CLIPPERTON CEMETERY Evelyn, Ontario, Canada

By Austin Clipperton based on Information from Ruth White, family lore and material published in the West Nissouri Township History, Vol. 1

I suppose there could be several ways. Being a notorious murderer and needing a place for your victims could be one. Although considering that all the "Clippertons" would like to brag that they likely descended from Pirate John Clipperton, I do believe that our known ancestors were less notorious than a privateer. Actually,I do not know that John C. was a murdering type of pirate anyway. Being a "Clipperton" he most likely said "please let me have your wares".

Many times a cemetery would be named after a community but I have never heard of a Town or Village called "Clippertonville" or anything like that.

In Ontario, and no doubt it was quite universal, many of the earlier burials were located on the farm on which the deceased had lived. This seemed a likely possibility for the "Clipperton Cemetery" However, we do not know of any deaths in the Clipperton families in Ontario, Canada at or before the time when the cemetery was established.

You may or may not know that the first known immigration of Clippertons into Canada were Austin and Ann(e) Clipperton and a family of 8 or 9 children (aged 1 to 16) most likely in 1836. They left England from Yarmouth Harbor, in the County of Norfolk, and landed at Quebec City; then they trekked westward to Ontario and ended up in the Woodstock area near London. Why they left England and why they came to this area of North America is still a mystery. A genealogist did tell me that it was apparent that they left England on their own auspices and were not paid to leave by the authorities.

Austin & Anne purchased lot 2 Concession 6 in the township of Nissouri *(Nifsouri) Middlesex County in about 1840 a total of 200 acres. This was an existing farm, and I expect had some arable land at that time. There are still Clipperton descendants living on a part of that property. In this same year, it is reported that they donated one quarter of an acre or maybe 1/2 acre in the north west corner of their land to be used as a cemetery. Was this a generous donation? Who knows? By 1851 the Canadian census indicates that Austin had 87 acres under cultivation. Perhaps the sandy knoll donated for the cemetery was unproductive land..

From the 1851 Canadian census, it is known that a log school house which was sometimes used by the E. Methodist Church existed on this property. In deed, there may have been a succession of community use buildings erected there, and other records refer to the school as the "Grace School" but no buildings have existed there since about 1900. The only other buildings near by were farm buildings and possibly a New Connexion Methodist church on the adjacent farm to the west. This farm was owned by William C., son of Austin & Anne. William later moved to Iowa.

The nearest community was called "Evelyn" and was about a mile and a half away at a crossroads and may have boasted a store, blacksmith shop with schools and churches nearby. In fact, the Clipperton's are reported to have been from Evelyn, but the cemetery did not take the name "Evelyn".

The earliest known burial was Henry Greetham Henshaw who died Dec 1840, aged 16, while felling trees to clear land. (As related by Mary Jane McCormick for the Copping Family tree.) As far as we know, there was no family connection at the time of his death. Austin and Anne's youngest child Susan, born about 1839 married George Henshaw, a younger brother of the deceased.

As well as, Austin and Anne, there are many Clippertons, related families and other members of the community buried at this cemetery.

Like many other burial grounds in that area, apathy, lack of finances, and other circumstances, resulted in a lack of maintenance. My grandmother Mrs. Benjamin Clipperton, who resided on the farmstead refused to have her son Colville (who had been killed in a farming accident in his 15th year in 1921) buried there because it was in such deplorable condition.

I am pleased to report that since that time the community has banded together and throughout the years has enlarged the cemetery, and erected a fence, with masonry gate posts, gates and decorative fencing along the road. The archway sign was donated by Wilfred Clipperton. I am certain that the board, and community are proud to show off this cemetery at the annual decoration service held on the second Sunday of September.

Likewise, as descendants and relatives of Austin & Anne Clippreton, we can be proud of the fact that the community has honored the donation of the land by Austin and Anne, and shown respect for the Clipperton name down through the years, by retaining our surname as the name for the cemetery.

Clipperton Cemetery is located about twelve miles East of Downtown London, Ontario, Canada off Highway #2 about .8 mile North on Purple Hill Road (formerly the 5th concession road). It is South of the former Community of Evelyn.

Permission and Information is being sought to include full burial and lot ownership records for Clipperton Cemetery in this page.