Greetings,

If I remember correctly, there were burials in the yard of the Peterborough
Jail in Peterborough, Ontario. Unfortunately, I can't think of who  you
might want to contact... perhaps some other Ontario folks here could help?

--Megan Springate

At 11:13 AM 06/13/2002, you wrote:

>
>
>Dear Histarchers,
>
>During the time there were public executions in Ontario for a wide variety
>of crimes, it was a widespread and common practice for hanged prisoners,
>unclaimed by relatives, to be buried in the jail yard.  <?xml:namespace
>prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>  It is thought that after rebels Matthews and Lount were hanged at the
> (2nd) jail in Toronto in 1837, they were at first buried in the exercise
> yard, then later reburied at the Necropolis.
>
>  Archaeologists have uncovered burials in the exercise yard at the
> Waterloo County Jail.  At Toronto's Don Jail, the burial area was
> referred to as "Murderer's Row".  In No Tears to the Gallows, author Mark
> Johnson cites death-row prisoner Frank McCullough, in 1919, looking down
> from his cell window to point out where the last fellow hanged was buried
> and commenting to attending Reverend R. Bertram Nelles : "You see my
> place is right next."
>
>  The Don Jail was preceded by the 1838 Gaol (on the site of Upper
> Canada's first Parliament Buildings).
>
>  Does anyone have knowledge of jail yard burials at this particular jail
> (Toronto's 3rd), or at others in the period1830 to 1850 in Ontario, or
> elsewhere if relevant?
>
>
>
>Rollo Myers and Adriana Balen
>
>Citizens for the Old Town
>
>416 861 1793
>
>159 King Street East Toronto, Ontario M5C 1G9
>
>
>
>