no charge, by John Crawford and his wife before they sold their remaining 82 acres of land.
The area where Crawford Cemetery is found today, was at one time called Crawford Station. There was a tiny log church within the grounds of the existing cemetery, that is no longer standing. It would not have been more than 16ft x 20ft. As the congregation grew, a larger church was needed. The one located at the site of Crawford Cemetery was torn down and a new church was built in the village of Elphin.
By 1890, the Church petitioned Church Council to assume care of the Cemetery and increase its boundaries. Andrew Paul was the owner of the land at this point and negotiated a new deal with the Church Council. He sold a small part of lot 10, concession 12, adjacent to the old part of the cemetery to the Church Council for $50. The deed (Instrument #1384) was registered on January 7, 1892.
In 1946, additional land on lot 10, owned by Christina Paul, Robert Paul and his wife, was sold to the Church Council for $130. The deed (Instrument #6299) was registered on June 21, 1946. On October 25, 1969 (Instrument #27139), Mrs. Hazel Purdon sold two parts of the west half of lot 9 to the Corporation of the Township of Lavant, Dalhousie, & North Sherbrooke for $300. The addition of a strip of land that would allow for road access to the cemetery was purchased from Frank and Faye Wycke, (Instrument #29139), on December 7, 1970.
Management of the cemetery has changed hands a few times over the years. In the early days, it was maintained by the Crawford family. Once it became a church burial ground, the Presbyterian church took over management. In 1942, the Mississippi Women’s Institute began having bees to improve the appearance of the Cemetery. They organized a memorial service and collected donations for the care of the grounds. As of May 1948, care and management came under Township authority. A Cemetery Committee was created to manage the cemetery. In 1892, the cost of a 12ft x 12ft plot was $1.00; by 1922 the cost was $3.00; and by 1976, the cost was $10.
