The first person buried in Canton Cemetery was Susan (Woodworth) Hawkins, born in 1759, and a descendent of settlers to New England in the early 1600s. She died on April 25, 1811 of smallpox, and was buried in a family plot owned by her husband James Hawkins. She and James had migrated north to Smith’s Creek (Port Hope) in 1801, having lived for about 12 years in Montpelier VT after the War of Independence. At the time of her death, the population of Hope Township, including Smiths Creek, was likely around 500 people. There are many early residents of Canton buried in Canton Cemetery, including some of the descendents of Susan and James identified in the stories below.
Five years after their arrival in Port Hope, James and Susan took up land in Canton in Lot 11 Concession 4 around the area of the current Canton United Church and Canton Cemetery. The land for the church and school was given by the Hawkins family and the first church (Hope Chapel) in Hope Township was built on the land in 1831. Generations of Hawkins descendents have made Canton their home, and still do.
Susan and James had seven children:
A few years after burying his wife and three other family members, James realized that the interments were actually in lot 12, not lot 11 that he owned. He purchased the land they were buried in from the owner, Samuel Powers in 1833. Samuel Powers was the father of Dr. L.B. Powers after whom the public school in Port Hope was named. Dr Powers started his practice in Canton at the white Ontario Cottage on County Road 10.
Later in 1837, negotiations began to deed the cemetery to the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the forerunner to the United Church of Canada. The land transfer was completed in 1843 after James’ death by his son James. In 1931, the United Church sold the cemetery for one dollar to the Canton Cemetery Trust. The Cemetery Board purchased an additional 1¼ acres of adjoining land from Jack & Jennie Vanderwindt in 1988 to enlarge the cemetery to the east.
Through most of the Cemetery’s two centuries until today, many of the Board members have been descendents of early Canton families including those of Susan Hawkins, whose burial was commemorated on April 17, 2011.
Five years after their arrival in Port Hope, James and Susan took up land in Canton in Lot 11 Concession 4 around the area of the current Canton United Church and Canton Cemetery. The land for the church and school was given by the Hawkins family and the first church (Hope Chapel) in Hope Township was built on the land in 1831. Generations of Hawkins descendents have made Canton their home, and still do.
Susan and James had seven children:
- The eldest named James, was the great grandfather of Dr. M.S. Hawkins who was a dental surgeon in Port Hope and after whom Dr. Hawkins School was named.
- Their second son Azel, born in 1785 lived at Mount Airy farm purchased for him in 1822 where descendents still live and farm. Azel's daughter Emily Theresa married Nicholas Peters, who, at the age of 2, had immigrated with his parents and two older brothers to Canton in 1830.
- Their first daughter, Phoebe Margaret, married Myndert Harris Jr, the son of another original settler in the area.
- Their fourth child, Susan, married John David Smith, the son of the original Elias Peter Smith of Port Hope. Susan is buried in the cemetery at St Mark’s Anglican Church in Port Hope. There are commemorative windows to Susan from her husband at both St Mark’s and St John’s Anglican Churches because they would have been parishioners of the original St John’s and later of the newer brick building completed in 1869.
A few years after burying his wife and three other family members, James realized that the interments were actually in lot 12, not lot 11 that he owned. He purchased the land they were buried in from the owner, Samuel Powers in 1833. Samuel Powers was the father of Dr. L.B. Powers after whom the public school in Port Hope was named. Dr Powers started his practice in Canton at the white Ontario Cottage on County Road 10.
Later in 1837, negotiations began to deed the cemetery to the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the forerunner to the United Church of Canada. The land transfer was completed in 1843 after James’ death by his son James. In 1931, the United Church sold the cemetery for one dollar to the Canton Cemetery Trust. The Cemetery Board purchased an additional 1¼ acres of adjoining land from Jack & Jennie Vanderwindt in 1988 to enlarge the cemetery to the east.
Through most of the Cemetery’s two centuries until today, many of the Board members have been descendents of early Canton families including those of Susan Hawkins, whose burial was commemorated on April 17, 2011.