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Wales Monumental Inscriptions



Why: Monumental inscriptions often name more than one family member and their relationships. Sometimes the information may be difficult or impossible to find in other sources.

Where (online): Where (offline):
 * 1) Findmypast.com (search for the word "monumental" or the county where the deceased was buried then browse the list of options to search)
 * 2) BillionGraves.com
 * 3) Findagrave.com
 * 4) Ancestry.com
 * 5) FamilySearch.org
 * 6) MyHeritage.com
 * 1) Search WorldCat for the location and subject cemeteries or monumental inscriptions. This website will show the library closest to you with a selected publication.
 * 2) ParishChest.com sells transcripts & indexes for some family history societies
 * 3) Welsh family history societies have recorded monumental inscriptions and sell the details for a small fee through their websites.

When: Most date from the late 1700s to the present.

Content: The information varies but as a minimum expect to find names and dates. It is not unusual to find three or four people named and often a farm or house name.

Tips

 * Find the death and/or burial details first.
 * Start with published information if possible.
 * Visit the cemetery personally.
 * Reading monumental inscriptions early in the morning or late afternoon may help highlight inscriptions making them easier to read.
 * Look at all the graves near the specific one you are interested in. Relatives are often buried near other family members although the surnames may be different due to marriage.
 * If a burial is not found, consider that it may have happened further from where a person lived than you expect.

More Details About Monumental Inscriptions
Cemetery records (including burial records, monumental or memorial inscriptions), sometimes provide birth, marriage, death, and occupational information. They sometimes give clues to military service, residence, and cause of death.

To find cemetery records, you need to know where an individual was buried. The person may have been buried in a church, city, or public cemetery—usually near the place where he or she lived or died. You can find clues to burial places in church records, death certificates, or family histories.

Before the Burial Acts of 1852 and 1853, most people were buried in church cemeteries. If the person was buried in a church cemetery, you may need to use church burial records.

Welsh family history societies are transcribing the cemetery inscriptions from their local areas. Some societies have also compiled the indexes from several cemeteries. Check with the society in your area of interest to learn more about their work.

It is also possible to gain access to cemetery inscriptions through the Internet. There are lists of people on the Internet who volunteer to search various types of records for certain areas free of charge. You can locate these lists through the GENUKI website at:


 * GenUKI Welsh counties

From the above site:


 * Click [County of your choice]
 * Click Genealogy
 * Click Look-up Exchange