Family Plot at Blue Church Cemetery - but only one stone

 John and I enjoyed a trip along the St Lawrence in the Spring and spent the night in Prescott.  We came across an interesting cemetery at the Blue Church.

We were lucky enough to chat with a man who spends countless hours there curating and researching the people.  I took pics of quite a few stones including those of Queen Camilla's ancestors.

  There was one stone that was all on it's own surrounded by a large stone-walled cemetery plot. It's a bit hard to see but the stone is resting on the wall in the upper right hand corner of the picture.

 According to Find My Grave, the plot is large enough for 9 people, but only George is believed to be buried there. (1) Sounds like there's a story behind this.

George Walsh was born in 1800 in Ireland.  In the 1851 census he was living with his Eliza and children William (aged 14), Jonathan (12), Eliza (10), Matilda (8), George (3), and Sarah (1).  He was a hotel keeper. (2)  The 1861 census gives us a little bit more information. In this census we discover that his wife Eliza Francis and daughter Matilda were born in Lower Canada, and that they are still in Prescott living in a 2 1/2 storey frame house.  They own 1 cow and their livestock is worth $29.  William, Jonathan, Matilda and George Alfred Jr are living with them but Sarah is not.   William appears with his wife and 2 children in the 1871 census, where he is a railway clerk.  A few families down, Elizabeth appears in the same household as George, neither have an occupation.  The hotelkeeper, is a Walsh but not one of George's children.  J Morrow Walsh appears in the 1871 census as a hotel keeper.  James Morrow fought in the Fenian Raids, was a member of the North West Mounted Police, ran a mining company in the North West Territories and served as the first commissioner of the Yukon territory.(4) James' father Louis was born in Ireland and I wonder if he and George were brothers.(5)

Elizabeth never remarried, in 1881, she is living with her widowed daughter Matilda (Blakey) and 11 year old grand daughter Gertrude.(6)  Sadly, Matilda died in 1883,  and Gertrude also lived a shorter than hoped for life and died in Perth, Ontario of Phthisis(7).  She is buried beside her mom in Blue Church Cemetery.(8)

Elizabeth died June 12, 1887 and her death was reported by William, who stated she was born in Montreal. (9)  I haven't been able to find where she was buried.  

(1)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72047478/george-walsh

(2)Year: 1851; Census Place: Grenville, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11724; Page: 1; Line: 27

(3)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1026

(4)https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walsh-7055

(5)https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walsh-7055

(6)"Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada records, Aug 4, 2018," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSM8-

Q9GY-G?view=explore : Aug 19, 2023), image 541 of 740; Public Archives of Canada.

(7)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 9

(8)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72194047/mathilda-blakey#view-photo=53010095

(9)"Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q93-C9YJ-79TF-5?cc=1307826&wc=3LKH-VZ9%3A1584243504%2C1584250302%2C1584279901 : 27 April 2019), Deaths > 1887 > no 8629-14996 > image 143 of 1612; citing Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto.