St. Andrew's Society burials
|
In the summer of 1857, tragedy struck when the steamship S.S. Montreal caught fire and sank on the St. Lawrence River, claiming the lives of more than 250 people—many of them newly arrived Scottish immigrants. In response, the St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal stepped in to care for the survivors and bury the victims. The Mount Royal Cemetery Company donated a burial lot to the Society, where fifteen Scottish victims—mostly women and children—were laid to rest following a solemn service. Survivors were given shelter at the Society’s home and provided with clothing, supplies, and safe passage to their destinations, thanks to generous donations from the local and international Scottish community.
This event marked the beginning of the Society’s long tradition of providing burial space for Scots who died in Montreal without family or means. Over time, additional lots were acquired in both Mount Royal and Hawthorn-Dale Cemeteries. The Society ensured that no Scottish person in need would be buried at public expense, even going so far as to claim bodies from the city morgue when necessary. By 1985, more than 300 people had been buried through the Society’s efforts, most in its dedicated lots. Memorials honouring those lost in the S.S. Montreal disaster were later installed, preserving the memory of this formative moment in the Society’s history. As expressed in an 1869 sermon: “Like a kind and tender mother putting her children to rest, the St. Andrew’s Society… gave them a coffin and a grave in a strange land.” To read the full story and view the names of those buried by the St. Andrew's Society, please download the following text by Society historian Mary Johnston Cox (1924–2018): |
|
St. Andrew's Society cemetery lots
The St. Andrew's Society owns four cemetery lots. The largest two are located in the Mount Royal Cemetery, and there are two small lots in the Des Trembles Cemetery (formerly known as the Hawthorn-Dale Cemetery) in Montreal's east end.
Mount Royal Cemetery, Section F Lot 28
Find on a map |
Mount Royal Cemetery, Section G Lot 762
Find on a map |
Des Trembles Cemetery, Lot 21 Number 31
Find on a map |
Des Trembles Cemetery, Lot 48 Number 59
Find on a map |
