I will be in graveyards, willing to do look ups (Potton/Sandy/Biggleswade area)

[Ayashi]

I will be in Biggleswade on Thursday and already doing a cemetery look-up for someone, as well as going to Sandy in the not too distant future, so I thought I'd stick a quick post here in case anyone else would like me to have a look/photo in this area. I can do Potton/Sandy/Biggs and I am willing to consider others in the local area as well.

[ATGoldsmith]

Hello,

I know it's a bit late but if you are ever going back to Potton could you look up any people with the surname Stokes from about pre-1850 please?

Thanks!

ATG

[Ayashi]

Sure thing, although understand that a lot of the gravestones in Potton aren't in readable condition. Potton History Society does have transcripts taken from 20 or 30 years ago when the stones were a bit better so that might be an option that yields better results. Am I looking for anyone in particular? I'll see what I can do

[ATGoldsmith]

Thanks for the quick reply!!

I've had a look in the tree and I haven't been able to go that far back on the Stokes' line but the main church should have lots of the family there!  The main first names are William, John, Sarah and Mary.  Don't worry if you can't find anyone, it'll be like searching for needles in a haystack or we'll get lucky and the church will be full of them!! 

I'll have a look around the internet for the Potton Transcripts as well!

Thanks!

ATG

[Ayashi]

I'm pretty sure the transcripts aren't online, they are in the PFHS personal archives, but I have had them taken out upon request for an in-person search, although it took a while for that to be arranged. I can certainly ask again. I'm busy working today but perhaps tomorrow I'll have a walk around for Stage 1 of Graveyard search and later on see about requesting the files. Last time I did that it turned out I walked past the gravestone repeatedly in the graveyard but hadn't had a clue because the inscription was practically gone, could make it out only forarmed with what it actually said and then took photos.

On a side note, if you do have any in the surrounding villages, it's basically the same story except I don't know about the Family History Society status. I was additionally saddened to see that Biggleswade parish churchyard has had all the stones taken up and lined around the sides, badly worn also, and that Sandy parish churchyard has a lot of stones in poor condition in situ but a heartbreaking number of gravestones piled up broken and disrespected in a big mound under a tree. Potton has the vast majority of theirs in situ, but a lot of them in the parish churchyard have sunk!

[johnP-bedford]

The Bedfordshire Family History Society has a parish register CD for each Beds parish, some of which have transcripts of Monumental Inscriptions...

.... see list here...    http://www.bfhs.org.uk/parishcd.html

[Ayashi]

I'm going to have to apologise- with waiting for my own FH news I completely forgot today... I'm working tomorrow, but I'll try to do it asap!

[Ayashi]

Sorry about the delay. Sadly as I expected, I didn't see anything because the grave stones were in such bad condition. I could have walked past them and not known. I did take some photos of the graveyard for you and will send those later (the photo software is on my old laptop) and I will speak to the FHS soon to see if I can find any transcriptions.