Cemetery records are an important source for finding out not only where your ancestors are buried but also who they were. This article will explore how to obtain, examine and use cemetery information.
When locating gravesites it’s important to bring along other family members, a notepad and a reliable camera to record inscriptions on gravestones. Also, be aware of hazards like snakes and poison ivy.
Locations
As the burial industry evolves so do the types of cemeteries. Each type of cemetery is designed and organized to reflect the religion, culture and traditions of the community it serves. Some common types of cemetery include municipal, garden, public, private, faith-based and full service cemeteries. The differences also extend to ownership structure, perpetual care funding and staff configuration.
In addition to a beautiful setting and park like landscaping, many modern cemeteries provide a wide range of visitor services. These can include genealogy information, flower placement programs and special memorial events.
For example, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York is home to infamous storyteller Washington Irving and offers tours based on his works. Visitors can also explore the grounds by kerosene lantern light during a nighttime cemetery tour. Cemetery mapping is also available and breaks down the overall layout into easier to digest portions. This allows visitors and cemetery management to find the graves they are looking for more easily.
Monuments and Memorials
The monuments and memorials that mark final resting places at cemeteries add beauty and dignity to cemetery grounds. They reflect beliefs and ideas about commemoration, and styles and tastes have changed over time. They range from simple gravestones, to raised markers, sarcophagi, table tombs and mausolea.
Headstones mark the ‘head’ of a burial plot and usually list the name, birth and death dates. Family headstones mark multiple burials in adjacent plots and can include quotes or engraved images.
Monuments are larger forms of headstones, and can come in sculpture form. Sarcophagus or tombs are stone coffins that stand above ground and often bear inscriptions. Mausoleums are external freestanding buildings that house the casket or crypt of a family and can be elaborately decorated. Cremation memorials are also available and can be more affordable options for a loved one. Distinctive memorial benches and statues offer a serene place for visitors to sit and reflect. They may be crafted of materials such as granite, bronze or wood, and can include custom engravings and quotations.
Burial Records
Whether working on a comprehensive genealogy family tree or just tracing a few generations back out of curiosity, cemetery records can offer important clues into an ancestor’s life. They go beyond inscriptions on headstones and monuments to include burial orders, sexton records, and other official documents that can provide vital information, such as where a body was buried (figure 13-17), which grave they were buried in, if they purchased their lot or were buried free of charge, and next-of-kin.
Cemetery owners can save time and administration costs by digitizing these records. This allows staff and visitors to immediately see available plots and enables them to purchase lots online. It also decreases administrative time and provides an easy-to-use map navigation feature that helps answer public enquiries about a deceased person’s interment location. By hosting their data in a cloud-based software solution such as Chronicle, cemeteries can also keep sensitive information secure as it is only accessible by authorised users who are authenticated using a username and password.
Gravestones
Gravestones are a feature of most cemeteries. They can be of various shapes, sizes and materials and can feature any text or symbols you like. Some popular choices include the Dharma Wheel symbolising enlightenment in Buddhism, the Lotus Flower signifying beauty and detachment in Hinduism and Stars and Crescents representing Islam.
Granite is the most popular gravestone material as it has a good durability and comes in a range of colours. It can also be carved to include a favourite flower, animal or symbol. Bronze is another common material but it deteriorates quickly and is not generally used in churchyards.
Gravestones and memorials can be extremely delicate and require a specialist approach to their care. Any proposed work should involve a full structural investigation including underground foundations and the burial space. If dismantling is required this should only be undertaken with the permission of the monument owner and the assistance of specialists.