what on earth is two breadths

[diavalos]

Hi
I have just returned home after visiting St. Oswalds Church at Winwick near Newton Le Willows in Lancashire. I found headstones for several relatives going back to 1741. The puzzle is that on some of these stones the words two breadths appear, on the one that is important to me is the name John and Jane Hart 1783 and underneath two breadths, followed by other family members names, an earlier stone says samuel and Jane of Newton 2-b 1741. It doesnt seem to be a place or area so does anyone have any ideas please.
Regards  Joyce.

[meles]

I wonder if it might be a (misspelled) version of the phrase "Two breaths that breathe as one"? i.e. they were inseparable.

meles

[diavalos]

 Maybe but would they abbreviate it  to 2-B though, and it was on such a lot of them.

[meles]

An example of early texting, perhaps? 

meles

[Sisterjane]

An example of early texting, perhaps? 

meles

LOL.......Love it Meles..

Jane

[Bilge]

You'll will probally find its the plot size, two bodies side by side.

Well its a thought

[diavalos]

I had thought of that, and most of the graves had 4-6 people buried in them. and i suppose it would help when they opened the grave each time!!! Perhaps i should try the church warden or Vicar. There was no-one there to- day

[Sylviaann]

I thought a breadth was a width.  Something is wide or broad.  2 breadths would be 2 widths

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/breadth

Sylviaann

[stanmapstone]

I understand that families took ground as they thought necessary, and  could take a single grave-breadth, or two or three, and each grave-breadth took three adults at depths of 7 feet, 5 feet and 3 feet.

Stan