Huguenot Cemetery Explained

St. Augustine Public Burying Ground
Coordinates:29.8983°N -81.3139°W
Added:July 23, 2021
Refnum:100006756

The Huguenot Cemetery (also known as the St. Augustine Public Burying Ground) in St. Augustine, Florida, located across from the historic City Gate was a Protestant burial ground between the years 1821 and 1884. The Spanish colonial city of St. Augustine, along with the entire Florida Territory became de facto American possessions after the 1819 signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty. The actual physical occupation of the city and Florida territory occurred in 1821.

Prior to American occupation the Spanish city of St. Augustine was predominately Catholic and the only burial ground within the city, the Tolomato cemetery, was reserved for Catholics. Recognizing a need for a formal Protestant burial ground an area just outside the city gate was chosen by the new American administration in St. Augustine. The first burials occurred in 1821 just prior to a yellow fever epidemic which claimed the lives of a large numbers of the city's inhabitants.

The cemetery until title to the cemetery property was acquired by the Rev. Thomas Alexander, who then turned over it to the Presbyterian Church in 1832, burials continued until 1884 when both Huguenot and Tolomato cemeteries were closed. The cemetery is believed to hold at least 436 burials according to city records. The cemetery although named "Huguenot Cemetery" isn't believed to contain any members of the Huguenots, a French Protestant sect started in the 16th century in France.[1] [2]

Tomb locations-inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS IN THE OLD PROTESTANT GRAVEYARD AT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. Vol. XLVIIPalatka, Fla. Oct. 20, 1881. Aged 5 years 18 days. This grave is about 7 feet from the south fence of the yard.

North of this line of graves and southeast of the Douglas Pacetti grave are the two following: Single grave with cement curb and head and footboard but no inscription - an evergreen anonymous with curbing. A grave with palings around in very shaky condition - no mark. Directly adjoining above north -

North of and directly adjoining the above a mound, and adjoining this mound northwardly another and shorter - Neither marked. As the Thomas grave and these two are so close together, the interred may be related. These succeed, through some distance - 10 feet north - from the two children's graves mentioned above on this page.

A vertical marble slab. This stone of same height as the above, but outline at top different. They however seem to belong together. Louisa Charlotte Izard, daut of Ralph and Elizabeth Izard, of South Carolina, who died on the 22d of January, 1825, etatis 31. Vertical marble slab on raised brick foundation.

A marble horizontal slab on raised marble faced foundation. Lot enclosed with iron fence. Mrs. _________, 1841. A bit of stone with this inscription. In a lot with cement (over coquina) curbing level with the ground without it.

The above, each covered with horizontal marble slab on raised cement foundation, differ only in length. The middle slab is quite a foot longer than the other two. A low coquina curb around the three.

----Grave not marked during Leed's 1893 survey:

Notes and References

  1. St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Historical Guide by William R. Adams P. 20
  2. A Guide to Historic St. Augustine, Florida by Steve Rajtar, Kelly Goodman Page 31
  3. Public documents of Massachusetts, Issue 7 By Massachusetts p. 802
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=gLAFAAAAQAAJ&dq=John+B.+Stickney&pg=RA1-PA475 Reports of committees: 30th Congress, 1st session - 48th Congress, 2nd session By United States. Congress. Senate p. 474
  5. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2575316&id=I569870462 Hectorina Kennedy Honfleur Ancestry.com