Dr. Laura Smith on the significance of Burlington Heights

Exterior overhead shot of promontory of land surrounded on two sides by water with a number of roads and highways. Camera pans down. Celtic style music playing.

Burlington Heights is a sand and gravel promontory

Interior shot of seated woman wearing short sleeve dark blue top with white dots speaking to camera, in front of a white fire place with a framed black and white painting of a town along a shoreline with mountains rising behind it in background. On screen text: Dr Laura Smith. Ireland Park Foundation Researcher.

and it’s to the northwest of the Hamilton town site proper.

Interior shot of black and white map of promontory of land surrounded by two bodies of water with inscription “Burlington” and “Heights” over it that becomes visible as the camera pans up. On screen caption: Burlington Bay, Hamilton Ontario.

It is surrounded on one side by Hamilton Harbour, or Burlington Bay as it was known in the 19th century, and Cootes Paradise which is a marshy wetland to the north and then to the west. It’s very significant to the history of Hamilton and to the history of the province in general.

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

It was a significant place for indigenous peoples well into the early 19th century.

Interior shot of painting of town, several buildings amidst numerous trees viewed from high vantage point looking down, with steeple visible and river in background. Camera pans to right and dirt road with man and dog walking on it and horse and buggy with other people behind it become visible. On screen caption: Hamilton and Burlington Bay From the Mountain – McMaster University Library.

Europeans started living there in the early 19th century, specifically a man named and

Interior shot of black and white illustrated facial portrait of a balding man with a bushy beard and receding hairline wearing jacket and tie.

Richard Beasley. He was considered one of the first settlers of Hamilton.

Interior shot of water colour painting of body of water with several boats surrounded by low rising hills and forests, with tree prominent in left foreground. On screen caption: Elizabeth Simcoe Water Colour. Cootes Paradise from Hill. Archives of Ontario. Camera pans slowly down left.

And he had property on that, on Burlington Heights. And then his time in Burlington Heights was interrupted

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

by the British military who took over Burlington Heights during the War of 1812. And they used it as a military encampment, a supply depot

Interior shot of black and white map of promontory of land surrounded by two bodies of water with inscription “Burlington” and “Heights” over it. Camera pans upwards.

probably a hospital there, a defensive position. And so if you go to Burlington Heights today there are still mounds from the British defence position, batteries and other structures remain of their defensive position.

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

And so Burlington Heights was a place where the British military retreated to,

Interior shot of black and white illustration of soldiers in nineteenth century uniforms holding muskets charging from left over corpse into two cannon barrels on right with rest of cannons off screen. Camera pans right and up. On screen caption: Battle of Stoney Creek. June 1813. W Jefferys. Library and Archive of Canada.

but it was also a place where they launched the Battle of Stoney Creek in 1813

Interior shot of naval battle with several vessels with sails on body of water with fortified position on land in background, lots of billowing smoke behind it. Lighthouse, church, and several buildings in middle ground. On screen caption: The Battle of Fort George, May 27, 1813. Archives of Canada Photographic Collection Lithograph.

and also the retaking of Fort George. After the British military left, they left behind the infrastructure,

Interior shot of black and white map of promontory of land surrounded by two bodies of water with inscription “Heights”. A road, buildings marked “barracks” and “grave yard” visible as camera pans in close up.

so barracks remained, and also a cemetery.

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

By the time the cholera epidemic came along in 1832 in Hamilton, the barracks became an ideal place for a cholera hospital,

Interior diagonal shot from right that is gradually centred of black and white illustration of grassy upland with three trees and marsh behind them. Inscribed on illustration: “The Old Cholera Cemetery on the Heights”. On screen caption: The Old Cholera Cemetery on the Heights – Hamilton Spectator.

and then the graveyard was then used in turn as a cholera cemetery.

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

One historian said to me at the time it was considered a waste ground for waste people. That’s a pretty harsh way to put it, but I think there’s a certain element of truth there.

Interior shot of abstracted miniature sculptural figure of adult carrying dead child on her shoulders on table, with sculptural wall in background.

It makes sense that this is also where Irish emigrants who are strangers to the city

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

and had also died from a potentially infectious or contagious disease would also be buried.

Exterior shot of green plaque on grey stone, with inscription: Guard this Resting Place of these Unknown Soldiers, Immigrants, and Citizens. War of 1812-1814. Ship Fever 1847-1848. Cholera 1854-1855.

That said, immigrants were buried at Christ Church Anglican Cemetery

Exterior shot of cemetery with stone church in background, several trees in full leaf in foreground. On screen caption: Christ Church Anglican Cemetery. Scott Burchlen.

Exterior shot of white robed statue of Virgin Mary in foreground with grave markers behind her and buildings with red roofs in background. On screen caption: St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. Hamilton, Ontario.

and at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery,

Interior shot of Laura Smith speaking to camera.

but at a very low number. And so it’s interesting, it would be interesting to figure out: what went into the decision? Why were certain – very few immigrants buried at these cemeteries?

But the majority of them were buried at Burlington Heights.

Exterior shot of grey stone with green plaque in foreground from further back. Green field and bushes behind it, with body of water and low hills in background.

Final image of water with onscreen Ireland Park Foundation logo. Celtic style music playing.