Potter's Field Identification Project at Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, Ingersoll

Western University, Ingersoll Rural Cemetery Board of Directors and the Oxford County Library collaborated to restore the names and dignity of the more than 400 people buried in a large, unmarked section of the cemetery. The Potter's Field is the final resting place for those who were unhoused, enslaved in the United States, impacted by the Chinese Head Tax, or came to Canada as part of the British Home Child immigration scheme. Following community consultation, Professor Cody Groat and the Western University team used non-invasive imaging techniques to locate the graves. Then they worked with the Oxford County Library and Archives to retrieve and digitize the records of those individuals buried there. This work culminated in a community-funded monument listing over 400 names. Techniques used have furthered knowledge for the Canadian Archaeological Association Working Group on Unmarked Graves.