CemSearch is an ever-expanding online database of 460,000 interment records, covering 950 cemeteries in an area extending north to Haliburton, east to the Quebec border, and west to Bowmanville. It also includes a few selected cemeteries from Connecticut, USA.
It was begun in the late 1990s by Ron Smith and Dave Long under the auspices of the Lakeshore and Quinte Branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Originally intended as a record of all known burials in Northumberland County (which includes those parts of Durham County that were amalgamated with Northumberland some years back), it has since grown to include a 27 county area in south-central Ontario.
The following Port Hope/Hope Township cemeteries are included in the database:
Knoxville Presbyterian Cemetery (1859-present) is located on lot 7, concession 6 of Hope Township, shows 204 burials, the earliest recorded in 1860. The church was closed in 1916.
Oak Hill Presbyterian Cemetery (c1853-present), with its approximately 133 recorded burials, is located on lot 29, concession 9. The church was built in 1853 and taken down c1920.
The Old Wesleyan Methodist Cemetery (c1830-1873) records contain little more than the name of the lot owner, range and number of graves. There appear to be no existing records to indicate who was actually buried there.
The Presbyterian Pioneer Cemetery (1827-1873), on a sandy hillside in a quiet residential area, has approximately 65 known or alleged burials of early area pioneers.
Providence Bible Christian Cemetery (c1843-present) is located on Lot 1, Concession 6 of Hope Township (west side of Highway 28), and has some 266 recorded burials.
St. John's Anglican Cemetery (1862-present), originally purchased by the Diocese of Toronto in 1853, has approximately 5,000 recorded burials, the earliest in 1863.
St. Mark's Anglican Cemetery (1819-1873) has some 300 burials in its churchyard. There have also been recent cremations.
Perrytown's St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery (1842-present) is located on lot 13, concession 6. The first burials were of John and George, sons of John and Sarah Wilson, who died October 1842 of scarlet fever. There are some 433 recorded burials, with unknown others. The cemetery is still in use.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery (c1860s-present) was originally situated around the Church on Walton Street. There are 1,700+ interred here, the earliest memorial dated 1849.
Union Cemetery (1873-present), adjoining St. John's, has approximately 8,500 recorded burials.
Welcome United Church Cemetery (1849-present), with some 4,100 recorded burials, is located at the northwestern corner of town.
Zion Bible Christian Cemetery (1839-present), with some 200 recorded burials, is located on lot 31, concession 3 of Hope Township.