A memorial cross was erected in the Loyalist Cemetery, located at the eastern extremity of Waterloo Row, by the York-Sunbury Historical Society in 1934. The three-foot grey granite cross marks the site as the final resting place of early Loyalist settlers.
Heritage Value
On the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Province of New Brunswick, the York-Sunbury Historical Society unveiled a memorial cross in the Loyalist Cemetery. The unveiling was originally intended to be part of a wider celebration in the capital city commemorating the sesquicentennial of the province. Both Fredericton and Saint John vied for the right to hold the milestone celebration, but Saint John won the contest. The York-Sunbury Historical Society decided to proceed with the unveiling with a modest celebration on August 19, 1934.
The Loyalist Cemetery, also known as the Loyalist Provincials’ Burial Ground, had largely been forgotten until the Historical Society and other organizations became involved in its restoration in 1932. The Society organized the installation of the Loyalist Cemetery monument and its unveiling in 1934, commemorating the privations of the harsh winter of 1783-1784.
For the unveiling, the audience assembled at the intersection of Lansdowne Street and Waterloo Row and proceeded to the cemetery. Deputy Mayor G. Willard Kitchen officiated the ceremony, and Miss K.M. Stewart, Commissioner of Girl Guides, withdrew the Union Jack to unveil the memorial cross. A massed choir, comprised of the city churches, sang hymns at the celebration, including one written especially for the occasion. Sterling Brannen, a direct Loyalist descendent, wrote an original hymn entitled “Canadian Settlers.”
R.B. Hanson, Member of Parliament, spoke at the ceremony, likening the Loyalist Cemetery with its unidentified burials to the cenotaphs to the “unknown soldier” in Ottawa and London. The Loyalist Cemetery Memorial was dedicated to the memory of the unknown Loyalists.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with the Loyalist Cemetery Memorial include:
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Polished grey granite memorial slab with cross, dedicated to the interred and unknown Loyalists
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Inscription bearing date 1783-1784
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Its location in the Loyalist Cemetery, known as the Loyalist Provincials’ Burial Ground
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Its association with the Loyalists, the founding of the province, and the 150th anniversary