"It was an eerie place, the old graveyard where the first Donaldsbrook settlers were buried.  It was in the heart of the deep woods above the white rock, with tumbled-down, moss-overgrown headstones..." Raymond A. MacLean, ed., Recollections: Margaret (Peg) MacGillivray (1977).

Guidelines to Cemetery Research

The cemetery is a frequently overlooked historical resource.  However, for researchers, the cemetery is a valuable political, social, economic and geographic document.  The styles of headstones, the symbolic motifs and inscriptions offer glimpses into the development of religious beliefs, ethnic traditions, class values, aesthetic tastes and artistic craftsmanship over time.

When you visit these "outdoor museums", remember to treat burial sites with respect and decorum.  Do not make any markings on the stones, remove lichens or attempt rubbings.  As well, one should observe the regulation that cemeteries are closed to the public at dusk.  Check cemetery site before leaving to be sure that any refuse etc. has not been left  behind. For more information about cemetery regulations, consult the Nova Scotia Cemeteries Protection Act (1998) at http://www.gov.ns.ca/legi/legc/bills/57th_1st/3rd_read/b058.htm.

The following questions are designed to assist the researcher in interpreting cemetery evidence.  These guidelines were compiled from the following sources:  Colchester Historical Museum, Manual for Graveyard Conservation (January, 1979), Betty Ann Milligan and Deborah Trask, A Cemetery Survey, Teachers Manual (N.S. Museum, n.d.) and Sean Rodman et. al, Cemetery Studies, A Guide for Teachers (Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives, 1996).  Researchers are also urged to consult the web site "How to Read a Graveyard" at http://www.dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/graveyards.html

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STEP ONE:

In analyzing your chosen stones,  the following questions should be considered:

1. What is the condition of your marker? Is it sound, chipped, cracked, crumbled, eroded, broken, tilted, sunken, stained, moss/lichen covered, overgrown, repaired, displaced or topped?



2. What are the marker's dimensions?



3. What is the marker type?



• Headstone--This is a common type of marker. There is no visible base. Frequently rectangular with a rounded or pointed top.
• Foot marker-- These markers are rare and small, usually inscribed with initials of deceased.
• Tablestone--A high raised table-like slab.
• Headstone mounted on base--common type of marker in the 20th century
• Boxstone--A single flat slab, usually large and placed directly on a foundation and inscribed on flat or angled top surface.
• Monument--A tall vertical marker with round or square pillars, and additional sculptural detail.
• Obelisk--An upright shaft crowned with a pyramidal point, ball, or other decorative ornament



4. What is the material of your marker?


• Slate--This dark rock splits easily and its grain is easily visible.
• Marble--Local marble, predominantly, limstone, was popular in Maritime Canada from 1840s to 1920s. It is usually white with a fine grain, tends to crumble and leaves and coating of dust when touched.
• Sandstone--Many early Scottish tombstones tend to be sandstone. Maritime carvers used a variety of sandstones, most notably red-brown and grety sandstone.
• Fieldstone--Unquarried local stone was often used as markers. This was common in Atlantic Canad where locally carved or imported headstones were costly.
• Granite--This coarse-to-medium stone has a shiny finish. It sometimes includes traces of quartz. It is hard and weather resistant and can be grey, black or red.
• Wood--Wood markers were common in poorer areas of Atlantic Canada. They usually appear in the shape of slabs or crosses.
• Brass plaques--These tended to be used inside churches as memorials
• Cast iron--This was not a popular material in Maritime Canada, but it was relatively cheap and durable.
• White bronze--Cast metal markers were popular throughout the late 1880s and 1890s. They tend to be bluish in colour and were simulated to look like stone.



5. Does the marker face north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, northwest or southwest? (Pre-Victorian cemeteries often had an east/west orientation.)



6. What decorative motifs can be found on your marker? Does it feature such popular generic motifs as angels, lambs, skulls, urns, flowers, face(s), hands, rosettes, or hearts? See web site glossary for assistance with this question.



7. How do these motifs reflect the religious and/or cultural beliefs of the period and area?



8. What does the inscription say? Record precise details about names, dates and epitaph. Use a slash (/) to indicate where each line ends. Please note capitalizations, nonstandard spellings, nonstandard lettering (such as the elogated archaic f), abbreviations,punctuation marks (or their absence), raised letters, words that are out of alignment or crowded and any other distinctive features of the carver's lettering style. Also indicate any unintelligible inscriptions and make special note of information about sex, age, cause of death, place of origin and place of residence.



9. What is the style of lettering?



10. Can you tell anything about religious beliefs from the words on your chosen markers?



11. Are the decorative detailing and inscription incised or in relief (raised)?



12. What is the shape of the marker? The typical gravestone represents a door or portal. This shape can denote entrance to the unknown or passage to a new life.



13. Does the tombstone indicate the name of the carver or the monument works? (Please note that the carver's name is usually located on the lower right hand corner of the marker, or at the base on either the front or back.)



14. Can you determine anything about the professional or economic status of an individual from his or her grave marker?



15. Can you obtain any information about the deceased? Be sure to consult local newspapers for obituary notices and contact your local museum for genealogical information.

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STEP TWO:

If you are working in a group,  share your findings and discuss the following questions with team members:

1. How many different shapes of markers were there in your survey area?



2. How many different kinds of materials were used in the markers?



3. Is there a relationship between the shapes of the markers and the materials of which they are made?



4. Is there a relationship between the frequency of shapes and the dates of death on the markers?



5. Is there a relationship between the materials used and the dates of death on the markers?



6. Is there any relationship between the symbols and the dates of deaths, or between symbols and the materials used?



7. Do your findings provide any information about life spans? Is there any difference between the life spans of males and females?
   
   
8. What is the age of the oldest individual in your sampling? What is the age of the youngest individual?



9. Do your data reveal anything about family size?



10. Do your markers reveal anything about gender relationships?



11. Does your group note any differences in lettering styles, types of inscriptions, or trends in the amount of information given about the deceased?



12. What countries and cultures are represented in your sampling?



13. Did you find evidence of any epidemics?