Sepulchral Monument Studies

I don't pretend to be a professional scholar on the subject of sepulchral monuments. I am only writing from the experiences of my own findings while doing genealogy research. So my opinions can only be speculative at best, but may be of some interest to those interested in this subject. I usually have one or more of my dear grand-children with me on my cemetery excursions and will not be surprised if they all grow up to be morticians, artists or stonecutters!!!! When they stay overnight with me, their first question is always, "Gram can we go to the cemetery tomorrow....please?" But, they view cemetery visits less as a frightening experience but more like an art and history learning outing. We sometimes take great-grandma too. She on the other hand is a little more apprehensive!!! Not of those lying in the cemetery, but of those she fears may "Lie in wait!!" So, she usually walks behind us, the protector!!! In her hand, she usually carries the steering wheel club that she has taken out of the back seat of my car and soooo inconspicuously wrapped in her sweater or jacket. God bless her!!!

Being interested in genealogy, goes hand and hand with cemetery research...sooner or later...we all end up searching in them! It is an additional tool we use for researching our roots and documenting births, marriages, offspring and deaths in the absence of other available records. And with the rise in interest in genealogy since the late 1960's, there is now an awareness to the necessity of restoring and preserving some of our older cemeteries. Which, hopefully, will make it easier down the road when somebody is searching for our old stones! I'm going to be real picky about my stone...I want one that's highly durable and I want a darn good stonecutter to inscribe some really brilliant epitaph! Perhaps I should write my own...my sons are just liable to write " Here lies Mom...hopefully comfortable in a setting she was quite fond of."

I am frequently pressed for time on my cemetery excursions, and have found a few clues over the years that have helped me scan through the cemeteries a bit quicker. There seems to be a stylistic similarity between the stones of each century. There is definite art work linked to each.

The stones of the 1600's {if you can locate them} are mostly adorned with "winged death heads", changing in the 1700's to heavenly moonfaced cherubs, the 1800's bring in the urn and pillar art work and then into the willow and grape vines of the early 1900's which are thought to symbolize a more broad Christian type of belief. The later, turning cemeteries more into memorials than the earlier "burial grounds". So, this can aid in locating a particular gravestone as you scan quickly as you walk. The older monuments were, it seems, an expression of the early settlers newfound, staunch, Puritanical, religious beliefs, thus the Winged Death Heads. Some time in the mid 1700's,often called the "Period of Revival", came the softer, cherub like, faces of angelical spirits. These softer, cherub faces were more aligned with the theory of resurrection and eternal life than it's earlier counterpart of the stern Puritanical influence representing the "Wrath Of God" that was symbolized by the Winged Death Heads. And also noted of that period in the later 1700's, most of the headstones are all facing East symbolizing resurrection and the promise of afterlife. Of course, when doing cemetery research, it is usually best to 1st try and contact the caretaker or sexton. If it is a Church owned cemetery, a visit, or better yet, an advanced call to the Pastor could be of big assistance. You may be able to obtain the exact location of the deceased person you are seeking from their records. Or, perhaps, someone has researched and written the history of that particular cemetery and it's inhabitants. Also check for this information at the local Historical Society. Unfortunately, I have not had this benefit me all that often, but I always go that route first. I'll sure take the easy way anytime it is afforded me and give thanks for that person who has done the leg work for me.

Equipment I carry with me varies. I usually always carry a toothbrush and a sponge {natural is better} that I have soaked and placed in a zip-lock bag. This I use to clear the stones more readily so I can read them...though, I have worn off part of finger prints I think, while attempting to rub off various substances from a gravestone. So I will probably never be listed with the FBI!!! I try and have either a good camera, a camcorder, a portable tape recorder or at the very least, a notebook and pens. I think I would have to say that the camcorder works out best, not having to worry about as much light as I would need from a regular camera and being able of course to record and speak any added info that I think may be of help to me later on. Though, when it comes to the design of various headstones that catch my eye or an unusual epitaph, I will use a still camera for photographs I want to save. Epitaphs being another whole story!!! Funny, sad, repulsive and sometimes just darn right stupid...you'll find them all! Some make you laugh...others can bring tears to your eyes. While cemetery exploring out on the Cape in Massachusetts, two of my grandchildren and myself came across a headstone that really shocked us!!!! It was a rather small cemetery, the three of us walking along together reading the various headstones...when...we came upon one most unusual one. All three of us spotting it at the same moment!!! We turned and looked at each other in amazement! The headstone read SNOW!!!!!! WHITE!!!!!! We looked all about to see if we might find the graves of Doc, Dopey, Sneezey or any of the other 7 dwarfs...but we didn't! So we had to settle for the fact that most likely there lie the remains of the Snow family and the White family. But it is definitely one cemetery outing we will never forget.

Gravestone rubbing is another interesting aspect. Not only for the study of unusual artwork of a stonecutter or an epitaph you want to keep, but also for preserving and framing a particular ancestors headstone that you have found. But in doing so, you have to remember that many cemeteries, especially ones working on restoration projects, frown upon gravestone rubbing. Primarily, because in the past, others have defaced or damaged in some other way, stones that they were doing rubbings of. Not to mention that very fragile stones, like old sandstone ones, can be damaged or knocked over if too much pressure is applied while rubbing. Some people have even used substances that have actually permanently stained the gravestone. I use one of those big fat children's crayons {flat side, not pointed!!} or colored washable chalk. I have used graphite on occasion also. I check the stone to make sure it does not appear weakened first. I purchase plain white paper on a roll and tear off a piece big enough to cover the area and then some. Either I have someone hold it in place while I rub or I will use a piece of masking tape to secure it over the top. Masking tape is supposed to be the safest form of securing the paper and the least likely to damage an older headstone. You can use your toothbrush to help clean off the markings or lettering or your wet sponge to help get rid of dirt or fungus type growth. And of course, never leave scraps or waste when you leave. Many local Historical Societies offer courses on safe headstone rubbing and it is well worth looking into.

In years of plagues, early 1700's and mid 1800's, sometimes there was little time or strength for more than a crude headstone and often no more than initials carved in them. And in earlier years, during troubles with the Indians, many were buried in secrecy as to keep the Indians from knowing that their forces had been weakened. This being the case at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Ma. Upon that hill, those that died the first winter were buried and a crop of corn was said to be planted above them to hide the graves. Circumstances often caused this to be necessary during that time. And of course, during the various wars fought on this soil, those that fought and died in battle were buried with as much decency as time and circumstance allowed. Graves often left unmarked or just left with a few stones piled atop. Now we have National Monuments throughout the Country to honor these War Dead whose final resting places are unknown. And of course, many of the older headstones have become difficult to read due to the effects of nature: rain, snow, wind, frost, upheavals, moss vegetation and overgrown flora. Not to mention the horrendous effects in recent years of vandalism! Few stones of the 1600 period are legible. Many of the headstones were made from local rock and were of poor quality to begin with. Material varied in different locations from poor type shale rock to slate, sandstone or marble. Slate having seemed to have held up fairly well especially in the harsh Northeast. Of course monetary and social prominence also played a roll in the quality of headstone and artistic abilities of the stonecutter. And I have always found the table styled gravestones especially interesting, noting that were usually the graves of the more prominent families. I hope in some way that this brief article will aid or peak your interest in cemetery studies and I would love to hear from others on their theories and findings. In sharing these theories and stories with other family members, I have come across many an interesting story. One that quickly comes to mind was told to me by a "cousin" I have become quite close with over the years of my genealogy searching. It seems one of her great uncles had two sons, both very close to their father. At sometime the brothers had a serious falling out and no longer spoke or saw each other. They wished to disassociate so much with each other, that one of the brothers actually changed the spelling of his last name. Upon the death of their father, one of the sons, the one who kept the original family spelling, had the fathers' headstone engraved. The other brother, seeing this, attempted to chisel his spelling of the surname over the inscription. This went on, back and fourth, between the two brothers until the headstone of the father was almost completely destroyed. There are so many interesting stories out there waiting to be told. I hope you seek, learn and enjoy from your searches.