What does this symbol mean?

[Sikes]

Someone has suggested to me that its a snake around a tree? Is that right?

[mshrmh]

To me it looks like a stylised version of IHS which is a version of Jesus
http://cemeteries.wordpress.com/2006/10/02/dollar-sign-ihs/
and
http://www.faithfulleeyours.com/store/home.php?cat=250
for other vesrions

[robbo43]

I'd go with IHS

Robert

[IrishOrigins]

Definitely IHS - it also used to appear a lot in churches (in the days before the arrival of "sterility" which made churches more like community meeting rooms than places of worship).

Philippa

[Springbok]

Hi Sikes

quote

"The IHS monogram is an abbreviation or shortening of Jesus' name in Greek to the first three letters. Thus ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, ιησυς (iēsus, "Jesus"), is shortened to ΙΗΣ (iota-eta-sigma), sometimes transliterated into Latin or English characters as IHS or ΙΗC."

Spring

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi

Springbok has got the exact and correct meaning of the IHS on the memorial

Chris in 1066

[Sikes]

Thanks everyone, makes sense now. Was begining to wonder if my relatives were part of a secret society