Weeping trees on grave-stones

[Lydart]

I was in Anglesey last weekend, staying with friends at Menai Bridge.  We went for a walk, and headed for a church on an island in the river sorry ... the bit of water between Anglesey and the mainland ...

There were many gravestones with variations on a weeping tree cut into the slate at the top of the stone ... see pictures.  (Sorry about the bird poo !)

Can anyone say what they represent ?  And why was this type of carving popular over a period of time (graves dated 1880's to about 1920's had the tree).

The only thing I can think of is that it represents the willows of Babylon, as in Psalm 137 ... "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept ... we hung our harps upon the willows ..."  (Authorised Version ... modern versions say poplars).  Am I right ?? 

[ricky1]

Hi Lydart
 I think they mean trees of sorrow. A Weeping Willow Tree

ricky

[Galium]

http://www.obcgs.com/gravestone.html

Those two examples you have given are rather lovely, Lydart.

[Lydart]

Thanks for that site ... and yes, Ricky, thats what I thought they meant.  But are they something specially from north Wales ?  I've never seen them elsewhere, and didnt have time to visit any more cemeteries ! 

Here's another variation on the same theme ! 

[Berlin-Bob]

Some related topics here, but I don't think we've had willow trees before:

Topic: RootsChat Topics: Graveyards, Gravestones, Gravestone Symbols, etc.  http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,203252.0.html


Bob

[wilcoxon]

I asked about this to the Menai Bridge History  Group -  this is the reply.

However thank you for the question, I have spoken with one of our trustees a local historian. She advises me that the mark you have seen is a palm tree and would have been the mark of the stone mason who made the gravestone. Apparently masons might have had more than one mark and it would be the choice of the family as to which mark was used.
I hope this answers the question,
 Also please visit the exhibition which reopens on 18th June 2007.

[Berlin-Bob]

and would have been the mark of the stone mason who made the gravestone.

I'm sceptical !

I know it is very trendy nowadays to wear clothing which advertises the manufacturer,
but I can't imagine a gravestone having such a big "X, his mark" for the stone mason. 
At the most, something small on the back, or a discrete bit of ornamentation within the other carvings.

I think that is definitely a symbolic carving.

I'll go with the website Gallium mentioned:

Weeping Willow    Emblem of Sorrow
Willows               Earthly Sorrow

Bob

[Lydart]

Really ?  

Thanks for asking Wilcoxon, that was good of you, but I'm not sure if I can believe it ... the panel with the weeping tree is usually approximately one quarter to one third of the whole stone.  Surely a masons mark would be tiny, compared with the size of the stone ?  If you were the family of the deceased, would you really have the masons trade-mark filling the top third of your stone, above all the details of the dead person ?!

I wouldn't !  

[Peterej]

I agree it would be most unlikely that this is a mason's mark.
I have photos of headstones with my family complete with palm tree taken in Corris (mid Wales) and I doubt that a mason would travel such a distance in the 1880's.

Peter