FIRST NAME


LAST NAME


LOCALITY



Finding Ancestor's Graves


Graves are a great source of information. Often they lead to other documents such as wills or obituaries. All of these documents can provide valuable information about your Ancestors and their families. Tombstones can often contain information about other ancestors. This is a great help when searching for names.

Before you start you need to know when your ancestor died. In the early 19th century they were probably buried in the churchyard of their local parish church.  However, after the Industrial Revolution most people moved to the major cities. As you could imagine cemeteries had to be developed in major cities. If your ancestor was buried in London, many of these cemeteries are set up outside of London and are run by private companies. You will probably want to obtain a copy of Greater London cemeteries and Crematoria. This booklet is available from the Society of Genealogists England.

Whatever country or city, you should contact the cemetery for further information. Some cemeteries are very helpful but others may charge a fee for information. Of course nothing beats standing by an important relative’s grave and reading the tombstone. It brings your Family History alive.

Cemetery records and tombstones contain the names, birth dates, and death dates of family members buried near each other. The epitaphs may help you establish the relationships between ancestors. When searching graveyards in church yards check with their church office. If the cemetery has disappeared you should check with their church head office. Furthermore, Public libraries, historical and genealogical societies are a good source of information. Finally, local, county and state governments are also important sources of information.