The Old Burying Ground, Amherst
Robert Ripley (d 12 Sep 1797 age 63) and his wife Isabella Beane (d 8 Jun 1830 age 88)
Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean are my 4th great grandparents who emigrated from Yorkshire in 1774. They are buried together on the hill, up from the Old Burying Ground sign, approximately in the middle of the cemetery. Their weathered stones are almost unreadable but their first names are still visible. Isabella's stone is taller and darker than Robert's and the inscriptions on both face away from the road. They are perhaps most easily located by their shapes and by first finding the gravestones of their daughter Jane Ripley and her husband Robert Coates visible between Isabella's and Robert's stones in the image below.
Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean are my 4th great grandparents who emigrated from Yorkshire in 1774. They are buried together on the hill, up from the Old Burying Ground sign, approximately in the middle of the cemetery. Their weathered stones are almost unreadable but their first names are still visible. Isabella's stone is taller and darker than Robert's and the inscriptions on both face away from the road. They are perhaps most easily located by their shapes and by first finding the gravestones of their daughter Jane Ripley and her husband Robert Coates visible between Isabella's and Robert's stones in the image below.
Jane Ripley (d 27 July 1843 age 70) and her husband Robert Coates (d 23 Feb 1817 age 44)
Jane Ripley, the daughter of Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean, is buried with her husband Robert Coates. Jane's and Robert's stones are also weathered but their shapes are very distinctive. In addition, a relatively new stone marker lying flat on the ground clearly identifies their graves. Their stones are located a little closer to the road than Robert and Isabella's. Robert Coates is the brother of Hannah Coates who married Jane's brother William Ripley. Robert Coates and Hannah Coates were the children of Thomas Coates (also my 4th great grandfather) whose homestead later became the Nappan Research Farm on Hwy 302.
Jane Ripley, the daughter of Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean, is buried with her husband Robert Coates. Jane's and Robert's stones are also weathered but their shapes are very distinctive. In addition, a relatively new stone marker lying flat on the ground clearly identifies their graves. Their stones are located a little closer to the road than Robert and Isabella's. Robert Coates is the brother of Hannah Coates who married Jane's brother William Ripley. Robert Coates and Hannah Coates were the children of Thomas Coates (also my 4th great grandfather) whose homestead later became the Nappan Research Farm on Hwy 302.
Mary (Fawcett) Ripley (1770-1837) wife of Henry Ripley, Matilda (Riley) Ripley (d 27 Aug 1857 age 53) and Henry Ripley (d 21 Nov 1835 age 74)
These 3 graves are located in a little group on the right hand side of the cemetery relative to the Old Burying Ground Sign and closer to the road. It is somewhat puzzling that Henry and his wife Mary are not buried side by side. However, Susan Hill was told by a local resident that during a fire in the 1950's which occurred at night, a firetruck ran over several stones on the right hand side of the cemetery which was covered in brush at the time. Residents later reset the stones as best they could, so some of the stones in this area may not be in their original locations. I have included a photo which shows that Matilda's white stone has been set on a sandstone base which might have been the base for Henry's stone. Another possibility is that the stone for Matilda's husband Henry Jr. has been lost as he is also supposed to be buried here.
Mary (Fawcett) Ripley (1770-1837) was the wife of Henry Ripley (1761-1835). Their stones are just one grave apart with Matilda's in the middle and are the same shape. Like Robert's/Isabella's and Jane's/Robert's the wife's stone is taller than the husband's. Having seen a photo of the stone taken before it completely deteriorated courtesy of the Cumberland County Genealogical Society, I know it does say Mary Ripley. It reads: Sacred to the Memory of Mary Ripley who departed this life 16 Dec 1--7 in the 6- year of her age. She died on Dec 16 but the year (except for the last digit 7) and her age are unreadable in that photo as well. From some angles the age looks like 68. On most trees, the date of death for Mary is given as 16 Dec 1817 at the age of 60. However, Mary arrived on the Two Friends with father John Fawceit in 1774, at age 4 which gives her a birthdate of ca 1770. A person dying at age 60 in 1817 would have a birthdate of 1757, a 13 year discrepancy. John Fawsitt left his daughter Mary Ripley 100 pounds in his will dated 17 Sep 1829. Husband Henry left his estate to his wife Mary upon his death in 1835 so, unless Henry remarried a woman also named Mary, his wife can't have died in 1817. My best guess for Mary's date of death based on the earlier photo is 16 Dec 1837 age 68. I do think this is Henry's wife as they are buried close together and their stones are the same shape. The inscriptions are also in a very similar format: Sacred to the memory of (name) who departed this life (date) in the (age) year of his/her age.
Matilda (Riley) Ripley (27 Aug 1857 age 53) is Henry's daughter-in-law who was married to his son Henry.
Henry Ripley (d 21 Nov 1835 age 74) is the husband of Mary Fawcett and the eldest son of Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean. Henry made a will in 1833 and I have sometimes seen 1833 as his death date. However, it looks like 1835 on the stone and 1835 is the date given in Susan Hill's book Some Cumberland County Nova Scotia Cemeteries.
These 3 graves are located in a little group on the right hand side of the cemetery relative to the Old Burying Ground Sign and closer to the road. It is somewhat puzzling that Henry and his wife Mary are not buried side by side. However, Susan Hill was told by a local resident that during a fire in the 1950's which occurred at night, a firetruck ran over several stones on the right hand side of the cemetery which was covered in brush at the time. Residents later reset the stones as best they could, so some of the stones in this area may not be in their original locations. I have included a photo which shows that Matilda's white stone has been set on a sandstone base which might have been the base for Henry's stone. Another possibility is that the stone for Matilda's husband Henry Jr. has been lost as he is also supposed to be buried here.
Mary (Fawcett) Ripley (1770-1837) was the wife of Henry Ripley (1761-1835). Their stones are just one grave apart with Matilda's in the middle and are the same shape. Like Robert's/Isabella's and Jane's/Robert's the wife's stone is taller than the husband's. Having seen a photo of the stone taken before it completely deteriorated courtesy of the Cumberland County Genealogical Society, I know it does say Mary Ripley. It reads: Sacred to the Memory of Mary Ripley who departed this life 16 Dec 1--7 in the 6- year of her age. She died on Dec 16 but the year (except for the last digit 7) and her age are unreadable in that photo as well. From some angles the age looks like 68. On most trees, the date of death for Mary is given as 16 Dec 1817 at the age of 60. However, Mary arrived on the Two Friends with father John Fawceit in 1774, at age 4 which gives her a birthdate of ca 1770. A person dying at age 60 in 1817 would have a birthdate of 1757, a 13 year discrepancy. John Fawsitt left his daughter Mary Ripley 100 pounds in his will dated 17 Sep 1829. Husband Henry left his estate to his wife Mary upon his death in 1835 so, unless Henry remarried a woman also named Mary, his wife can't have died in 1817. My best guess for Mary's date of death based on the earlier photo is 16 Dec 1837 age 68. I do think this is Henry's wife as they are buried close together and their stones are the same shape. The inscriptions are also in a very similar format: Sacred to the memory of (name) who departed this life (date) in the (age) year of his/her age.
Matilda (Riley) Ripley (27 Aug 1857 age 53) is Henry's daughter-in-law who was married to his son Henry.
Henry Ripley (d 21 Nov 1835 age 74) is the husband of Mary Fawcett and the eldest son of Robert Ripley and Isabella Bean. Henry made a will in 1833 and I have sometimes seen 1833 as his death date. However, it looks like 1835 on the stone and 1835 is the date given in Susan Hill's book Some Cumberland County Nova Scotia Cemeteries.
John P. Ripley (12 Sep 1858 age 23), John Parkinson Pipes (1786-1866) and Hannah Lake Smith (1792-1873)
John P. Ripley was the first-born son of Andrew C. Ripley (1812-1991) and Elizabeth Pipes (1814-1893) my second great grandparents. He was likely named for his maternal grandfather John Parkinson Pipes. He is buried next to his maternal grandparents John Parkinson Pipes (1786-1866) and Hannah Lake Smith (1792-1873), who are my 3rd great-grandparents. Prior to visiting the cemetery I was unaware of his existence so spotting this stone was a real find! His stone reads John P. Son of Andrew and Elizabeth Ripley died Sep 12 1858 aged 23 years. His grave is located near the front of the cemetery on the right hand side in a group of stones that are perpendicular to the road.
John P. Ripley was the first-born son of Andrew C. Ripley (1812-1991) and Elizabeth Pipes (1814-1893) my second great grandparents. He was likely named for his maternal grandfather John Parkinson Pipes. He is buried next to his maternal grandparents John Parkinson Pipes (1786-1866) and Hannah Lake Smith (1792-1873), who are my 3rd great-grandparents. Prior to visiting the cemetery I was unaware of his existence so spotting this stone was a real find! His stone reads John P. Son of Andrew and Elizabeth Ripley died Sep 12 1858 aged 23 years. His grave is located near the front of the cemetery on the right hand side in a group of stones that are perpendicular to the road.
Directions:
From the corner of Church Street and Victoria in downtown Amherst, head southwest on Victoria Street which is also known as Hwy 6 and eventually becomes Southampton Road. You will pass Christ Church Cemetery on your right, cross over the two-lane Trans-Canada Highway 104, and pass the Wandlyn Inn on your right. A short distance later you will see the large Old Burying Ground on the left hand side.
Click here to view the location in Google Maps. Then drag the little yellow man to the marker to see a street-level view of the actual cemetery. Check out Crown Land Index Map 59. There are 3 town common lots just west and a little south of Amherst. The intersection of roads looks exactly the same as it does today. I believe the Old Burying Ground is on the lot that says "Common".
From the corner of Church Street and Victoria in downtown Amherst, head southwest on Victoria Street which is also known as Hwy 6 and eventually becomes Southampton Road. You will pass Christ Church Cemetery on your right, cross over the two-lane Trans-Canada Highway 104, and pass the Wandlyn Inn on your right. A short distance later you will see the large Old Burying Ground on the left hand side.
Click here to view the location in Google Maps. Then drag the little yellow man to the marker to see a street-level view of the actual cemetery. Check out Crown Land Index Map 59. There are 3 town common lots just west and a little south of Amherst. The intersection of roads looks exactly the same as it does today. I believe the Old Burying Ground is on the lot that says "Common".
Sources:
Hill, Susan A.. Some Cumberland County Nova Scotia Cemeteries, 1997. Book available for purchase through the Cumberland County Genealogical Society. Provides a complete inventory of all the graves in the Old Burying Ground and a helpful map of their locations. This is an excellent resource and, as Susan assured me, it comes in handy fending off the mosquitoes when you visit the cemeteries.
For photos taken earlier than mine by better photographers and showing more detail contact the Cumberland County Genealogical Society.
A link to Old Burying Ground at Find a Grave provides the GPS location and 59 grave photos but no Ripley graves.
Hill, Susan A.. Some Cumberland County Nova Scotia Cemeteries, 1997. Book available for purchase through the Cumberland County Genealogical Society. Provides a complete inventory of all the graves in the Old Burying Ground and a helpful map of their locations. This is an excellent resource and, as Susan assured me, it comes in handy fending off the mosquitoes when you visit the cemeteries.
For photos taken earlier than mine by better photographers and showing more detail contact the Cumberland County Genealogical Society.
A link to Old Burying Ground at Find a Grave provides the GPS location and 59 grave photos but no Ripley graves.