Rubidges in the Little Lake Cemetery, Peterborough, Ontario
This information was kindly provided to me by the Little Lake Cemetery Receptionist on May 2, 2011
Captain Rubidge purchased two plots which contained 20 graves in total. They are in Section A and are plots 6S and 6N.
A few steps of these plots to the north are the Clementi plots. There are 20 graves in these 2 plots, but just 2 people in them – Elizabeth and her 2nd husband.
Ruth’s Note:
. The 2 spellings of Lambe and Lamb are as they appear in the records
There are a couple of verses that we just couldn't decipher so when I
was in Peterborough a couple of weeks ago, I took my new camera, which
I bought last year and learned how to really use over the winter, in
the hope that the new camera would capture the verses better. Upon
arrival we found that the tree that can be seen in the background of
earlier photos had been removed. There was new grass coming up on the
site of the tree so we think that the tree was removed in the fall.
With the protection of the tree gone, the scriptures that we were
trying to interpret were completely indiscernible and even some of the
script that was very clear last year seemed much less so this year.
If you have a chance to go, enter through the main gates and go up the
hill and turn left at the first fork. Head to the left side of the
chapel and it's pretty easy to find. When you get the photos, you'll
see a shot of the Captain's Marker with the chapel in the background just
to help with landmarking for anyone who would like to visit.
The main monument on the site is obelisk in shape measuring
approximately 8.5 feet from the earth to the top point. The obelisk
shape sits on 3 tiers of concrete which, from the bottom to the top,
measure 25, 20 and 14 inches wide. All four sides have information
carved on them. For the purpose of description, I arbitrarily
assigned the side that has the Captain's inscription as Side 1 and
then went clockwise around the obelisk to assign Sides 2, 3 and 4.
The following is the information that we transcribed.
Side 1 – South Side of the Obelisk – faces the Chapel
Here rests
the body of
Cap’t Charles Rubidge RN
BORN
April 30, 1787
Died
Feb 5, 1873
He that believeth in me
Saith the Lord, though
he was dead, yet shall
he live.
Side 2 – West Side of the Obelisk
In Memory of
John DePrado
Second Son of
Cap’t Rubidge RN
who died
FEB’Y 22nd, 1896
Aged 80 Years
and 9 Mons
2 Lines of verse which we could not decipher
Also of
Mary His Wife
who died
Nov 18th, 1902
Aged 77 Years
Truly my hope is
Even in Thee
THEIR DAUGHTERS
CATHERINE Mary
1857-1933
ELIZABETH AMY
1858-1941
FLORENCE
1865-1930
Side 3 – The North Face of the Obelisk
In Memory of
CHARLES P.
Eldest Son of
Cap’t Rubidge RN
who departed his
life on the 30th of
April AD 1871
Aged 58 Years
2 Lines of verse which we could not decipher
ALSO
SARAH
HIS WIFE
Died Oct 22, 1891
Aged 77 Years
2 Lines of verse which we could not decipher
Side 4 – East side of the Obelisk
In Memory of
MARGARET
wife of
Capt. Rubidge RN
who died
April 16, 1868
Aged 79 Years & 6 Mos
A Lamb of God that
that takes away the
sins of the world.
Have mercy upon me.
We did make a trip over to the office which is now located at the
front gates of Highland Park Cemetery. The receptionist was very
helpful. The Captain owned 2 plots in Section A, Plots 6S and 6N.
The receptionist gave us the names and dates of death of everyone in
the the 2 plots. There is an attached an MS word document that
contains the information that she gave us. We went back to Little
Lake Cemetery again to photograph some of these markers and stones
because when we were there on our other visits, we had not realized
that the stones and markers that were in the area of the obelisk had a
family connection.
The receptionist also told us of the Clementi plots that were right
next to the Rubidge plots and we took some photos of these as well.
The records show that there are just the 2 of them in the Clementi
plots but I did find a marker for Vincent's first wife, so I think
that she may be there as well.
We also found the marker for Fanny Shaw Rubidge Harper, with her son
Robert, husband John as well as her parents. Once again, 2 sides
photographed much better than the other 2. The following is the
transcription of the Shaw Marker:
IN
MEMORY OF
HANNAH ANN
WIFE OF
N SHAW
WHO DIED
SEPT 28, 1884
AGED 67 YEARS
IN
MEMORY OF
NATHANIEL
SHAW
WHO DIED
MARCH 19, 1888
AGED
70 YEARS
FANNY SHAW
WIFE OF
JOHN HARPER
DIED JULY 17, 1927
AGED 79 YEARS
IN
THE MEMORY OF
ROBERT HARPER
SON OF
JOHN & FANNY
HARPER
DIED
MAY 17, 1918
AGED
27 YEARS
I have burned all of the photos I took to a CD which I will send off
to you next week but as a tease, I have sent along the best shot of
the Captain's Info. There are just too many photos to send by email,
so thought that this would be the best way to send them to you. As
far as copyright, I give you permission to use any of these images for
your website. I have sent the best of the best, and will let you
decide which ones you would like to use.
I have another photo of Fanny and John which I have included as well.
It took a while to figure out who Hazel was, but I think that she is
actually Hazel Dobbin - who was a neice of John Harper (daughter of his
sister, Margaret). I am not sure who the boys were. There's no date
on the photo, but it would have been taken before 1927.
Before I close here, just a few things from your website:
1) I was reading your website and found an Edmund Theodore Rubidge
who drowned in the Otonabee River at "Cambleton, Ont." but I think
that this should be Campbelltown. This little place is actually on
Google Maps and right on one of the main bends that the Otonabee River
takes just above where it empties into Rice Lake.
2) Also, your notes show that John Harper was also went by the name
of Jack. Not sure where this came from. My Great Aunt, who died just
a couple of years ago always said that his name was John Harper; in
fact, she always called him "Uncle Johnny Harper,"
whenever she referred to him. John Harper lived to be 93 and I have
several newspaper articles from interviews around his later birthdays
because he was one of the oldest living people living in Peterborough
in the 1930's. My Great Aunt fondly remembered Fanny who she
described as a very gentle lady with red hair who loved to play the
piano.
3) Re Margaret Julia ("Lily") Thomson
We have always spelled her name as "Thompson" (no relation to my
husband's family!). Her Mother, Jane, is buried with her sister, Elizabeth
Harper Irwin Gray, who was my Great, Great Grandmother. Jane died at a
very early age, before her husband. I couldn't understand why she was
buried without him, but I read on your site that he died in NY state,
so he probably is buried there. The inscription on the stone is as
follows:
IN
MEMORY OF
HARRIETT
WIFE OF
JOHN THOMPSON
WHO DIED
JUNE 5, 1886
AGED 30 YEARS