Cemeteries

There are in excess of 200 known burial grounds in Simcoe County ranging from very small abandoned pioneer plots to the relatively large cemeteries such as Barrie Union that have literally thousands of gravestones.

The inscriptions on these stones are an invaluable source of information for genealogists and family historians. In addition to the name, they may contain information on birth and death dates, spouse, children or other relatives.

Members and volunteers have transcribed many of the cemeteries. Copies may be purchased from the branch (see Publications – Cemeteries). Proceeds from the sale of these publications are put towards the cost of future projects. The Committee can always use a helping hand for transcribing, checking, typing and proof reading. If you would like to assist, please contact the Cemetery Project Co-ordinator.

Locating Cemeteries

Traditionally, the location of each cemetery was identified using the Concession and Lot number of the original or Geographic Township. This is useful information when referring to an Historical Atlas, Land Registry, or if you know the location of an ancestors farm and want to identify the name(s) of cemeteries located nearby. We have included a list of the cemeteries, arranged by Geographic Township. The list includes alternate names, together with an OGS cemetery index number. We have included a colour code to readily identify publicly accessible cemeteries with individual monuments (green), or common monuments/plaques/memorials (yellow) from those that are located on private property, family graves, abandoned burial grounds, or stones which could no longer be located (red).

Due to restructuring and consolidation of the townships over the past decades, the names and/or boundaries have been revised and new, Municipal Township names are now in use. [See Geographic vs Municipal Boundaries] These changes, together with recent revisions in street names to accommodate implementation of 911 service, will make the old system more difficult to use as time goes on. In this regard, we have included a second list, arranged by the new Municipal Boundaries which includes the street address and brief directions to assist in locating each cemetery. This list should be used if you intend to visit a specific cemetery using current road maps and street signs.

As time permits, we will be adding a description of each cemetery including links to maps as a finding aid.