The Gate at Chebogue (Town Point) Cemetery
Chebogue Cemetery
The Chebogue cemetery at Town Point, just outside the actual town of Yarmouth, NS is of historic importance to the area but is also very meaningful in a direct way to me. I have many ancestors buried there, because the original group of 5 English families who came to this area of Nova Scotia in 1761 as Planters (people from New England taking up the “vacated” land – that Britain had taken from the Acadians after the expulsion in 1755) came as the result of a deal that was made to get people to settle here, they were all families from Sandwich, Massachusetts and all are direct ancestors of mine.
The cemetery itself is across the river from one set of ancestor’s home, and is just upriver from several other sets of ancestors, plus the point overlooks land that is still in our family just downstream. Due to Sandwich being so close to Plymouth, MA, almost all of my ancestors who came here were Mayflower descendants, and it is through them that I can trace my lines to 15 people who were aboard that boat when it landed on Cape Cod in 1620.
As this week’s image shows, the cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful spot, with the hallmark stone walls and the wonderful view of the Chebogue river. The pretty little chapel, the stone markers and the beautifully kept grounds all show that others care about this place as much as I do, and I hope that is always the case. Walking under the stately old trees, one can almost feel the presence of those who have gone before us. It is a place for reflection and for giving thanks to the spirit of the people who left one home to make another and in so doing better their lives and give their children a chance at a more prosperous future.
May we as present day Canadians remember the struggles our ancestors had, and think carefully about what kind of society they would want for us all.
