Formal Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land

Heritage Value

Jane Condon’s Grave has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of New Perlican due to its historic and aesthetic value.

Jane Condon’s Grave has historic value as it is one of the earliest known gravesites in New Perlican. As such it stands as a physical record of New Perlican’s history. It is located in a meadow at the end of Gut Road in Vitter’s Cove. The meadow belongs to Betty Callahan Simmons – a direct descendant of Cornelius Callahan, who was among the first settlers to the Vitter’s Cove area of New Perlican. The grave seems to be the only one in this location. No church records exist to verify if there are others buried here, although there are some small, seemingly cut stones protruding from the ground in the area of the Condon headstone. Jane Condon’s headstone indicates that she was born in 1758 and died in 1816. As documented in Edie’s Book, written by Edith Burrage in 2003, the stone reads “Sacred to the memory of Jane, wife of John Condon, who departed this life June 22, 1816 age 58 years.” It also contains a verse which reads “Death can’t disjoin, whom Christ hath joined in love, From life to death, and death to life above. In Heaven a happier place frail things despise, Live well to gain in future life the prize.” John Condon and his wife would have been among the early settlers to New Perlican. Local oral tradition maintains that John Condon lost most of his family and that he moved away and never came back. In any case, the Condon surname no longer exists in New Perlican.

Jane Condon’s Grave has aesthetic value for its environmental setting. Located in a meadow in Vitter’s Cove, the grave site offers an open view of the cove and the waters of Trinity Bay.

Source: Town of New Perlican Regular Council Meeting Motion #2014-049 July 16, 2014.

Character Defining Elements

All those elements which represent the historic and aesthetic significance of Jane Condon’s Grave, including:
-inscribed grave marker;
-location in Vitter’s Cove;
-natural, grassy topography, and;
-unobstructed view planes to and from the grave site.

Notes

Records show that on August 11, 1793, two children of Abraham Condon were baptized in New Perlican – William, age 12 and Mary, age 9. Abraham Condon’s wife was Hannah and they had a son Robert baptized in October 1775. It appears Abraham and John are roughly the same age so perhaps they were brothers. This would indicate that at least two families of Condons once lived in New Perlican.

Community

New Perlican

Municipality

Town of New Perlican

Construction (circa)

1816 - 1816