Description of Historic Place

This pioneer cemetery is located at a crossroads in the rural community of Launching. It is one of the earliest Roman Catholic cemeteries in the area, dating from 1820. The remaining headstones consist of simple sandstones with markings and more elaborate standing headstones with inscriptions.

Heritage Value

The cemetery is valued for its historical association with the earliest Scottish settlers to the Launching area and for the variety and style of the remaining headstones, including a rare monument originally erected in memory of those who served in the Great War of 1914-1918.

Scottish Roman Catholic Highlanders from South Uist arrived in the Launching area in 1795. These families included: Walker, MacCormack, MacDonald, MacPhee, Morrison, MacPherson, MacLean, and Campbell.

They established a log church and cemetery at Launching Point, but this was later abandoned in 1820 when with the help and support of Father MacEachern, they moved inland to the current location and established St. Michael's Church and the present cemetery. This church remained in use until 1860, when a larger more centrally located one was established at Narrow's Creek (now St. George's).

The earliest stone in the cemetery dates from 1830. The last interment was that of Mary Yoston in 1859. The surnames of many of those interred here can still be found in the Launching area.

An interesting elaborate four sided monument to those from the community who sacrificed and served in the Great War of 1914-1918 is located on the site near the former one-room school. It also includes the names of those who served later in the Second World War and Korea.

Restoration of the cemetery began in 1975 and it has since been maintained by the community. It contains approximately 163 stones, 34 of which are inscribed and 129 which are plain sandstone.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8 File #: 4310-20/P27

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the cemetery is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the location of the cemetery near a crossroads in Launching
- the variety and style of remaining headstones with inscriptions
- the simple sandstone markers
- the potential for unmarked graves on the site
- the war memorial dating from the Great War