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Some History of The Mayhew, Mount Pleasant,

And the Combined Cemeteries

With Thanks to Gordon Dickson, Lloyd Mitton,

And the Mayhew Family in Glencoe.

As you drive outside of Thamesville, you pass three cemeteries though unless you look quickly, you might think they are all one. You pass the Catholic St Paul's Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, and Mayhew Cemetery in that order. When you get to the higher trees (as of 2012) you pass from Mount Pleasant and on to Mayhew, the last of the three.

Mount Pleasant (O'neil)

Mount Pleasant began, we are told, in the 1900 - 1910 era. It was started as a venture by Humbert Graves (a Grandfather of Lloyd Mitton), and Warren O'neil. They sold plots to people, etc. They simply realized that another cemetery was needed in the area as other cemeteries were beginning to fill up and such, and so they decided another one was required in the area. They, as individual owners, sold plots to people as required.

Later Mr Graves told Mr O'neil that he would like to sell his share to him (or else buy him out) and Mr O'neil decided to take him up on the offer. And thus the cemetery was at one point known by some as the O'neil Cemetery. The board was later amalgamated with Mayhew board in the 1950's.

Mayhew

The Mayhew Cemetery was apparently much older. At this point cannot confirm any dates, but it is said to be as much as 25 years older. i.e. it probably began in the 1875 era somewhere though could have began with William in 1881. It began as a family cemetery for the Mayhew Family, and apparently their burials are located right in the front of it next to the road.

William Mayhew and Ann Aldis came to Canada from England in 1832, landing in Port Stanley. From there they passed through London to go to Deleware where they first settled for 14 years. Then they constructed a raft of heavy local timbers and headed down river with all of their possessions to Thamesville where they settled again, purchasing "Freeman's Tavern". (See Sherman's and Wallace Cemeteries History.) There were two competing town sites there with "Tecumseh" with later became "Thamesville", and the town of "Thamesville" being promoted by Erastus Wallace. The Wallace Cemetery was to be the cemetery for that town but it never came to be. The Rail Road went through Thamesville, and thus Thamesville that we know today (Formerly Tecumseh) became that town. Over the years to come the Mayhew family owned the Mayhew Hotel, The Mayhew Harmer General Store, the Mayhew Harmer Bank, The Syer and Mayhew Grain and Grist Mill, and the Mayhew Hall.

The family first Homesteaded on the edge of Thamesville as we know it today and that Homestead became the location of the Mayhew Cemetery. William and Ann who originally came from England are buried there along with the many other family members who were so involved with the town. Since this was their "Family Cemetery", it carries their name even today. William was, as mentioned, buried in Mayhew in 1881. So far history has not provided us with the information as to whether this was the first burial there.

Mayhew Mount Pleasant

As indicated above the boards of the Mount Pleasant and the Mayhew Cemeteries were amalgamated in the 1950's. At that point the fence between the two Protestant Cemeteries was removed, and both of the cemeteries needed to be cleaned up a good deal.

Land was later bought in behind both of the cemeteries to allow for future expansion and sale of new plots.

As indicated, the Catholic St Paul's Cemetery is located right next to it.