The Cemetery at Kelly's Point
Located at the end of Murphy's Cove road at Kelly's Point is located a cemetery which has more or less been lost to time. Amongst the new homes which have been built over the last decade the cemetery sits silent in its memory of the Point's original settlers.
The cemetery probably contains numerous graves but only one headstone remains and it is the oldest headstone in the Prospect area. A transcription of the headstone has been provided below:
SACRED
To the Memory of
MARY
Wife of James Hearn
who departed this Life
Aug. 15 1811 in the 26 Year
of her Age
a faithful Wife
a Sincere Christian
May she rest in Peace Amen
Mary (Umlah) Hearn was the wife of James Hearn who lived just across the harbour on Hearn's Island. Mary was born at St. Margaret's Bay on 25 June 1786 the daughter of John and Margaret (Redmond) Umlah. There is no record of any children being born of the marriage of James and Mary Hearn. After the death of Mary in 1811 James would remarry at St. Paul's Anglican Church on 9 January 1816 to Ann Fagan (1795-1876) and they would have six children.
This is a picture of the headstone as it looked in 2000. The headstone, at that time, was in very good condition and had no damage.
This pictures shows Father Lawrence Fischer the parish priest in 2000 alongside the Hon. Bill Estabrooks, MLA for Timberlea-Prospect from 1998-2013 surveying the gravestone. Behind them you can see the sun shining off of the water. The Headstone is located very close to the edge of the land that has been steadily eroding.
In March 2001 Bill Estabrooks, the MLA for Timberlea-Prospect rose in the Nova Scotia Legislature and read the following resolution:
MR. WILLIAM ESTABROOKS: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Village of Prospect is an historic community with a proud past; and
Whereas Nathaniel Smith, son of Linda Coolen-Smith and grandson of Kathleen and Weldon Coolen, has put Prospect's past on the web with an award-winning site; and
Whereas Nathaniel, through his research, literally uncovered an 1811 headstone of Mary Hearn at Kelly's Point, thereby notifying developers of the significance of this piece of land;
Therefore be it resolved that this House recognizes and thanks student geneologist, Nathaniel Smith, for his diligence and hard work in preserving the past of Prospect and its significance.