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Author Topic: Gravestone inscriptions  (Read 1696 times)

Offline anne50

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Gravestone inscriptions
« on: Sunday 12 August 12 10:54 BST (UK) »
Hi, i wonder if anyone can help. I walked round the St Peters cemetery in Peterhead yesterday, and there is loads of old gravestones. Quite a few had the inscription " 2 breadths ahead" or " 3 breadths ahead", at the bottom of the stone. What does this mean. Would it be a religious thing?

Thanks
Anne

Offline flst

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Re: Gravestone inscriptions
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 12 August 12 13:10 BST (UK) »
I imagine it would be an indicator of where the lairs were.Probably of use to the gravedigger & stonemason rather than a religous meaning.
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Offline Flattybasher9

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Re: Gravestone inscriptions
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 12 August 12 16:52 BST (UK) »
It would be interesting to see the dates and names on the stones. On another web site, 9see below) this is discussed, and a photograph showing one date with two names, husband and wife, and the inscription "2 Breadths" which may imply that they died togther and were buried alongside one another.

http://newton-le-willows.com/history/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1268&start=0

Regards

Malky

Offline anne50

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Re: Gravestone inscriptions
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 12 August 12 20:03 BST (UK) »
Thanks FLST and Malky. It does look as if it means two people were buried side by side ( 2 breadths ahead), although its not a dead cert (pardon the pun). The stones were very old, late 1700's, to early 1800's.

Anne
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