Canada, Ontario, Toronto Trust Cemeteries - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada Ontario

What is in this Collection?
This collection covers cemetery records from 1826 to 1989. Indexed records are available until 1935.

These records include an index and images from several Toronto cemeteries, including: York General Burying Ground (also called Potter’s Field), 1826-1855; Necropolis Cemetery, 1850-1912 (the index will continue to 1935); Mount Pleasant Cemetery, 1876-1933; Prospect Cemetery, 1890-1935.

The records included were created to provide a list of those buried in the Toronto Trust Cemeteries: Potter’s Field, Toronto Necropolis, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, and Prospect Cemetery.

The registers are hand-written on a pre-printed form. The names are arranged alphabetically by surname.

The first non-sectarian cemetery in the city of Toronto was created following the city council’s 1825 decision to purchase a plot of land for this purpose. This was ratified by Parliament in 1826 and the first public cemetery was named the York General Burying Grounds but became better known as “Potter’s Field.” This site would be sold off in 1855 and the remains moved to the newly purchased Toronto Necropolis.

As the city increased in population the trustees of the Toronto General Burying Ground would purchase the Toronto Necropolis from its owners in 1850. With continued increase in population in 1876 the Mount Pleasant Cemetery was added. Finally, in 1890 the Prospect Cemetery was added to serve the city’s growing west end.

These records are especially helpful for identifying ancestors who may not be recorded in other records, such as children who died young or unmarried women.

This collection is a reliable record of individuals buried in the cemeteries, barring human error or deliberate falsification.

For a list of cemeteries currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Cemetery records may include the following information:


 * Full name of the deceased
 * Age at death (year, month and day)
 * Place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Full name of nearest relative
 * Name of cemetery
 * Marital status
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of death.
 * The place where your ancestor died.
 * The name of the cemetery where your ancestor was buried.

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare several persons in the list before you find your ancestor.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse Images" on the initial search page ⇒Select the appropriate "Cemetery Name" ⇒Select the appropriate "Volume Number" which will take you to the images

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Don't forget to also search for your ancestor in death records as well as these cemetery records. You can try the Ontario Deaths collection on FamilySearch to begin your search.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die so it is not always accurate to assume that a burial place is the same as a death place. The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members. If a family member was buried in a church cemetery, it may mean they were members of that congregation, and their existing church records should be examined.
 * Use information such as age at death, to calculate a birth date then search for a birth record. One place to look is the Ontario, Births collection.
 * Use the information to find your ancestors in Censuses. These can help you find additional family members and places of residence.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they were born, married or died, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the sexton’s records which should list everyone who was buried in the cemetery.
 * Relatives may be buried in adjoining plots, so examine the plot layout in addition to an alphabetical transcript.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: