What Does This Mean?

[Nick29]

Like this .......... ?

[Gaille]

Like this .......... ?

That looks like a 'Marker' stone to me?
They were initialy used as marker stones to show where the plot was - I have burials in my family where when the person was buried the family couldnt afford a 'proper' headstone so the marker stone was engraved with the details, on the back is the grave number thats used as the marker stone.

When the proper headstone was put in the 'marker' stone was also left as it had been engraved.

Gaille

[Lydart]

Thats the one Nick !


Those aren't foot-stones !

[Nick29]

When the proper headstone was put in the 'marker' stone was also left as it had been engraved.

Gaille

Hmmm.... surely it would take as long to engrave a "marker stone" as it would to engrave a full-size one ?

I'm not saying you're wrong, but surely a temporary marker (if one was necessary) would have been made of wood ?

Nick.

[Just Kia]

I've got foot stones with some of my later ancestors and they typically seem to be the same width as the headstone - just much shorter, like the head and foot boards of a bed. Now, that isn't to say that's how it's always been or even that it's the same everywhere...

But there is a significant number of graves in Upper Boddington churchyard, a whole row,  with those smaller stones up against the headstone, and I haven't seen them in several other churchyards (that I've noticed anyway).

[Lydart]

I'm sure we've got one or two in our churchyard .... I'll take the camera and have a wander round after the service tomorrow morning ...

[Gaille]

When the proper headstone was put in the 'marker' stone was also left as it had been engraved.

Gaille

Hmmm.... surely it would take as long to engrave a "marker stone" as it would to engrave a full-size one ?

I'm not saying you're wrong, but surely a temporary marker (if one was necessary) would have been made of wood ?

Nick.

Maybe - but I know for certain my grandads Marker stone was made of Stone, and it was engraved - I have the original papers for the engraving - and it states 'engraving of Marker stone' along with grandads name, age & date of death.
The Marker stones in the cemetery he is buried in are all stone - and are included in the grave fee - a 'proper' fancier headstone had to be bought later - and many people couldnt afford them s they made do with the engraved markers stones until when (and if) they could afford to buy a Headstone.
(Take a walk around Blackley Cemetery in Manchester & you will see loads of engraved marker stones)

Gaille

[Guy Etchells]

When a grave is dug the ground becomes unstable and has to be left for a period to settle. The length of time for this settling varies depending on soil type and weather and may be up to a year or eighteen months before it is safe to erect a headstone.
There was therefore plenty of time to commission a headstone & matching footstone in the time between burial and the ground settling.

Temporary markers have often been used during this time sometimes made of wood (common for war graves) sometimes of stone.
It was not uncommon for these marker stones to then be used as footstones when the headstone was put in place.

Footstones often reflected the shape of the headstone but others were simply either rectangular or rectangular with a rounded top.
In earlier times both markers were made of wood and were the permanent markers of the grave just as at other times graves were simply marked by a mound of earth.
I have a huge collection of photos of graveyards going back to the 1950s which show the footstones in place then later photos of the same graveyards where the footstones have been moved either in front of or behind the headstones.
I started putting some online between 1997 & 2003 but just do not have the time any more.
Cheers
Guy

[Nick29]

Thanks for that, Guy