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Reverend Anthony Burns 1834-1862

Photo by Alan L Brown - August, 2004

Photo Source - Wikipedia

Plaque Location

The Region of Niagara
The City of St. Catharines
At the entrance to Victoria Lawn Cemetery
on the south side of Queenston Street
east of Bunting Road

Coordinates: N 43 09.694 W 79 12.168

Plaque Text

Born a slave in Virginia, Burns escaped from servitude in 1854 and fled to Boston, where he was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Abolitionists came to his defence and serious riots ensued. This was the last trial of a fugitive slave in Massachusetts. Four months after his return to his owner in Virginia, he was sold to a North Carolina planter. However, in 1855 Burns was ransomed with money raised by the Rev. L. A. Grimes of Boston, and began studies at Oberlin College, Ohio. Burns came to Canada about 1860 where he served as pastor at Zion Baptist Church in St. Catharines. He is buried in this cemetery.

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Posted March 10, 2009
My father, whose family has two plots in this cemetary, and he was always very proud that Rev. Burns was buried within sight of where he was to be (and is now) buried. He was proud of the part the Niagara Region had played in the Underground Railway.

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