1805–1844
Toronto Necropolis
Section L Lot 108
Born in Scotland, Thomas Carfrae arrived in York (now Toronto) in 1805, where he quickly became a successful merchant. In 1826, he was appointed one of five trustees tasked with establishing the York General Burying Ground Trust—known as Potter’s Field—at the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets. Created as a non‑denominational cemetery, it offered burial options for those who could not be interred in Roman Catholic or Anglican grounds. Considered Mount Pleasant Group’s first cemetery, its first burial was that of Carfrae’s own infant daughter, Mary.
Carfrae helped shape the city’s civic life, founding the York Fire Company, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and the York Mechanics’ Institute, which later evolved into the Toronto Public Library. After retiring from business, he served as alderman for St. George’s Riding and later as Collector of Customs and Harbour Master for York Harbour, overseeing issues like smuggling and deserters.
During the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion, Carfrae sided with prominent reform leader (and grandfather to later Prime Minister Mackenzie King) William Lyon Mackenzie, fighting as an artillery major in the attack on Montgomery’s Tavern, where he was injured. Forgiven for his role in the rebellion, he went on to serve as a magistrate.
Carfrae died of a stroke on June 1, 1844, at the age of 44. He was originally laid to rest in Potter’s Field and later moved to Toronto Necropolis in Cabbagetown in1856, alongside his family members – establishing a permanent link to the city’s formative years.
Sources:
• Mount Pleasant Group – Thomas Carfrae
• Jamie Bradburn’s Tales of Toronto – Articles on Carfrae & Potter’s Field
Photos:
• Monument - Jamie Bradburn's Tales of Toronto
• Plaque - Torontoplaques.com
