By Meredith Mackeen

Duboyce Cemetery on Bailey Road in West Bolton is one of the 46 identified in Brome County and contains over 740 burial records. Unlike many, this burial ground is community-based and not affiliated with any church.

Its exact history is not certain but the land was donated by the Duboyce family who immigrated from the United States soon after the Townships were surveyed and placed under British law in 1791.

At the time, newcomers most likely travelled by boat up Lake Memphramagog, then along the Bolton Pass and into West Bolton, which grew to include a tavern, hotel and 573 individuals, according to the 1803 census. (Interestingly, the 1850 census records a population of 2000 in West Bolton, just shy of three times the current population of 700+).

Official Recognition

1888 is the date on the little white building that stands on the cemetary’s southern edge. Helen Rhicard, the cemetary secretary, says 1888 was likely the year the cemetery was officially recognized by the Quebec government, although community members had been buried there for many years prior to that date.

In the cemetery, the earliest tombstones are white granite which may have come from a quarry in Stanstead. Records indicate that Jane M Bullis, an infant, was buried there in 1833; Anna Duboyce was buried in 1839. While many died as babies, a few lived to be octogenarians. One of the markers now barely legible is for Jeremiah (surname illegible) aged 81, buried in 1821.

Registration and Management

In 1922 the cemetery was registered to comply with a Quebec law to allow for cemeteries other than Catholic.

Duboyce plots are large and often owned by families with a few new ones still available. While the board would like to expand, the land surrounding the cemetery is zoned green. Throughout the decades, the cemetery has been managed as a charity by a volunteer board and maintained by volunteers.

Donations can receive a tax receipt through Townshippers Association. Howard Salisbury is the president and Helen Rhicard is the secretary.