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Archiver > CAN-ONT-WENTWORTH > 2004-12 > 1102552135


From: "David Thompson" <>
Subject: Re: [WENTWORTH] Cooley Cemetery update.
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 19:28:55 -0500
References: <000801c4dc72$685219d0$95eefea9@jewelsooiiq6ys> <005c01c4dd47$4049c750$6401a8c0@tracy>


I don't see any mention that the parties are even contemplating the
requirements of the Cemeteries Act.
This is the story Nelson has referred to:

Descendants face off with developer

Owners won't guarantee pioneer cemetery will remain intact



By Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator

A battle could be brewing between developers and descendants of people
believed buried in a recently discovered pioneer cemetery.

Descendants of the Cooley and Hatt families -- who are believed to
have ancestors buried in the west-Ancaster cemetery -- let a developer's
representative know last night they are opposed to seeing bodies disinterred
to help in the creation of a 40-lot subdivision.

Planner Sergio Manchia told them and about 70 people at a public
meeting at the old town hall that may happen, but he could not give any
guarantees.

The cemetery is in a field off Rousseaux Street, between Greenravine
Drive and Lime Kiln Road. It is believed to contain the long-forgotten grave
of Dundas founder Richard Hatt (1769-1819) and his wife Mary Kate
(1780-1843) and 100 others.

It was found by archeologists surveying the land for the proposed
subdivision Lime Kiln Heights. It was once known as the Cooley Family
cemetery for the family that settled the land in 1798. Mary Kate was a
Cooley.

"These people may be forgotten folks for many years, but now they have
a voice," Fonthill resident Richard Hatt, a descendant of the Dundas
founder, told Manchia.

"We have to resolve the cemetery before we go anywhere else. These
people have a voice and a very loud voice."

Shaune Copeman-Botosh of Burford, who says her grandmother was a
Cooley, told the crowd, "my hope is the cemetery remains exactly as it is. I
do hope you consider leaving everyone where they are and make changes to
your subdivision."

The archeology firm believes the cemetery might contain as many as 102
bodies, and dates from the late 1700s.

Local historian Jim Green, who's spent 20 years researching the
cemetery, told the gathering he has found a record mentioning a baby was
buried at the cemetery in 1801. He also said an 1897 document on Wentworth
County landmarks calls it the Richard Hatt Cemetery.

Manchia said he wants to work with the families and others on
preserving the cemetery, but he cautioned them about being "adversarial."

He noted it was private land now and the Cooleys and Hatts sold it
"for dollars" years ago.

"I don't want to say it's not important, but if you start rocking the
boat ...," Manchia warned.

He said some bodies may have to be moved because a tile bed was built
on top of them. He also said changes could be made to the cemetery to make
it "more symmetrical and pleasing."

Archeologist Mike Henry, who was hired by the developers, said bodies
can only be moved with the consent of descendants. He said, however, it is
done all the time because bodies have been found to be disturbed or are in
the path of a highway.



***********************


----- Original Message -----
From: "Nelson Denton" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 11:59 AM
Subject: [WENTWORTH] Cooley Cemetery update.


> The Hamilton Spectator has published another article today about the
public
> meeting over the Cooley Cemetery. page A6
>
> It seems folks are not happy with the plans for moving some of the bodies.
> Did anyone attend the meeting?
> Could we get details?
>
>
>
> Also local teacher George Johnson's famous 1866 ballad "When You And I
Were
> Young Maggie" has been honoured in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Page
> A7
>
> Nelson.
>

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