Tombstone Tuesday: David and Hannah Johnston

In my early years of researching my ancestors, my mother and I headed to Unionville, Ontario, (now part of the City of Markham) to see if we could locate where her great-grandparents were buried. We weren't successful in doing so. We asked a young lad working in a store, where was the cemetery for Unionville. He didn't know. Despite not locating the cemetery, we did have a very enjoyable visit to the community where they had lived.

Later, at a meeting of the Bruce-Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, we were asked at the beginning of the meeting to share what we were working on, in our family research. I mentioned my visit to Unionville to find the burial location of David Johnston and his wife Hannah Hemingway.  I was in luck that day that there was a person at the meeting from that area who spoke to me after the meeting. She took my address and wrote down their names.

I didn't think anything more about it, but one day an envelope arrived with this photo of the marker.

David Johnston

Oct. 2, 1816  Nov. 6, 1892

His wife

Hannah Hemingway

Mar. 4, 1819  Oct. 13 1887

Their daughter

Caroline Johnston

Apr. 15, 1857 Apr. 20, 1877

They are buried in Hagerman East Cemetery, Markham, Ontario. We were able to go on another trip to visit this cemetery.

Tombstone Tuesday - John Johnston and his wife, Jane and daughter Mary

Today's tombstone is at St. Andrew's Scotch Kirk Cemetery, Quaker Hill, Uxbridge Township, Ontario County, Ontario at lot 35, concession 6.

In loving memory of

John Johnston

Born January 23rd, 1821

Died September 23rd, 1894

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Jane Sommerville

Beloved wife of the above

Born May 5th, 1832

Died December 2nd, 1905

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Mary their daughter

died May 21st 1859

aged 1 year 10 months

John is my great-great-great uncle. He was the middle of child of James Hardy Johnston and Margaret Byres. John was born in Annan, Dumfries, Scotland. He was baptized 31 January 1821. [1] He died 23 September 1894 from heart disease. [2]

Jane Sommerville was the daughter of John and Catherine Sommerville. She was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland.  [3] She died in the Town of Uxbridge on 2 December 1905 from a paralytic stroke. [4]

Their young daughter, Mary, was only 1 year 10 months old when she died 21 May 1859 [5] from whooping cough. [6] She was baptized 20 July 1857. [7]

[1] Church of Scotland. Parish Church of Annan (Dumfrieshire), Parish Registers for 1703 - 1855, Annan Parish Register microfilm #102307, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.

[2] John Johnston Ontario death registration #012863 (4 October 1894); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca ; accessed 29 September 2009), citing microfilm MS 935 Reel 72, Archives of Ontario, Toronto

[3] Helen Johnston, "Descendants of James Hardy Johnston 1788-1872 and Margaret (Byers) Johnston 1793-1866 of Annan Scotland and Quaker Hill". (Queensville, ON : H. Johnston, 1979-1984.), p. 16. (viewed at the Uxbridge-Scott Museum) [handwritten history]

[4] Jane Johnston Ontario death registration #021118 (2 December 1905); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca ; accessed 29 September 2009), citing microfilm MS 935 Reel 122, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

[5] tombstone inscription, St. Andrew's Scotch Kirk Cemetery, Quaker Hill, Uxbridge Township, Ontario County, Ontario

[6] Helen Johnston, "Descendants of James Hardy Johnston 1788-1872 and Margaret (Byers) Johnston 1793-1866 of Annan Scotland and Quaker Hill", p. 26

[7] Mary Johnston record of birth and baptisms Quaker Hill Presbyterian Church (photocopy) viewed at Uxbridge-Scott Museum.

Note: Byers or Byres for Margaret Johnston's maiden name.