Frequently Asked Questions

The Earltown Church Cemetery Company is a registered Canadian nonprofit organization (CRA Charity No. 872221668RR0001) dedicated to the preservation, maintenance, and care of the Earltown Church Cemetery in Tatamagouche, Colchester County, Nova Scotia. We are a volunteer-led organization serving the community and families connected to the Earltown area.

The cemetery dates to the early nineteenth century, established alongside the church that served the Scottish Presbyterian settlers of the Earltown community. The earliest interments are believed to have taken place in the 1820s–1830s, making the cemetery well over 180 years old and one of the historically significant burial grounds in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.

Yes. The Earltown Church Cemetery Company is a registered nonprofit organization recognized under Canadian law, with CRA Charity Registration Number 872221668RR0001. We operate in accordance with all requirements for registered nonprofit organizations in Canada and are accountable to the community we serve.

The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the Tatamagouche and Colchester County community. Our operations are carried out primarily by dedicated community volunteers, supported where necessary by contracted service providers for specialized maintenance work.

The cemetery grounds are open to visitors during daylight hours throughout the year. We welcome families, genealogists, heritage visitors, and members of the public at any time during daylight hours. There is no appointment required to visit the grounds.

The Earltown Church Cemetery is located in the Earltown community of Colchester County, Nova Scotia, in the Tatamagouche area. Our mailing address is 108 Stewart Rd. RR 5, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, B0K 1V0. If you require specific directions, please contact us and we will be glad to assist.

We maintain cemetery pathways to ensure they are as accessible as possible. However, as a historic rural cemetery, some areas of the grounds feature uneven terrain. If you have specific accessibility requirements and would like guidance before your visit, please contact us in advance and we will do our best to assist you.

For current information on plot availability, please contact us directly. We are happy to discuss available options and to assist families in understanding the process of securing a burial location in the cemetery. Please reach out by telephone at 902-677-2027 or by email at EarltownChurchCemetery@hotmail.com.

If you believe your family has an existing plot in the Earltown Church Cemetery, please contact us with the relevant family name(s) and any details you have. We will search our cemetery records and map to identify the plot and provide you with the information available. This service is provided at no charge to families.

Yes. The Earltown Church Cemetery can accommodate the interment of cremated remains. Please contact us to discuss the available options, locations, and process. We approach every interment request — whether for traditional burial or cremated remains — with the same level of care and respect.

To arrange an interment, please contact us directly as early as possible. We will discuss the plot options available, the scheduling of the service, and any other arrangements that need to be made. We work closely with the family's chosen funeral home to ensure a smooth and respectful process. We recommend contacting us at 902-677-2027 for time-sensitive matters.

We are pleased to assist families and researchers with access to our interment records. To make a records enquiry, please contact us by email or phone with the name of the individual(s) you are researching and any relevant dates or family connections. We will do our best to assist you in a timely manner.

Our records span the history of the cemetery from its earliest years in the 1800s to the present day. The completeness and detail of records varies by era — earlier records may be less comprehensive than those from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Headstone inscriptions also provide valuable primary source information where formal records are incomplete.

Yes, we welcome genealogical enquiries. Please contact us with the family surname(s) you are researching and any known dates or connections. We are a volunteer organization and will respond as promptly as our capacity allows. For broader Colchester County genealogical research, we also recommend connecting with the Colchester Historical Society and the Nova Scotia Archives.

We warmly welcome volunteers with a wide range of skills and availability. To express your interest in volunteering, please contact us by email or phone. Please let us know a little about yourself and what type of volunteer work you are interested in — whether grounds maintenance, heritage research, administration, or other contributions.

Absolutely. Many descendants of Earltown families live far from Nova Scotia but still wish to support the preservation of this heritage site. There are ways to contribute remotely — including assisting with genealogical research, transcription work, and other tasks that can be done from a distance. Please contact us to discuss how you might be able to help.