Tombstone Tuesday - Richard Ayearst (Lord of Bothamsall)

Among the monuments in the Markdale Cemetery is one that stands out because it is not what one might expect to find in a small town cemetery.

Is this sculpture a work of Bobbie Carlyle known as the Self Made Man? The self made man is carving himself - his character and his future, out of stone.

Who is Richard Ayearst - Lord of Bathamsall?  [March 4 2011 update. The name of the village is Bothamsall. Information provided by his widow.]

He was born in 1950 and died in 1997.

The first line of the poem is cited on different websites as the words of Alan Ashley-Pitt, but I have not discovered who he is. [Update: October 25, 2020 -- It appears that he worked for a card company but this was his nom de plume of Phil Wernig.]

"The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has." It appears to be from a work called "On Creativity". [Update: -- October 26, 2020 -- can no longer find the poem.]

Update: September 18, 2010, I received an email from a reader with this information on the name:

 I know that the Ayearst's originally came from England into Canada, settling in the Toronto area. My Great Grandfather was William Albert Ayearst, my Grandfather was William Thomas Boyd Ayearst. William T.B. Ayearst had 2 brothers, John A. & Francis. There is a plaque on the west wall of the Nave at Canterbury Cathedral:  William Ayearst D.D., died May 9th, 1765 aged 81.

The family name began as Ayerst (possibly Aherst) in Kent and an "a" was inserted centuries ago. A book was compiled by Morley Ayearst, 1973, East Hampton, New York on the family history. Most of the U.S. Ayearst's are interred at Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery, Flat Rock, Mich.

Tombstone Tuesday - Old Durham Road Pioneer Cemetery

Photos of Tombstones can be seen on the Genweb Cemetery Project site.

The four headstones were found in 1990.

The book Broken Shackles provides some background on this cemetery. The stones were of graves of  early Black settlers to the area.



Above collage and photos by Janet Iles

Badjeros Cemetery (4) - Stewart

In memory of twin sons

of Richard and Mary

Stewart

died June 10 1872

You cannot see the bottom line in the photo. According to the transcription of the monument by the Bruce Grey Branch Ontario Genealogical Society Badjeros Union Cemetery (Osprey Township Grey County) the last line is

age 2 days.

I was not able to find either birth nor death information doing a search on Ancestry.ca using different variables for these unnamed twin boys.

Badjeros Cemetery (3) - Stewart

This is a continuation of tombstones at Badjeros Cemetery in Osprey Township, Grey County, Ontario. The first posting and second posting also highlight family of Holly at Raeburn Family Odyssey



Back of Richard & Mary Stewart's stone, son James Sanderson Stewart & wife Ella M. Taylor



James S. Stewart
1877-1985

his beloved wife
Ella M. Taylor
1878-1962

STEWART



James Sanderson Stewart married Mary Ella Taylor 4 November 1903 in Nottawasaga, Simcoe County, Ontario. He was the son of Richard Stewart and Mary Rayburn. She was the daughter of John Taylor and Annie McCorkell [?].



James Sanderson Stewart - Mary Ella Taylor Ontario marriage registration #017298 (6 November 1903); digital image Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.ca/ ; accessed 3 March 2009); citing Archives of Ontario MS 932 Reel 112, Toronto

Badjeros Cemetery (2) - Stewart

Richard Stewart son of William & Susan McCormack Stewart, his wife Mary Raeburn daughter of Wm Raeburn & Margaret McCormack,Their son Richard Lee Stewart & wife M. Alice Taylor

Photos from Holly at Raeburn Family Odyssey

Richard Stewart
Born Aug. 18, 1840 Died June 27, 1935

Mary Raeburn beloved wife of
Richard Stewart
Born Mar. 10 1844, Died Feb. 10, 1925

R. Lee Stewart
Born Dec. 28, 1881 Died Nov. 15 1971

His beloved wife
M. Alice Taylor
Born Apr. 13 1884 Died July 19, 1975

Nearer my God to thee

STEWART

Checking Mary's death registration, I found the following information. She is listed as a widow. Her son James is the informant and he is living in Singhampton. Her date of birth is given as Feb 17th 1844. Her parents are shown as William Raeburn and Margaret McCormick both born in Ireland. Mary is listed as living in Ontario all her life. Discrepancies in the date of birth are understandable but why is she called a widow?

On the marriage registration of R. Lee Stewart and M. Alice Taylor, we get their full names -- Richard Leopold Stewart and Martha Alice Taylor. They were married 22 March 1911 in Simcoe County.

Mary Stewart Ontario death registration #014577 (13 February 1925)digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 14 February 2009); citing Archives of Ontario microfilm Ms 935 reel 324, Toronto.

Richard Leopold Stewart - Martha Alice Taylor Ontario marriage registration (22 March 1911) digital image Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 14 February 2009); citing Archives of Ontario microfilm Ms932 reel 176, Toronto

South Union Line Cemetery aka Badjeros Union Cemetery

South Union Line Cemetery aka Badjeros Union Cemetery is located in the former township of Osprey within the municipality of Grey Highlands in Grey County, Ontario. (Lot 60 Concession 3 Osprey Township)


Although I have Stiver relatives buried at this cemetery, I have yet to visit this cemetery.

The following photos came to me from Holly at Raeburn Family Odyssey. Some of her family connections are buried there.









Information from Holly --
Wm Stewart b abt 1800 County Monaghan Ireland d abt 26 Jan 1876, emigrated with wife Susan McCormack and children (all born in Ireland) c 1840. Children: Samuel b 1819, John b 1824 , George b 1830 , William b 1831, Mary b 1833, Alex b 1835 , Margaret b 1837, Richard b 1840. Wm & Family lived on the County line of Grey/Simcoe Co in Maple Valley, Osprey Twp Grey County.


The photos were taken by Dorothy Hiltz of Collingwood who has given her permission for these photos to be posted here.

Note: William Stewart's death was not registered until 13 July 1876 by informant John Ferguson of Honeywood. (#003841) 13 July 1876 MS 935 Reel 12, Archives of Ontario

Thank you Holly and Dorothy.

I will post more of their photos in another posting.