Cemetery Overview
Avondale Cemetery
Direct Phone: 519-271-0622
Map: 4 Avondale Avenue
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The City of Stratford provides the community with cemetery services at Avondale Cemetery. We are dedicated to helping Families and individuals understand and make decisions regarding cemetery services and products. We do this in a manner that is sensitive, caring and comforting. Please call 519-271-0250 ext. 246 to learn how our dedicated team can assist you.
Cemetery Listings
You can search our records database by last name to access information regarding interment date, section, row and grave. Click here to start your search.
To view a map of the cemetery grounds, click here.
For more information on Avondale Cemetery, please contact:
Cemetery Manager
Michael Dack
Phone: 519-271-0250 ext. 246
Email: [email protected]
Mailing Address
City of Stratford Community Services Department
Avondale Cemetery
P.O. Box 874
Stratford, ON N5A 6W3
History
Avondale cemetery was opened in 1871 as a town owned facility. It was reported in the Stratford Beacon Herald Friday December 2, 1870 that several members of council had met with Mr. Kirk, the provincial land surveyor at that time. The meeting was to review the lands and provide general instructions to make a preliminary plan for the survey.
The plan submitted by Mr. Kirk defined approximately 22 acres of land located north west of the river defined for burial purposes. The plan created a beautiful site with more than half of it sloping to the south east. Mr. Kirk’s plan was presented to council for review before it was adopted.
Included in the original proposal was a bridge over the river at the foot of Cambria Street and John street through the area now know as the Old Grove. At the time, this was the Avondale Park.
The Cemetery contains the remains of many of Stratford’s earliest residents including William Sargint who arrived in Stratford in 1832. The cemetery records also indicate that during the flu epidemic of 1918, in the period of October 7 – November 7, 88 influenza victims were buried in the Avondale Cemetery.
The early records showed death, burial date and the reason for the death, some of which would be considered unusual by today’s standards. Some of the causes of death included such things as; teething and brain fever, typhoid, cholera and ‘found dead in lock up’.
Of the original records, the first page was lost containing the first 25 interments. The first entry on page two, the 26th interment, was a woman of Scotish decent and a member of the Presbyterian Church. She was interred on October 27, 1871, cause of death was old age (83).
The old cemetery was laid out with winding roadways and circular garden areas, some of which are still recognizable today. A few of the original areas have been replanted to reflect what they may have looked like in their day. Many of the old roadways have been abandon or reclaimed as grave spaces making it often difficult to determine the divisions of some areas from others.
The Catholic cemetery section was developed in 1883 when the London Diocese purchased approximately 17 acres of land adjacent to the public cemetery. These lands were also survey and laid out as cemetery plots. The catholic sections are designated by Saints names, such as St John, St Matthew, St Anthony. This area was later sold to the city for a nominal fee on the understanding that the religious nature of the section would be maintained. This parcel of land held two distinct uses before it was acquired by the Diocese. It was at one time the location of the drill and camp grounds for the Fenian volunteers and operated as farm land. The original owner was a R. Boyes. In an 1832 article in the Stratford Beacon Herald, A.R. Boyes’ son, R.P Boyes recounted their duties of delivering milk to the tents in 1866.
Several small mausoleums were privately set up as family burial sites. The large one near John St was built privately during the 1920s by the Canadian Mausoleum Company which sold the space and maintained it. These mausoleums are evident in cemeteries in Guelph and London. The company went bankrupt in 1930 and the city was left holding the property. The original records were lost to the city cemetery board during the transition.
After its opening in 1871, there were a number of burials that were removed from various church cemeteries, such as St. Andrews, and re-interred at Avondale.
In a January 21, 1953 the cemetery marked the 15000 interment. At the time, the population of Stratford was reported to be 19000.
Today there is approximately 30000 interment locations within the cemetery with an adjoining land mass of 44 acres. This additional acreage is yet to be developed, however a master plan for these lands has been submitted and approved by the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services.
During the summer of 2002 a new mausoleum was constructed. This facility provides space for the above ground entombment of one hundred and eighty caskets or the spaces can be used for up to four cremated remains. Memorialization is completed by the engraving of the granite plaque which encloses the end of each crypt. The granite used in the construction of the mausoleum is heavily veined and was book matched to enhance the appearance of the structure. The building is lit at night by flood lights on each corner of the and pot lights in the overhanging roof sections. Each of the crypts plates is wired with low voltage vigil lights which also act as vases for artificial or cut flowers. There has been extensive landscaping completed around this building and it has become a feature within the cemetery.
