Hello my genealogical friends and welcome back to the blog! Today I hope to make what may seem to be a scary place to you exciting and fulfilling! We have talked about the many different record types that you may want to search for when doing research on a particular ancestor in order to fill in the different holes in their personal stories, but another strategy you could try is going to the cemetery they are buried in and gathering information that may be present there.
In a previous blog, see “Finding your Ancestor’s Gravesite,” we looked at what sort of preparations and directions you should have before venturing out to the cemetery. If you have not yet checked out that blog, I encourage you to do that before reading further as the following information will only be relevant after some of those steps are completed. Now onto what further information you will be able to gather. I’ll start by first breaking down what some of the larger markers and architectural covers mean and then go into what other smaller symbols on headstones mean.
If you have never heard of a grave cover, it usually looks like a half circle that covers the length of a grave, usually done with bricks. You can find pictures of what these looks like by googling the term “corbel arches.” These signify a garden mausoleum that house single or family remains. Smaller arches signify the remains of a child. When it comes to larger markers, they usually tower above a gravesite. Designs differ ranging from premade to custom. If it’s made of bronze you can tell by tapping on it should hallow. Tall markers like this can be used to indicate that the way to heaven for the deceased. Other markers may resemble a table. These were usually used to cover burial sites to keep cattle from grazing over them. They may reveal further symbols, names, and, birth/death dates.
Now onto the smaller symbols you may see etched onto your ancestors’ headstones. Keep in mind that there are many small symbols that you may find and this is a not a definitive list, however I will try to list as many as I feel are commonly seen. You may see that some of your ancestors have the symbol of an open book and the square compass. This symbolizes a belonging to the masonic organization that usually indicates a belief in God and service to community. This might help lead you towards local Masonic lodges that will allow you to locate your ancestors place in the community, including where they might have lived. Similarly other organizations/religions have symbols associated with them that often appear on headstones that might lead you towards their local bases that might hold some of your ancestors’ records. The Star of David is usually used to indicate Jewish faith/descent, and temples are used to indicate belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. On military headstones specifically there are certain symbols that can be chosen to display the religious belief of the deceased. You can find the military’s outline of these symbols here: Military Religious Symbols. Other symbols that are common include: the lamb that indicates innocence, mostly found on children gravestones, lilies that symbolize similar innocence more directly of women, and quills that symbolize a life cut short. For a more extensive list on symbols please see some of these websites: Cemetery Symbolism, Vintage Views, and, Understanding Cemetery Symbols.
Although this is not a complete list of every symbol or marker you may encounter, I hope that it is enough to kick start your journey through the cemetery. Please remember it is ok to not have all of these memorized or known. I would recommend at least glancing through some of these websites before heading out so you might know a small portion of the symbols you will see. If you are confused by a particular symbol and are not sure what to look up to understand its meaning, please feel free to contact me using the above contact information. If you would like to hear more about using, logging, and understanding information from the cemetery please check out my webinars located on this same website. Thank you so much for reading today and please come back and check out future blogs and webinars! Happy researching………………
Winona I Laird “The Genealogy Granny” https://www.genealogyeducationcenter.com
