Information about Ronaldson's Cemetery, Philadelphia (Samuel Fox family burials)

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Ronaldson's Cemetery, aka Philadelphia Cemetery

The playground that replaced it is a dreary, ugly place.

Ronaldson's Cemetery

This cemetery was incorporated as the Philadelphia Cemetery Company. It was located at Shippen (now Bainbridge), 9th and Fitzwater St. It was established by a deed of trust from James Ronaldson, 1827. Photographed in the collection of the City History Society of Phila.

Article in The Phila. Bulletin (not dated, found at Genealogical Soc. of Pa.)

Old Cemetery in South Phila. Soon to Be a City Playground

by Joseph T. Reichwein

The last chapter is about to be written in the history of Ronaldson Cemetery, an old Philadelphia landmark.

Today workmen began converting the 123- year-old burial ground bounded by Bainbridge and Fitzwater sts. in the block between 8th and 9th, into a city playground.

Thus will end a riches-to-rags existence for the cemetery, which was once considered the most beautiful in the country, but which, for the last 25 years has been a eglected eyesore-a dumping ground for neighborhood junk.

13,500 to be Reburied

First step in the conversion will be the disinterment and reburial of some 13,500 dead.

Included are the bodies of Revolutionary War heroes and stars of the early stage.

The bodies of six patriots and the stones that mark their graves will be transferred to the burial ground behind Old Swedes Church, Swanson and Christian sts. The area is now a national shrine.

The other dead will be reburied in a section of Forest Hills Cemetery, Somerton. Their graves will be marked by bronze tablets and the crumbling old tombstones in Ronaldson's will be destroyed.

Ronaldson's Cemetery was founded in 1827 by James Ronaldson, who came to this city from Scotland and established a type foundry.

Ronaldson founded the burial grounds because there was no place but Potter's Field in which to bury persons who belonged to no religious congregation.

Many Actors There

Ronaldson's is listed in some old records as "the actor's cemetery," because so many theatrical people are buried there. Most actors, in those days, couldn't be placed in church cemeteries, so their friends purchased space in Ronaldson's.

The main entrance was on Bainbridge St. A wide avenue ran back to Fitzwater st., and many gravel walks cut through the plot. The whole place was beautifully landscaped. Flowers bloomed everywhere.

There are little buildings on each side of the massive iron gate. The founder designed one to be the residence of the caretaker.

The other served as the "bell house." In it, persons who died unexpectedly were placed for three days. A string attached to a bell was placed in their hands so that if there was a move of returning life the bell would ring and arouse the caretaker

Mrs. Karl Boesenhofer, whose Father used to be caretaker, still lives in the tiny residence. The bell house has fallen into disrepair. Both buildings will be torn down.

Funds Inadequate

Ronaldson saved a portion of the space at the front of the plot for his family and sold the rest. In 1833, the lot-holders were Incorporated as the Philadelphia Cemetery Company.

Many of the Revolutionary War soldiers buried there were transferred from an old burial ground behind Independence Hall.

As the lot-holders died and the shape of the city changed, interest in the old cemetery declined. The caretaker remained, but funds to keep the place in condition were inadequate.

According to the records, the last persons buried there were several influenza victims in 1918.

Today Ronaldson is littered with tin cans, pop bottles and trash of all sorts. The paths and graves are weed-covered. Many of the high monuments and markers are crumbled.

As far back as 1922 it was proposed that the city take over the land. Finally, in 1946, after a long series of discussions and court proceedings, the city and the cemetery company reached their agreement. The city will foot the bill for the removal and reburial of the bodies.

The work will be done under the direction of Thomas A. Morris, president of the Evergreen Memorial Park Assn.

Rector Makes Search

Dr. John Craig Ronk, rector of Old Swedes Church, when he learned of the proposed move, made a search of the cemetery and located, through still legible stones, the graves of six old soldiers. They include General William Irvine, who died in 1804 after serving in the Revolution and also as a delegate to the Continental Congress: Captain William Moore, who died at the age of 86: Captain Abraham Parsons, who according to his tombstone, "served all through the Revolution and was for a time a prisoner of the British." Captain Wm. McFadden, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who died here in 1839, and Captain John Barber,who served in the war of 1812.

Dr. Ronk has set aside a corner of Old Swedes Cemetery for their new graves.

Morris said the big stone over the grave of Ronaldson, still in fairly good shape, will be placed in Forest Hills as the hub of the new cemetery.

A history & interesting ancedotes about Ronaldson's Cemetery can be found in "Men and Things column" of the Phila. Bulletin, July 22, 1891, a copy of which is in Ashmead's Newspaper Cutting, vol. 4, pp. 137-139

>From Genealogies of Pa. Families by Broderbund Software Inc., Banner Blue Div.

James Ronaldson, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, the first president of The
Franklin Instit. 1824-1841, vice-president of the St. Andrew's Soc.
1829-1830, and owned and laid out Ronaldson's Cemetery. It was a burial
ground for the interment of his friend's and deceased human beings other than
person's of color.