General Chat

Hello all,

Felt like resurrecting my old thread as have been doing a lot of grave-hunting lately. Usually drag my best mate with me to get him more into genealogy and am thrilled he is going to university in Norwich, as that is where lots of my ancestors are from and gives me an excuse to visit him and go round the graveyards! :-D

More stories of grave-hunting loopiness welcome!

Matt

I often visited my friends in their homes - now, I visit some of them occasionally in the local cemetery.

Long may I be able to do so.

i have seen people laugh
as my hubby and i up to our knees in brambles or snow
piecing broken head stones together
just to get that last bit of info
but how good is that feeling of finding the final piece lol
once we searched a graveyard in ther pouring rain for two hours
got soaked through only to find
when we later went inside the church
a booklet with the full contents of the graveyard was freely availible
sods law

I have read all the entries and how interesting they are. I only really got into Family history when we moved from the UK to Spain so very difiicult to go to cemetries. I have been to Mere in Wiltshire and seen quite a few but the photos are not good as it is difficult to read them. I have also been to Layer de la Haye and Fingrinhoe in Essex and was able to see my grandparents and a favourite Aunt and uncle burial place but that is about all. Is there another way to do this. for example can one see Graveyards and Cemetries on line ????

12.04 hrs Spain

I have been grave hunting several times. My hubby calls it "looking for the dead" and I do get some stick from him and my daughters and some extended family. However, other people are quite interested when I tell them what information you can find about ancestors. I also point out that these graves have probably been forgotton by descendants and that, at least I have after probably years and years, bothered to visit them, take a photo for future generations to see. Writing wears off and photos preserve what his written.

One grave I found, was covered in 2foot high weeds. My husband was very amused when I proceeded in weeding it so that the writing could be seen and every one else visiting the graveyard could now see who it belonged too!

Only problem I have found whilst searching graveyards - Holes, and some of the ground sinking. Once I fell face first into a sunken grave and I was really upset about it. My husband thought I had hurt myself, but it was the feeling of being disrespectfuly which made me cry! Can laugh at it now!

I have spent hours looking round. I even found a gravestone for Donald Duck in Brough, Yorkshire - right next to a family member! Took photograph to proove it too!

It is sad to think that some of these old graveyards don't often get visited, at least all these family researchers are interested!!

There isn't a central place for photos of graveyards/headstones if that is what you mean. If you know where people are buried, it might be worth contacting the local FH society and ask if they would be willing to go have a look and take photos. Or you could email the Church and see if they can help.

Some council cemetery registrars are willing to take photos as well.

There is no harm asking on here if someone local could go and have a look for you, if you know where they are buried.

Always do an Internet search for burial records - they may be on line.

We have to remember that not all, or in many cases, few of our ancestors could afford a permanent marker. We even find that some graves which did have a headstone have been re-used over the years for a new family, or the headstones have been removed to aid mowing etc.

Someone on this site has a thread about cemeteries with a long list....but I can't find it!

yes spanish eyes some grave yards and their contents
are on line
thanks to some very kind people taking the trouble to log them
i myself found an online graveyard in gillamoor
with over 50 of my family members buried there
turned out a member of our family even built the church
with his own hands
the find was a gold mine to me
as my favorite person in my tree
a tamar potter/wood was the first grave there
thought to my disapointment john scott richardson 1856
is avading me
i just cannot find his grave
no matter where i have looked
but i will carry on searching for it
and just one day maybe i will find it

Well I love visiting cemetery's .....

Everyone in my family knows this is my pastime, my hubby is quite willing to tag along a long as I find him the
Village Pub !!.....then off I go!!

As most of my ancestors are from Devon & Cornwall, I think I must know every Village Pub ;-)

When in Cyprus on holiday I even transcribed headstones from WW1 Commonwealth graves..... for the project that CWGC are putting together ...

Marilyn ......

My husband drove aged BIL and myself all the way to Bala to look around two cemeteries in the pouring rain.

It was very interesting but soooooooo frustrating because my family line is....Jones!!

Sadly one of the churches is now in private ownership (although the graveyard is open to visitors) the other church was unsafe to enter and that one I would have loved to have gone into.

I have notes and photographs but need to see the burial records to weed out the Jones' that were not mine.

Sue

Oh Mathew, I love it, like Joy visit a lot of cemeteries in Cornwall. To answer your question 'yes my children think we are mad'. Although my husband does not do any research, being a builder he loves looking at the architecture of the churches.

Carol

I used to spend hours mooching through graveyards in England, irrespective of whether I hoped to "find" anyone there.
Went on holiday to Spain with a like minded friend one year & we spent several hours in the cemetery in Nerja.
Obsessed or what?

Re cleaning Grave stones,Try Screenwash,spray it on and wipe with a cloth or sponge.pretty good.

It is my father's fault - as a child visiting gfather's grave to tidy - he would leave my Mum to do and wonder off with me aged 7-8 reading headstones!

About 14 years ago I produced on my Christmas wish list details of 6 -7 death certs I wanted. Dau said morbid not buying - I pointed out my hobby.

I did get them but not from her.

A sunny afternoon some years ago in a village churchyard - found several family graves but lichen was thick over one inscription so OH has his penknife out gently going over when verger rushes out - he was very helpful and got out plan/list of thye churchyard.

Hi Matthew. My five years old grandson told his teacher that my nan plays with the dead people and that last week granndad took his nan to see the dead people. We had a great week looking round Aston Tirrold and Tetsworth graveyard just to name 2 of them that we when too.
We do get some funny looks when we are out and he shout out have you played with the dead people to day nan
Sandy :-)

My OH always comes with me whenever
i go looking for someones grave ..he not that intrested in genealogy
but we will go and find a grave for someone that is buried in my area and take a photo of the grave and send them the pitcure.
Hazelx

Only last weekend my husband and I made a three hour trip each way to Boreham in Essex to photograph some of my ancestors, under the trees, covered in ivy and brambles but hey who cares, it was very productive and I got some nice photographs, some of the information is not contained on the censuses as it happened (birth and death) between censuses.

The Revd of the church was very helpful even though he was just about to start a service, I didn't ask him he offered.

hi all
i love to visit graveyards
if anyone as anyone in in wainfleet all saints
or
wainfleet st mary
i will go and have alook for you
but please pm me with details

Long before becoming interested in geneology,I loved graveyards,in fact,there was once a house for sale on a property program on telly and I thought it a wonderful place to live. Well,your nieghbours are quiet arn't they?

Lesley C,the church you mentioned must be Mount St Mary's at Spinkhill,I know it well. Some of my OH's ancestors lived in Killamarsh,perhaps a relation?

I get alot of stick off the family my young children laugh at me especially in the winter when i wear my woolie hat(it gets cold in those cemetrys) and take my camara,note book and so on.

Winter is the best time to go for those graves unreadable in the summer with thorns and bushes in the way.

The worst thing is to get there (like i did in Ripon) and most of the head stones are lent against a wall in stacks or they are floor stones and the grass has been aloud to grow over them. :-(

My husband isn't interested in FH. But he will look round grave yards with me come snow rain or shine. We have a couple of times had a run out for my birthday to a cemetery I have always wanted to go to in another county!! At work they say only you would want to do that. Well now I know I'm not the only one .