Help Preserve Our Cemeteries

When you visit a cemetery, remember...

• Monuments are fragile:
  • Do not sit or lean on monuments. Often monuments are not securely attached to their bases and could topple over causing injury or damaging the monument. Believe it or not, people have been killed when monuments have toppled over.
  • DON'T EVER, EVER, DO TOMBSTONE RUBBINGS!! The practice of taking rubbings from monuments has been made illegal in many localities - and for good reason. The physical act of attaching the paper can leave tape residue and the rubbing of pencil or charcoal over the monument will, over time, wear down the edges of inscriptions. Also, stone often deteriorates from the inside out as moisture is drawn up from the ground by the porous stone. There may well be on empty cavity inside a monument which looks stable. This space will collapse if you try to rub over it. Taking rubbings of a monument is a selfish, destructive activity: in a word, it's vandalism.
  • Don't spray or rub anything into monuments in an attempt to make the inscriptions more visible. Believe it or not, I have actually heard of people who rub shaving cream or chalk into tombstones so that the inscriptions stand out. Again, this is vandalism. There are many non-invasive ways of reading an inscription. Often a simple white card to reflect the light at an angle, or waiting for the right time of day, will make the inscription jump out. It is better to wait a couple of hours rather than risk damaging an historic monument.
• For your own safety:
  • Watch your step! The ground in cemeteries is subject to subsidence. Long grass often hides holes and uneven surfaces.
  • Don't drink the water. The water taps found in cemeteries are usually for watering the plants and the water is often not drinkable. Take a bottle of water along with you when you visit cemeteries.
  • Wear proper clothing. A hat and good walking shoes are a must for tramping around cemeteries.
  • Be careful if you pick up garbage. Because of their isolated locations, cemeteries are often frequented by some of the less desirable members of our society. Although cemetery staff are very good about picking up garbage, one can still find broken glass, needles, and condoms on the ground in inner city cemeteries.
• Do your bit:
  • Report all vandalism and suspicious activity. The evidence of vandalism encourages even more vandalism: it's called "The broken window syndrome".
  • Share your information. If you are transcribing inscriptions or doing historical research, inform your local historical society or family history group. Knowledge should belong to everyone. Better yet, put it on your website!
  • Help others find graves. I am sometimes asked to look up graves in my area for people who live far away (often in different countries). People are very grateful when you do this and are usually willing to reciprocate. I was once contacted by someone in England seeking more information about someone on my website. when I asked them to do a lookup for me, it turned out we were related!.
• Be respectful:
  • Do not approach or question people who may be there to mourn the passing of loved ones. Even finding the grave of a distant ancestor can be a very personal and touching experience.
  • Treat each person's grave as if they were a member of your family.
• Enjoy yourself:
  • Make a day out of visiting family graves. Make sure they are in order and nothing is broken. Bring the kids along, kids love cemeteries when you show them how interesting they really are.
  • Get a decent camera and learn how to how to use it (it's not that hard). Cemeteries are designed to be picturesque. They are a photographer's paradise.
  • Don't be afraid to bring a picnic lunch. I have seen cemeteries that actually have benches and the odd picnic table. Just remember to clean up after yourself.
  • Bring your binoculars. Cemeteries are havens for all sorts of wildlife, even in the inner city.