Page 5 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL SKETCH
We think of blerivale a; the area of rettlenwnt that followed Concessions A, One
and Tro, Rideao Front focusriqg on the Slack rideroad linking these concerrions. The
junction of flerivale and Slack Roadr was the centre of the Merivale comnunity. The
local blacisniith, hotel. rclooi anrl Orang? lodge faced that intersection. The hleri-
vale churches and cemeteries were situated north of the intersection alonq the
flerivale Poad at Lct 21. Cance:rion One. Pideau Front.
Although the ceineterier arp lorated at Merivale, many of those resting in these
rcadride acres in llepean oore lived a fair distance from them. We have, for example,
Hpnry .lases, an Ottawa architect and engineer, whore family lived at the Hog's Back.
The Honeywells, a prominent pioneer family, held land in the Ottawa Front concerrions
hetween the Otta,.dr River and what ii now Baieline Road. The Mission af Mepean burial
regirterr show tlln: o,ort of the 64 individuals interred from that miirion in FIerivale
beluern 1892 and 192Q had verided in Hintor,burgh and 0ttawa.i))
11.1 to ttlc 14?'1~, fhp M~rivale cemeteries were amorlg the feu burial grounds
serving Protestants in the western part of Nepean. At Bell's Corners, there war d
llnion cemeterv (see Ottawa (:ranch ouhllcation 73-5) A Meihodirt church at City
Yicw t,rgan io 1884. and a horlal grxnd was arrocieted with it.(?)
As ti- years :>rircd aud :such of tne north half of tlepeao becallle a suhurt of
O:tawa, new burial grounds were needed. Thp cemeteries at Merivale and Bell's
Corners were filliqg up. in 1?24, Pinecrer: Cemetery, a non-denominational, pri-
vately-operated roncprn, began ooeratiol. Pnother cpaetery. Capital Merrmrial Gardens
was also established, a!:d 's situated at t'le southern end of liepean. Ir, the face of
tbpre a1 ternativer, the Mprivale cemeteries continuzd to serve the descendants of
llany Merirale and Clty IViev area residents.
In the following accounts, little atte~npt has heen made to sketch a detailed
hirtory of tire churches. The ~mphasir is mainly on the hurial grounds.
IIHION CEblETE8Y 7ER[UD
In the early 18411r, facilities were found for reqvlar church services at
Merivale. A small parcel of Yilliam Hopper's land north of Slack's Corners was set
aside for this purpose although no land was a~tudlly g\ren 01. sold to a CaniJregaIiun
at this t~clr--or at least lo legal tlanrartion took place. As in nlany small centres
in tlle county, a Union church and cemetery were set UP. A log building war apodrently
built during the rurnler o' 184;(3) to be used far. rerviccr ty the Anglicans and
Presbyteridns of 14rrivale. The earliest Fanunlent known to lave been erected, thrt
cf John Dell's in 1841. gives us some idea when the land firrt became devoted to
torialr.
MERlVALE UNITED CHURCH CEMETERY - b
The Srerbyterian church was the first of the twa chllrches to establish its own
Place of *or.sl~ip and burial ground. nn necember 13, 1860, William Hopper and his
wif~, Jane, "sold" for five shillings a half-acre parcel af land to the TrulLrer of
the Presbyterian church af blepean Township. The plot war intended for the site of
a chvrch, burial ground and a residence for the ininirte1..(41