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Navy Island Cemetery

Navy Island, formerly St. Andrews Island, and prior to the founding of the Town, Fletcher's Island, after a trader to the Bay around 1760, was first settled by John and James Maloney, mariners, and also the Stinson family. Both families were original grantees. Eva C. Mallory, a descendant of the Maloney family, remembered from her mother-in-law, Catherine Mallory, a daughter of James Maloney, Jr., that John and James Maloney built two-story houses in the center of the Island, cleared land and had small farms. They were one of the first pew holders in Greenock Presbyterian Church. Catherine Maloney and the other children on the Island were conveyed to town by rowboat to attend the "Penny" school at the lower end of the Town. In the winter, she said, families moved to the mainland to be closer to school and church. The earliest deed is to Colin Campbell, dated 1784, for the western to northeast side of the island, including houses, sheds, shipyards, buildings and wharves, indicating that Navy Island was a place of industry before the founding of the Town proper. It was because of this pre-existing development, and perhaps because it was connected with the shipping business, Eva Mallory believed, that the Maloneys first settled there. A paper found among the effects of John Campbell, dated 1876, remembered the names of Maloney and Stinson as among the most prominent members in the lower part of the Town 70 years ago. •

There are 5 headstones in the Maloney Cemetery. These appear to have been handmade and seem to have spelling errors. The photographs date from 1956 and were contributed by Carl Medcof in 1964 to Volume One of the Charlotte County Historical Society.

1. Henery Meleoney, Died June 1823

2. John Meloney, Died Nov. 20, 1836, Aged 35

3. Rebekah Meloney, Died Nov. 7, 1820

4. Sarah N. Meloney, died Oct. 21, 1821 aged year and a half (arrow and bow on headstone)

5. Here lies the Boddy of Joseph Meloney, died 6 dec, 1827, aged 45 years.

St. Andrews Herald

Aug. 1, 1820

Went Adrift From St. Andrews Island, on Thursday Night Last

A small reach boat, 12 feet keel. Whoever may have picked up said boat, and will leave her either at the Island, or at the Market Wharf, St. Andrews, shall be handsomely rewarded.

James Maloney

July 18, 1820

St. Andrews Herald

Dec. 25, 1821

Died

On the night of the 6th inst. at St. Andrews Island, Mr. Joseph Maloney, aged 45. His death was occasioned, it is supposed, by accidently falling over a log of wood, partly covered with snow, upon a small stump of a tree sticking out of the ground.

Standard

Nov. 24, 1836

Died

On the 19th inst. in the 36th year of his age, Mr. John Maloney, branch pilot of this Port. He has left a disconsolate widow and four small children to lament their loss.

November 22, 1836

All Saints Burials

John Maloney. Buried on St. Andrews Island.

35 years.