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| Glamis Kirkyard |
In this post, I want to share some resources to help you plan and carry out research visits to graveyards.
For those working out of doors in Scotland at this time of year, the most important item to pack is
MIDGE REPELLENT
A few years ago, a nurse gave me a tip that has worked for me. Dilute a small amount of Listerine mouthwash in a spray bottle and apply to exposed skin (yours, not the midges’). Frugal and effective!
Planning
For identifying historic graveyard locations, I recommend the National Library of Scotland’s Maps (their OS collections cover the UK).
The Ordnance Survey (the official UK Government mapping organisation) provide free access to contemporary maps, as well as an app to purchase for your mobile device, with a free 7-day trial.
Current online maps provided by popular search engines like Bing and Google are not always accurate or up to date. This report about Google Maps' dangerous path up Ben Nevis highlighted the potential hazards of relying on this kind of source.
GENUKI may give names and/or locations of burial grounds in a parish or county you are researching. Again, check that the information is current (especially crucial details like opening hours) by contacting the local church, council, or family history society. Their contact details may also be found on GENUKI or, for the latter, through the Family History Federation or the Scottish Association of Family History Societies.
While websites such as BillionGraves or FindAGrave won’t necessarily list your ancestors, they may have an entry for the graveyard(s) you’re interested in, with the all-important location details, including GPS coordinates.
Arriving
“Leave nothing but footprints” is a phrase often used to raise awareness of the potential impact we can have on the countryside. I’d suggest that we adopt a similar approach to visiting cemeteries whether in town or country. These spaces are often havens for wildlife and need to be treated with care, as well as the respect due to burial grounds in general.
I would advise you to choose footwear appropriate for rough terrain, especially if you aren’t familiar with the cemetery. Some graveyards may suffer from subsidence and require caution while navigating around. Many cemeteries are neglected and overgrown, and while I'm not advocating the use of machetes, sensible clothing is definitely advisable!
Recording
Decide in advance which method(s) of recording gravestones you’ll use, and bring the appropriate kit. Hidden Heritage has some great ideas for non-invasive techniques, including a link to free imaging software and how this can help make inscriptions clearer.
To preserve the fabric of headstones, use contactless methods to take a note of monumental inscriptions. Pen and paper or photographs may be old-fashioned but they’re reliable and good for the stones. Digital photography and smartphones have transformed our ability to take multiple images of a gravestone and its surroundings, and to share and store them online.
Historic Environment Scotland has produced a PDF leaflet, Looking After Gravestones, which has some excellent advice about the treatment, care and preservation of cemetery monuments.
Searching
While some burial grounds may have plans or maps available, either online or in the cemetery itself, it can still be difficult to locate a specific burial site, even if you have a plot number. Do ask for help if local staff are available. Those tasked with keeping the grounds in good order will be very familiar with the chronology of the place as well as the location of some of the occupants.
If you have a plot or lair number for the grave you want to see, these are sometimes carved into the side of the headstones in larger cemeteries, and while your family stone may not have one, the surrounding stones might.
Once you have found the grave(s) you’re looking for, check nearby for potentially related memorials.
My perennial graveyard tip: look on the reverse of the headstone (just in case they ran out of room on the front). I found an example of this on a recent churchyard search near Forfar.
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