Frederick Castlemaine (1867-1896)

The Castlemaine mausoleum in Glenwood Cemetery was constructed for Frederick H. Castlemaine. Frederick was born in 1867 in Castlemaine Ontario, the son of Ralph Abercrombie Castlemaine. Mr. Castlemaine married Isabella Sutherland, one of the world famous "Seven Sutherland Sisters". After Frederick died in 1896, his widow (Isabella) had the ornate granite mausoleum constructed at the top of the Niagara escarpment in the northern section of the cemetery. His remains were the first to be entombed in the structure.

The mausoleum gained considerable local attention during it's construction, and then again a few years later because of an attempted grave robbery. Theories around the attempted grave robbery were that the ghouls intended to steal the body and hold it for ransom, or they were possibly just looking for valuables that they believed were in the casket. Regardless, there were no valuables in the vault, and although the vandals were able to gain entry into the structure through a small rear window, they were unable to remove the body out the small window, or they just didn't try. 

Many of the Surherland family members are at rest in and near the Castlemaine mausoleum. 

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Here is the article that was on the front page of the Lockport Journal on Saturday March 12, 1898

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GHASTLY. - GRAVE ROBBERS MOLEST THE DEAD IN GLENWOOD CEMETERY. - A DETESTABLE CRIME.

One of the most despicable acts of crime ever committed within the precincts of this city has come to light. Grave robbers, those most degraded of criminals, has been plying their ghastly vocation in Glenwood Cemetery. An agent for a granite firm in Clarence, N.Y , yesterday visited Glenwood and upon inspecting the Castlemaine mausoleum found evidence that it had been entered by grave-robbers, probably the night before. The plunderers had, it was found, used both dynamite and powder in an attempt to blow open the door but their efforts in this direction were futile. They then turned their attention to the window in the rear of the structure and succeeded in gaining entrance through that opening. Upon gaining the inside of the mausoleum, the robbers opened the outer box in which incased the coffin containing the remains of the late Frederick H. Castlemaine and pried open the top of the casket. They searched carefully for valuables which they evidently expected to find in the coffin but there were none. They then searched the inside of the mausoleum, displacing all the movable articles in a vain hunt for the rich find they had expected but as no valuables had ever been placed in the vault the predators had their trouble for their pains and at last gave up the and left, taking with them the handsome outside bronze door of the mausoleum. Mrs. Castlemaine was at once notified by Cemetery Supt. Stockwell of the deed. She notified the police and in a short time the officers were on the scene, searching for a clue. Wagon tracks were found on the road in the rear of the cemetery and evidence was found that the bronze door had been dragged to the wagon. The officers traced the wagon for a considerable distance but finally were obliged to give up the hunt.

A guard was placed at the mausoleum last night and to-day the police are still working on the case. A full description and cut of the handsome and costly Castlemaine mausoleum has been published by the Journal heretofore. 

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