Interments started in 1763 and now there are approximately 1100 interments documented in the Onslow Island Cemetery. These can be found in this searchable database. The database, and the accompanying Lot Holders maps are designed to help visitors find where their family and ancestors are located.

In cemeteries with over 260 years of interments, it should not be surprising that some data is incomplete or perhaps missing altogether. Official, confirmed records held by the present Grounds Team and Secretary contain numerous examples of lots that were sold to families, but have no record of what, if any, interments were made. This is especially prevalent in Section 3 and Section 4, known as the ‘older section’ of the cemetery where purchases and burials were in the 1800s for the most part.

 As volunteer record keepers changed over the decades, the method used to record burials changed. The present practice of recording names and burial sites, as well as identifying the Section and Lot, was not always consistently followed in the past.  Records are passed on to ‘next cemetery board member volunteer’. However, sometimes records were inexplicably passed to the Colchester Historeum, (www.colchesterhistoreum.ca) for archiving. The Historeum maintains archival information for Colchester County cemeteries, including but not limited to the Onslow Cemetery (cemetery #54). If you are looking for an ancestor and can not find them in this searchable database, you may wish to consult the records at the Colchester Historeum.

In 2023, the Secretary reviewed the holdings of the Historeum and identified numerous records that were unique from those contained in the Cemetery Board’s files. Some of these unique records appear to be from anonymous contributors. In addition, some of these Historeum documents appear to have been collected by one or more individuals walking the cemetery grounds and recording the inscription on the gravestones over half a century ago. This is fortuitous as some/many of these gravestones have since deteriorated substantially and are now in our records.  

As mentioned previously, the present database was compiled from records from various sources. If you have questions or want to query the entries, please contact the Secretary (nancy.pitts@dal.ca)

 As well, private individuals have, in a couple of cases, put photographs of headstones on Find A Grave. This was/is a private initiative. As time progresses, it is expected that this searchable database may be expanded to include photos of headstones.