Howard Christian Cemetery

The cemetery is valued for its historical association with early settlers to the areas of North River, Loyalist Road, and Kingston.

Charles Howard (1816-1878) was the first to be interred in this cemetery. According to Meacham's 1880 Atlas, it was located in the front corner of 126 acres of land then owned by him.

Other families interred here included Alexander Scott (d. 1882) who was born in Perth, Scotland and emigrated to PEI in 1808. Two of his sons, Major and John, died young of lung disease which today would likely be treatable. James Phillips has two infant children interred here. He was a noted stone and marble cutter, who may have designed many of the stones here personally.

Farmer, John R. Diamond (1809-1902), and his family are also interred here. He had come from England in 1832 and established a farm which he called "Clifton Grange" on the Loyalist Road. An interesting engraving of the property in Meacham's 1880 Atlas shows his Centre Gable house, bountiful grain crop, and cattle. It also shows a train from the PEI Railway chugging by - startling one of his horses who seems to be running away from the "ironhorse"!

Most of the people associated with this cemetery, aside from the Howard family, were members of the Church of Christ denomination. There is no record, however, of a church having been in the area, and it is unknown why the cemetery was established here.

The site was abandoned for many years until it was restored by the PEI Department of Health in 1978. Today, it is again in a neglected condition with tall grass and fallen tree limbs.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8

File #: 4310-20/P18