Headstone documentation

L Sumner

Does anyone know how the history of a headstone might be investigated? That is to say, the headstone itself apart from the individual buried there. The point is that a headstone is usually placed by the children or the spouse of the deceased and thus serves as a testament to the data inscribed. However, in my family there are cases where modern granite headstones have been placed on graves more than 100 years after the death of the person. With that, the accuracy comes into question and if the headstone is the only source for that person it is of little value. Are there any records that can be searched as to who placed a headstone and when?

Áine Ní Donnghaile

I think the level of documentation that survives would depend on location and timing. I've seen some burial registers with very good detail about the purchase of the gravestone and the inscription. But, any info is only as good as the memory or intent of the purchaser.

To some extent, the religion of the deceased or his/her family can also play a role. In my experience, Roman Catholic cemeteries often keep better records.

If the funeral home still exists, I'd try contacting them first. Often, all arrangements pass through the funeral home, including ordering/placing any marker.

Adrian Bruce1

I suspect that the answer depends entirely on the authority running the graveyard / cemetery. For most churches in the UK, there's virtually no documentation of who's buried and where. For council run cemeteries, there may be much more comprehensive documentation - but it'll almost certainly be held only in their office.

So probably start by getting in touch with the authority running the place.

By the way, don't assume that modern stones are valueless. I decided to replace my GG-GP's headstone because the original had been broken in a storm and since it was about the oldest working class stone in my family, I felt it shouldn't be lost. It was simple enough to copy the original text - though I added my name and date on the base just to explain what had happened. In the UK, lots of stones get replaced because of the alleged risk of toppling. Again, copying should be easy.

L Sumner

Thank you to both who have answered. Unfortunately, it is more complicated. The graves I am most interested in are in very old family cemeteries and are located on private (although accessible with permission) land. Also, they are located in country areas where there is no native stone. So unless there was family wealth and desire to import stone markers, I am guessing there was only a wooden marker at best. So, in that circumstance , when a headstone is the only documentation of a person's existence, the documentation of the stone itself becomes important. My hunch is that there is none and whoever placed the stone was using "family tradition" as their source.