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 Poll
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| Question: |
Would You clean off a Gravestone to see the name behind ??
| Yes Full stop ! |
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   5 (10.6%) |
| Yes to the point i could read the info |
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32 (68.1%) |
| No not at all |
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4 (8.5%) |
| Clean it completely ? |
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3 (6.4%) |
| Other ! |
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3 (6.4%) |
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| Total Votes: 47 |
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Author
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Topic: Re Cleaning Gravestones !! (Read 1494 times)
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KarenM
RootsChat Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
 Offline
Posts: 3467
My Grandpa Stanley has the hanky in his pocket
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I havn't had to really clean off any headstones to read them yet, but on the topic of headstones, I just had the cemetery fix my great-grandmother's headstone the other week. It is a flat stone and over the years was sinking into the ground and the corners were covered with grass and dirt. When you bury the person you pay a lifetime maintenance fee for the care, such as cutting the grass and included is the headstone. She died in 1960, so not really old, but it is now back in it's original position. I like to think she would be happy that I had it fixed up for her.
Karen
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Gandley (but known as Stanley in Canada)- Ireland to Birmingham
Ball, Kempson & Franklin - Birmingham
Shorter - Surrey
Dyer - Devon
Dawkins - Co. Cork, Ireland
Heffernan - Ireland
Huck - Alsace, France
Reinhart - Baden, Germany
Bowman & Ellis - England
Etheridge - Glouchester
Who all came to Canada in a little row boat, clap clap, clap your hands!!
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apanderson
RootsChat Veteran
Offline
Posts: 986
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This should be interesting Graceland!!
I've just posted a bit of a long winded reply on the previous 'Cleaning gravestones' thread.
I'll be really intereseted to see how the voting goes.
Anne
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smeghead
RootsChat Veteran
Offline
Posts: 672
PINK FLOYD
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I have spent hours around graveyards looking for graves some are quite faded i would clean of to get all information particular if there was a key to my research
Jim
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Jeves, Sparkes, Downton, Chaney, Digby, Jenkins, Taylor, Hiscock, NOAKE, McCabe, Harman, Cuffay, Lloyd, Lister, Jamieson,Rimmer,Kryten Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Bee
RootsChat Aristocrat
Offline
Posts: 1858
Wm & Sarah Ellis - 1916
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I've cleaned stones so that I could read the details but I must remember next time I go on a graveyard ramble to take extra cleaning rags with me, paper hankies don't last very long 
Bee
p.s. what's the point in having a headstone that no one can read? 
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Dinsdale, Ellis, Gee, Goldsmith,Green,Hawks,Holmes, Lacey, Longhorn, Pickersgill, Quantrill,Tuthill, Tuttle & Walker, in E & W Yorks, Lincs, Norfolk & Suffolk. Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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apanderson
RootsChat Veteran
Offline
Posts: 986
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A definate no-no for me.
After having read everything I can find on this particular subject, I find myself siding completely with professional opinions - and this is DON'T TOUCH!
Anne
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trystan
Administrator
RootsChat Aristocrat
Offline
Posts: 1781
One of the RootsChat Caretakers
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From my experience going round (dragged round) graveyards by Sarah:
If a gravestone from a glance definately is not the right one, obviously I would leave it alone.
If details are obscured then I would pull back any grass, or ivy to try and see the detail.
If I thought in any way that the grave could be damaged by my action, then I wouldn't disturb it. Also in the same manner, after disturbing any ivy or grass then I'd lay it back on. God's a better garderner than me, and knows best. 
In cleaning a grave, whether it be my relative or not, it gives a great moment of thought, reflection and respect for that person that was laid there, to think that somebody loved them enough to lay a stone for them, and for one moment to imagine their personality.
Don't tell Sarah, but I love grave hunting with her!
Trystan
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Nick Carver
RootsChat Aristocrat
Offline
Posts: 1234
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I think one must draw the distinction between taking a casual look at a gravestone and recording the details. Those projects recording MIs depend upon the gravestones being read and a soft brush, soap and water is often used for the purpose. If a grave is currently illegible and in 50 years would be totally illegible (regardless of whether or not it was possible to clean), then I would argue that it is more important that the details be recorded for posterity, than observing any perceived niceties.
On another angle, it depends on who the headstone belongs to. As an example, I have only just discovered the location of my grandfather's grave (he died nearly 20 years before I was born). When I get the chance to visit, I will definitely clean it if it is required and as the oldest surviving male relative, would defend my right to do so. But, I know the exact location of his grave. In the case of people 'browsing', I think they can remove vegetation, but they should otherwise leave well alone.
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E Yorks - Carver, Steels, Cross, Maltby, Whiting, Moor, Laybourn
W Yorks - Wilkinson, Kershaw, Rawnsley, Shaw
Norfolk - Carver, Dowson
Cheshire - Berry, Cooper
Lincs - Berry
London/Ireland/Scotland/Lincs - Sullivan
Northumberland/Durham - Nicholson, Cuthbert, Turner, Robertson
Berks - May
Beds - Brownell
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Paul E
Guest
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This gravestone-cleaning malarky is more popular than you think...
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Mobo
RootsChat Aristocrat
Offline
Posts: 2368
Forever Searching
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Luv it.. luv it.. luv it .. Paul
I can just hear ole George singing your words to his ukulele.
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BUCKLEY, Ches. DUNN, Ireland & Lancs. EDGSON, Rutland, Leics & Lancs. LYON, Lancs. McNULTY, Ireland & Lancs. MORRIS, Beds, Hunts & Lancs. TURNER, Lancs. WILLIAMSON, Lancs. Website: http://www.ag19pfalz36.plus.com/All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) |
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PrueM
RootsChat Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 6069
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Hi wendy, the difference between cleaning gravestones and cleaning historic pictures is that one would hope that the person cleaning the historic pictures would be trained and qualified to know exactly what they are doing, what materials they are dealing with, and the ramifications of the treatment they are undertaking!!
Having said that though, I recently went to an old cemetery in the UK and found the gravestone of my ancestors' plot fallen on its face. With a couple of cousins I lifted the stone so we could read the face of it (most of which had rotted away - cheap stone  ) ... if it had not been almost completely deteriorated as it was, we would have put it back face down, where it would have been protected. But as we are the only descendants of those in the grave, and the stone was almost destroyed (or at least the text) we left it up.
I think as long as you understand the consequences of what you are doing, you should be allowed to clear around, and clean off to a certain extent, gravestones that are relevant to you. Be aware that lichens, moss and overhanging greenery can help to protect the stone; that sometimes the lichen and moss are actually helping to hold some less stable stones together and if you remove them the stone may fall apart in front of your eyes; that if you scrub at a stone you may end up with the same result; and then proceed!
I have heard of people using chalk, or crayon over thin paper, to rub gently over a stone to read the letters - not sure how effective this is? Might not have to do so much cleaning then...also with digital cameras and software being what they are today, often a photograph can be manipulated to show alot of detail.
Sorry for the mind dump 
Prue
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) – BIGG (Kent) – BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) – BRISBANE (Fife) – DANKS (STS) – DOBSON (BRK) – FRANCIS (ESS) – GOODE (HAM) – HAYNES (Cork) – INGRAM (MDX, SOM) – LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) – MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness) – MORRISH (LND) – NANCARROW (CON) – OGILVIE (Moray, LND) – STRATHDEE (Banff) – SWAN (Fife) – WOOD (LND)
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gravestones2.jpg