In the fall of 2021, the Kingston Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) received permission from the Town of Greater Napanee to transcribe and record the inscriptions found on the grave markers in Riverview Cemetery and to publish them in what is known as a transcription record. It took volunteer branch members more than a year and several cemetery visits to complete those transcriptions.
The final transcription record is 247 pages long and includes the names of 7,210 people, although those are not all unique individuals. For example, approximately 1,600 women are included in the index under both their maiden and married names. There are also the names of people associated with the deceased, but who are not buried in the cemetery (e.g., the given names of the living children of a married couple).
An introduction to the publication provides a description and history of the cemetery, as well as several photographs. GPS co-ordinates have been included for each row to assist cemetery visitors to locate grave markers.
Volunteers also searched the cemetery’s burial register to identify those people who are buried in Riverview Cemetery but for whom no grave marker was found, finding 313 such cases between the years 1951 and 1992. Unfortunately, no burial records exist before 1951, and 1992 was the last year for which names could be included due to privacy restrictions. An addendum provides the names of those 313 people who do not have a grave marker, along with their date of death and the location of their burial plots.
The transcription record should prove to be an invaluable resource for genealogists and others interested in family and local history. A copy has been provided to the L&A County Museum and Archives.
It is also available for sale as a digital download on the OGS Marketplace website for $15 (by visiting https://ogs.on.ca/shop/town-of-napanee-riverview/) or by sending an email to KingstonPublications@ogs.on.ca to request a digital (PDF) file ($15.00) or printed publication ($39 plus postage).
Those interested in learning more about the Kingston Branch of the OGS, or becoming a member, should visit the website at https://Kingston.ogs.on.ca. The Branch is celebrating its 5oth anniversary this year.