On June 9, 1857, George Doherty registered a plan of subdivision on part of Lot 3, Concession 4, West of Hurontario Street. The plan, referenced as STR-5, laid out two streets – namely Albert Street and George Street.

In 1883, much of the Doherty lands were purchased by John Graydon, and in 1891, lots along George Street were sold by John Graydon to the newly formed Streetsville Cemetery Company. But, if you look closely, you will still see the road signs remembering Albert Street and George Street within Streetsville Public Cemetery today.

But who were Albert and George streets named for? We will have to step back in time a bit to find that answer.

Lenora Samantha Street (1824-1889) was the daughter of Streetsville’s namesake, Timothy Street and his wife Abigail. In 1845 Lenora married Irish-born immigrant, George Grange Doherty (1821-1871). George appears to have been an industrious individual, with professions listed as farmer, clerk, and miller, as well as having an ashery. In 1848 Timothy Street’s will left property to Lenora and George Doherty, along with Lenora’s sister Rhoda Matilda Street and her husband Charles Sheldon.

George had part of his property surveyed, some 19 acres at the time, into multiple building lots, and as mentioned he had two streets laid out. Several lots were sold by 1862, notably to John Cathcart, Asa Hall, John Harley, Thomas Jolly, John Mulholland and Moses Strong, amongst others. However, we do not know if any houses or other buildings were ever built within what is now the cemetery.

As for Lenora and George Doherty, the couple had 11 children, although tragically several died young. Their children included Eliza Abigail (1846-1849), Charles Grange (1849-1851), Mary Adelaide (1850-1855), George Albert (1854-1924), Agnes Matilda (1855-1923), Lindsay Glynum (1858-1936), Arthur John (1860-1863), Arthur James (1863-1899), Edith Lenora “Edah” (1864-1913), Emily Rowena (1866-1867), Lillie Maud (1868-1937). Timothy’s widow and Lenora’s mother, Abigail (1783-1859), lived the last years of her life together with Lenora, George and their growing family.

In 1869, Lenora and George left Streetsville and resettled in Douglas, Kansas. George died there in 1871. In 1883, Lenora, then living in the United States, sold the remaining property in Streetsville to John Graydon. Lenora later remarried and died in Bonner Springs, Kansas in 1889.

As for Albert and George streets, one suggestion is that they are named after Lenora’s nephew, George Albert Sheldon, who had died in 1851. At the time of the 1857 survey, and after having lost their first three children, Lenora and George Doherty’s eldest surviving child was George Albert Doherty (he was likely named after his late cousin in addition to sharing his father’s name). In addition, George Doherty’s older brother, James Albert Doherty, had died in 1834. It is possible that the family chose this collection of family names for the new road names in their 1857 survey plan. Another reference is that George Street is named for George Grange Doherty himself, and that Albert Street was named for Prince Albert, Consort to Queen Victoria – as Streetsville already had (and still has) a Victoria Street, laid out in the Hugh Block survey of Streetsville in 1853 – just four years before Albert Street was created. However, all of that aside, we may never know for certain if any, or all, were the inspirations behind the road names.

After the Doherty lands were acquired by John Graydon in 1883, they were transferred to the Streetsville Cemetery Company in 1891. The Streetsville Cemetery Company Ltd. had been established in 1890 with the goal to establish a burial ground for all religions as the older Streetsville Memorial Cemetery (as it is now known) was reaching capacity. The new cemetery site, along George Street, was approved in May of 1891, with the cemetery being surveyed by Unwin, Foster & Company in the Spring of 1892. The first burial in the new cemetery took place in July of 1892 for 5-year-old Nathaniel William Brown, who had drowned in the Credit River. There is also evidence to suggest that some families had the remains of loved ones transferred from the Memorial Cemetery to the new cemetery.

In 1948 management of the cemetery was transferred from the Streetsville Cemetery Company to the Village of Streetsville. In January of 1974, Mrs. Lee and her son James donated the stone gateway and fence at the entrance to the cemetery in memory of Lenvard Lee, the long-serving funeral director in Streetsville. Later that year, in November of 1974, care and management of the cemetery was formally transferred to the new City of Mississauga – 50 years ago this year. However, this beautifully cared-for cemetery offers glimpses to its origins as something else – a reminder being the road signs for Albert and George streets.