By : Art Duboyce
I was delighted to read the article in Tempo (March 2026) about the Duboyce Cemetery in West Bolton. I am a direct descendant of Jonathan Duboyce, the original settler from the United States who donated the land for the cemetery.
Jonathan, his wife Anna, their infant son Martin, and Anna’s two children, Olny and Palmer Turner, set off by sleigh from Gloucester, Rhode Island, in 1801. When the snow disappeared near Randolph, Vermont, in the spring, they completed the remainder of their journey into West Bolton in early 1802.
Some claim these settlers were Loyalists, but I believe it is more likely they were searching for free land and a safe place to raise a family.
The cemetery began as a family burial ground. Several similar family burial plots still exist in West Bolton, though most are no longer maintained. The field just below the cemetery was once the site of the original family cabin; today, only a small stand of trees marks the location.
The white house across Bailey Road was completed by Martin Duboyce in 1847 and remained home to successive generations of the Duboyce family for more than a century.
Although cars were already available at the time, West Bolton roads were only accessible by horse and sleigh during the winter months.
One family story illustrates the harsh conditions faced by the early settlers. During the 1820s, long before the railroad era, Jonathan and fellow settlers transported wheat and corn to Montreal to sell. The journey, travelling through Missisquoi Bay and St-Jean by oxen team, often took more than two weeks.
On one such trip, Jonathan purchased dresses in Montreal for his wife and daughters — the first store-bought clothing they had ever owned.
Thanks to the dedication of volunteer boards, the Duboyce Cemetery continues to serve many families today.
Art Duboyce
Great-great-great-grandson of Jonathan Duboyce
Stratford, Ontario
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