Not much success with gravestones

[Roobarb]

Well despite my reservations, and exercising any necessary caution, I have visited several graveyards in the search for my ancestors. So far I've had very little luck. Obviously some of the gravestones are too weathered to read and some have fallen/been pushed over. However, you would think that the law of averages would mean that I'd find a few ancestors. How common was it for burials to take place without there being some sort of marker? Most of my ancestors were poverty-stricken Ag Labs etc,    but surely it wasn't only the landed gentry who had gravestones! If so, I'm wasting my time!
I was very disappointed that even my gt grandparents who had been in business, had no gravestone. I know it was the correct place as the cemeteries officer gave me the layout of exactly where it was.
Have other Rootschatters been luckier?

[ricky1]

Hi Roobarb

Lots of people didnt have head stones, they couldn't afford them in them days. We spent hours walking around cemetery's, where are loved ones are buried.
Some only had wooden crosses that have now gone, or if there is a headstone like you say are totally unreadable. Only graves I have found are  my grandparents, but I do know where one of my great grandparents are buried but no marker when I first looked, but there is now

ricky

[Roobarb]

I did find the gravestone for my gt grandparents but that was after my cousin told me where it was! And my brother and his wife found one for our 3 x gt grandparents for me! Personally - zilch! 

[ricky1]

Hi Roobarb

I wouldnt give up, as its a nice feeling when you find a loved one that you didnt know personally except on a census sheet Just cos there is no headstone it dont matter as long as you find the grave site

ricky

[Jayson]

Some of the tombstones relating to my family were fortunately recorded by a distant cousin in the late 19century, however they haven't survived . . . the church was demolished and some of the stones cleared away - including mine

[kerryb]

I have been lucky and found a few but I walked round one churchyard one day where there should be at least 30 of my Cruse family buried and I couldn't find any of them.  They were all Ag Labs and Farmers and I guess they had wooden crosses that have disappeared, either that or I was in the wrong churchyard completely! 

Kerry

[MarieC]

I've been totally out of luck in England.  Two 3xggrandparents were buried in Old St Pancras churchyard, which of course was largely cleared away so that the railway could go through.  I've been told that the cemetery for other ancestors near Hull has been totally cleared and grassed over, so nothing there to find.  Have no idea where my East End watermen and lightermen were buried, and they probably were too poor to have headstones anyway.  Only one I've ever found was a gguncle in a cemetery in Oxford, and the wooden memorial had no writing left and was rotting away!! 

But a kind Rootschatter found me a family grave in Co. Dublin!

Here in Oz we are much better off.  Have family graves in very good order in the local cemetery, which I have tended.  And found a ggrandfather's grave "outback" in a very remote spot, all by itself, with the monument and inscription in excellent order, despite not having been tended since his death in 1928!

MarieC

[linmey]

I havnt searched many churchyards for my own ancestors but I have done quite a few searches locally for other people and I cant say I have been hugely successful. Mostly the stones are very weathered and only a few letters if any are clear enough to read so usually its quite disheartening but on the other hand when I do actually have a success it makes all the dissapointment worth while. I do think its important to look at as many as we can and record them when possible though because they are disappearing very fast.

Linda.

[Iria]

A few of Mine or Buried In Toxteth Park Cem..I have the Numbers of the Graves But Sadly there are No Headstones..  :-[The only one i have is the One of My Nan Grandad and Dad who are Buried in the Same Plot

I when it comes to My ancesters they where Just too Poor to have a Headstone Layed..

Regards

Iria