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The Old Burying-Ground - Point Chapel. As the old burying- ground on the River below Campbell’s is commonly regarded by many as a French burial-place, I have thought it fitting for the sake of historical accuracy to include a brief reference to it in this story of Acadian days. This burial-place came into use only after the coming of DesBarres settlers about 1770. There is no record whatsoever of when the first burials were made, but as death has never yet been idle and as there was no other burial-place used by the first Protestant settlers it is safe to assume that it was set aside as a burying-ground and came into use within a few years after their arrival. As late as fifty years ago there were head stones still standing that bore dates of the Eighteenth Century. The last burials took place about 1829. In keeping with DesBarres’ idea of establishing a tenurial system as between landlord and tenant it is probable that he intended to dedicate this plot of land to the use of a Chapel and a burial-place; a thing which was usually done in the estates of English landlords. In a report* on the DesBarres’ lands at Tatamagouche made in 1795, there is a reference to a Point Chapel along the River at a place which seems to correspond with this site. Originally it was a pretty spot on a heavily wooded point of land. Its contour, however, was ruined by the cuttings and the embankments made when the railway was built. On its seaward side it too has been much reduced in area by the force of the tides and of the storms. That DesBarres had it reserved is evident from the fact that when he deeded the nearby land to the Hon. Alex Campbell in 1823 he excepted "the old burying-ground". The monuments were of soft, free stone, none of which are now either standing or intact. Amateur vandals and time have long since seen to their destruction. *Report of Captain MacDonald on DesBarres’ lands at Tatamagouche , 1795. Printed in the Report of the Public Archives for 1945. Back |
