Carscallen-Hinch Cemetery

November 2016

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 the burial place of U.E. Loyalist John C. Carscallen, family members and descendants of other Loyalists got a new look and fresh recognition, when a plaque was dedicated at the Carscallen-Hinch cemetery on County Road 1in North Fredericksburgh. This was the culmination of a 20-year dream first expressed at a Bell family reunion, and brought to fruition by several descendants of Bells, Carscallens, Switzers and Frasers, all Loyalist families.

John Carscallen was granted 200 acres of land in Camden Township in 1805 in recognition of his loyal service. He died in 1828 but the land remained in the family until James Hinch purchased the property in 1885. In 1897, a grandson of John C. Carscallen living in New Jersey purchased the area of the cemetery and a right of way. For 119 years, the Hinch family descendants have overseen this cemetery. When Gerald Hinch heard last year of the 20-year-old wish to commemorate those buried here, he contacted a Bell descendant (our member Sharon Cadieux) and they started the process.

This was not done as quickly as you might think.

First they had to locate and move to the plot a suitable stone on which to mount the plaque. Then they had to locate a foundry to cast the bronze plaque; this entailed three trips from Kingston to Merrickville. Once the plaque was made, they had to hire a stone mason to mount the plaque.

It was also necessary to purchase and install 19 seven-foot steel posts around the plot, and measure and cut 18 lengths of chain to complete the perimeter “fence”. The committee of 5 who oversaw the project say “It is thanks to people like our generous donors, and to Gerald Hinch, who resurrected the project last year, that we have been able to do this. Special thanks also go to Gerald and his brother, James, current owner of the farm, for the use of their front-end loader in installing the posts, to Jane Scott, interim President, and Robert Hammond, Treasurer, of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society, both of whom have been extremely helpful.”

The Historical Society was instrumental in helping the descendants raise funds for the project: they agreed to flow donations through the Society so they could provide receipts for income tax purposes. Donations came from as far away as Saskatchewan and some US states, from descendants who were pleased to see their ancestors commemorated in this way.

Known to be buried is John Carscallen, his wife Esther Fraser (daughter of Daniel Fraser), William Bell, Junior and his wife Ann Carscallen, (sister of John), Phillip Geier Switzer in 1854 at age 33 (has the only visible headstone), grandson of William and Ann Bell, with his brother James Bell Switzer. Presumably, Dr. Francis Purcell and his wife Jane Dillenbeck Purcell (wife also of James Switzer) and granddaughter of John Carscallen are thought to be in this plot. Since the completion of the site, Gerald Hinch recently had dowsers witching the plot and stated to have found over 30 burial locations.

From left: Lynn Bell, James Hinch, Gerald Hinch, Sharon Cadieux, Trudy Morris, Cora
Reid, Rene Cadieux. Photo courtesy Napanee Beaver