Genealogy Chat

Hello

Would anyone have any idea why a name may have been removed from a grave stone.

Thanks

Lynn

One possible reason could be that it was done without permission.
Jan

Have you asked the relevant authorities?

Could the named person have been meant to be buried in the grave and then subsequently wasn't for some reason?

Is this a very old headstone or a relatively new one?

Could the name have been the wrong name?

There must have been a very good reason because it is quite expensive to remove a headstone to do anything to it (I wanted the lettering on my mother's headstone re-gilded but the cost was rediculous so I didn't bother).

Kath. x

This is an old headstone, 1713. The removal is very obvious.

We can guess at any number of possible scenarios. But they'll only be guesses.

Are there other names on the stone?
Do you know the relationship of the person to others named on the stone?

If the removal was a long time ago, maybe some serious family rift??

300+ years down the line, people can only speculate. No-one can possibly give you a definitive answer

Do you know whose name was removed? Have you researched the names of those interred in the grave?

If this headstone is in an old churchyard rather than a cemetery then it is possible (although very unlikely) that the church may have old records that might throw some light on why. It would be worth asking the church if they have old records or if the records from that far back are with the County Records Office.

I don't think you will find any sort of answer online.

Kath. x

Some of the really old stones had metal letters which fitted into an indent carved on the stone. They were nailed on. My great-grandparents' stone is like this. The metal letters fall off in time as the nails loosen and fall off and the dents they've vacated erode so it looks as though the names have been removed.

Annie

That's a very good point Annie, and could well be the answer.

Kath. x

Thanks everyone