Genealogy Chat

Anyone any ideas - see below

I have found the grave of one of my ancestors in a local necropolis. The gravestone is lying face down on the grave. Does anyone know if it we are allowed to move the gravestone ourselves? I read on a website that it needs to be flipped on the short side rather than 'stood up'. If we are allowed to do this ourselves - anyone any idea how many people I would need to do this? This is my ancestor that was the first of the family to move from England to Scotland and of course am hoping there is loads on info on the (rather large) gravestone, however things being what they are with this family it is likely to be crushingly disappointing!

Karen id check with the local council for the area first

Karen I think this is a matter for the local council, they are responsible for public safety. Suppose you lifted this stone and it fell on someone later on? I've visited quite a few cemeteries which have notices advising people to take care and not to walk between gravestones. nell

Julie - good idea, why didn't I think of that?, been contemplating this for a year - a very long 'blonde' moment - Karen

Nell - I'll contact them. Its just that I came across a website advising on how to lift or move gravestones which got me thinking as to how I would do mine and went off on that tangent. Thanks. Karen

Karen I have blonde moments all the time LOL You are lucky the headstone is still there, were i live they would be removed if their faling over / fallen without any notice to next of kin Julie

Julie - this necropolis is no longer in use so I guess they don't pay it much attention. but you've now got be thinking, what if they suddenly decide to remove it before I get to see it?! It was such a chance find. When I was starting out on this research I put in a burial fiche not realising I needed to know which cemetary etc and the first page had my ancestor on it. After hours of walking around the cemetary to no avail I found it had a website and the kind man found the plot number and sent me a photo of the grave.

Yes, you must do something about it, because no one else will value it. I found the bottom part of one of my rellies gravestones (1825) just sticking out of the ground at the churchyard. I was totally on my own so had a good mooch. I found the rest of it laying up against the church wall under some shrubs. It has the most beautiful inscription on it saying how well thought of this man was and honest and had gone to heaven at peace with all men on earth. I must do something about it. I asked the church warden if it could be reinstated (the church has no money) but my hubby has now offered to drill into the part still in the ground, insert stainless steel rods and then drill into the larger part and fit it over the rods and then use commercial adhesive. They are thinking about it.

Oh Heather :-) The 'bottom part of your relly' I have visions of a neat little tag with the 'beautful legend' on it tied to his toe... oh dear sorry!!!! the mind boggles And the rest of him under some shrubs LOL eeek Sylvia

Oh dear, thats the problem with internet, you tend to do shorthand, I shall have to alter that to proper English!! Yes, I bet you were a bit concerned about it being drilled out too!

I don't know if anyone else has heard about this but because of the compensation culture the council/cemetary workers are going round and pushing the headstones over if they are loose. What happens to them afterwards I don't know. It was in the paper not long ago - council vandalism it was called. In the cemetary where my parents grave is most of the area around them is now just grass as they clear the stones,curbs away when the subsidence causes them to come apart. Also the cemetary office doesn't keep records of the addresses of people 'emotionally connected' to the graves.

If thats the case Julie and I dont doubt it! we should be able to claim the stones as our own as obviously our ancestors paid out for them. I would be happy to have one in my garden, dont know about anyone else!

Heather, I've been laughing then thought what a great idea to have broken or defunct gravestones of your rellies at home! I would love them in my garden, too! I bet you it will happen because cemeteries only seem to spend their money on the rellies of the still living - it's worth asking about, I'm sure, and the stones would have cost someone a fortune.

Trouble is that unless someone visits regularly they possibly wouldn't know until they went and found nothing there. Whether they store the displaced gravestones I have no idea.

Hi Karen I hope you are able to sort out the headstone and hopefully restore it to its former glory!! I am so lucky in that in one of the tiny Welsh villages where many of my ancestors are buried, the little cemetery is so very well kept and regularly maintained by a lovely old man (who turned out to be another relation!!!) and he does this under his own steam, mowing the grass around stones etc and holly wreaths the gates at Christmas. The last time I was there another family was visiting a few graves and said to me you must be so and so's grandaughter, you're the spitting image of her when she was young!!! it turned out they were childhood friends of my grandmother and told me loads of stories!!!! You never know who you might meet in graveyards!!!! lost gravestones or the living!!!! Sarah

Hi Pat, I think as this is a tiny village church (they had 4 people at morning prayers sadly) I think the warden may be quite happy for us to do it. Hubby is an engineer/builder. I have suggested that she contacts a stone mason college and gets some students on work experience weeks up to the church for other repairs.

If you get the OK from the council you might have to uses a contractor (or be told to) this could cost you a few £100. If not you are going to need about a dozen people as some grave stones can be in the Tons (yours sound like it could be about 1/2 a Ton or more) If they have alredy removed it then there is a good chance its not gone far. The church in Andover were my dad was buried put the old stones around the wall of the church yard as do others I have been to. If not I think they have to keep them safe incase a relle wishes to clame them.

They are often laid down on purpose as they are dangerous. A churhyard fairly local to me has a sign up about this and says that a toddler was killed by a falling gravestone.

thanks for all your replies. I think I'll contact the council first. Whilst I'd love to restore the gravestone properly if finances allow, I have to admit I just really really want the info so it was a good suggestions to tip it to read and replace it back where it is and can't harm anyone. Really hope its worth it!