Cemetery.
Details of Site Location: On the Park Lot of William Dummer Powell, Elm Street at St. Patrick Street.
Boundary History: The boundaries of this cemetery are unknown.
Historical Description: Few families appear in as many historical accounts as the Powell family. Chief Justice William Dummer Powell had his town house of logs on what is now the Royal York Hotel block. Like most owners of Town Lots, he was granted other land, one part being Park Lot 12, where Powell built a quiet country home in 1810. An active and pretty stream flowed through the property, and southeast of the house, a family burial ground was laid out. In later years, this area was surrounded by a high brick wall that had iron gates giving access from the west side. Around the cemetery were tall trees, a garden, and lilac bushes. The Chief Justice’s life was filled with tragedies. He himself died in 1834 and was buried in a vault in his own cemetery, where he was joined by his wife in 1849. By these dates there were other family members in the ground. The house became the centre of a pleasure ground, then a hotel, and finally a location known for its licentiousness. The cemetery was neglected, and some graves were removed to St. James Cemetery at Bloor and Parliament in 1869. Six graves were moved, but the total number of burials is not known. As the six graves had markers, those were moved with the graves. The area has undergone frequent changes, and there is little likelihood that any other graves remain to be discovered.
Reference Sources: Henry Scadding, Toronto of Old (1873); Toronto Reference Library, Baldwin Room.
Acknowledgements: Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto Branch; Maps Project collection.