St. Andrew’s United Church in Bainsville, the “church on the hill,” is filled with historical significance.
Its cemetery offers a glimpse into the story of Glengarry, its Scottish pioneer settlers and the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) who came as refugees from the American Revolution. A plaque from the UEL Association acknowledges the importance of St. Andrew’s in Canada’s history. One small headstone epitomizes this resting place with the etched words, “He chose to live in Glengarry.”
Set amongst farm fields, the graveyard is unique because it is the resting place of Cato Prime, a former slave to a Rebel American soldier. After being captured and brought to Quebec, Prime, who passed away at the age of 79, attained his freedom in 1784 and became a landowner in Glengarry.
Also resting at the burial site are John Snyder, a Loyalist soldier who would eventually serve in the 1st Regiment of the Glengarry Infantry, Annatje Hannah Snyder, James Young and others who were the early settlers of Glengarry.
Five years ago, a team led by Mackie Robertson, embarked on a project to improve the cemetery. St. Andrew’s United Church is Robertson’s parish, with family resting here. It is a church dear to his heart and ensuring its lasting historical importance and beauty is a work of love.
The team hired a contractor to fix broken bases and straighten some headstones. As they progressed, the cemetery caretaker, Raylene Goulder, realized the most recent map they were using from 127 years ago didn’t coincide with the location of some of the current markers. Considering the team was using information gathered over the past 200 years, it’s not surprising the records were inaccurate.
The team set to marking out every plot, carefully measuring to see how each corresponded to the historical information recorded, discovering some graves had no markers. One unmarked plot was that of Jacob Snyder, who had donated the land where the church now stands.
According to Stuart Manson, author of Sacred Ground: Loyalist Cemeteries of Eastern Ontario, Reverend John Bethune was the travelling minister who preached across Glengarry. With it being such a rural area, places of worship were yet to be built, so services were held in private homes. One of these homes belonged to Jacob Snyder, who donated the land for St. Andrew’s Church to the Presbyterian Church in 1821.
Once the mapping was completed, headstones were marked so that each will receive a small, brass plaque with a number that will be registered with the specifics for the grave. This number will be the key for families searching and locating their ancestors’ resting places. The improvement efforts and updated historical records for St. Andrew’s United Church provide visitors with a history lesson as one wanders amongst the headstones, reading inscriptions of those who rest in the cemetery. With Glengarry’s rich history for pioneer settlers, perhaps this project will inspire other congregations to ensure their records are up-to-date and efforts put into improving the historical stone markers in need of repair.
