Historic Sites of Manitoba: Beaconsfield Methodist Church / Beaconsfield United Church and Cemetery (Municipality of Lorne)

The wood frame Beaconsfield Methodist Church in the Municipality of Lorne was constructed in 1903, becoming a Methodist church seven years later. It became Beaconsfield United Church in 1925. Regular services were discontinued in 1955. Renovation work was done in 2022 to address foundation problems.

The earliest burial in its associated cemetery occurred in 1883. A monument on the grounds was dedicated in June 1921 to commemorate local people who served in Canadian military forces during the First World War, including the names of those who were killed. Dignitaries attending the dedication ceremony included MLAs John Sutherland Ridley, William Hooey Spinks, and Fawcett Gowler Taylor.

An honour roll listing parishioners who served in the Second World War, including one who was killed, is displayed in the basement of the Swan Lake Hospital.

Aerial view of Beaconsfield United Church and Cemetery (August 2022) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Beaconsfield United Church (November 2016) Source: Neil Christoffersen Beaconsfield United Church (May 2021) Source: George Penner Beaconsfield United Church under restoration (August 2022) Source: Rose Kuzina Interior of Beaconsfield United Church under restoration (August 2022) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Interior of Beaconsfield United Church under restoration (August 2022) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Beaconsfield United Cemetery (May 2021) Source: George Penner Military commemorative monument at Beaconsfield (November 2016) Source: Neil Christoffersen Beaconsfield honour roll in Swan Lake Hospital (June 2023) Source: Jordan Makichuk Site Location (lat/long): N49.50203, W98.70472 denoted by symbol on the map above

Parishioners Killed During the First World War

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Jerome DeWiele	?	?	Private	?	17 April 1917
Wilfred Anthony Hedworth	Clerk	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 March 1883	8 October 1916
William Cecil Smith [Treherne]	Farmer	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	22 August 1892	11 May 1917
Lloyd Alexander Sparling [Swan Lake]	Engineer	Canadian Field Artillery	Corporal	3 September 1886	1 March 1918

Parishioners Killed During the Second World War

Name	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Elmer James Pennycook	1 Provost Company, The Canadian Provost Corps	Lance Corporal	22 February 1915	1 May 1944

Sources:

A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society, including a searchable online database available to members at the MGS Manitoba Name Index (MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites, revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages.

For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).

Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.

Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).

“Memorial monument unveiled at Beaconsfield,” Treherne Times, 1 July 1921, page 1.

Tiger Hills to the Assiniboine: A History of Treherne and Surrounding District by Treherne Area History Committee, 1976, page 348.

We thank George Penner, Rose Kuzina, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Neil Christoffersen, Gordon Goldsborough, and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 24 June 2023

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