Welcome to my website
My original idea was to display all those Monumental Inscription Indexes, that I was working on, that have not already been published, to assist members looking for lost relatives. It was suggested that I should be out in the graveyards with a camera. Have you ever tried to photograph old gravestones, it is difficult enough to read most of them with the naked eye, and a much more difficult, and hazardous, environment to work in than a studio. It is possible newer headstones will photograph perfectly, so in future, I might be able to include pictures of graves on my website, but for the present I will settle for indexes.
The graveyards in my area are very old, overgrown and in some cases, very dangerous, certainly not the type you can capture on camera. I have tried, and the only way I could read them was from the negatives on a film reader at my local archives. Many gravestones are eroding at a very fast pace, because of lack of maintenance overgrowth wafting in the wind can wear away the sandstone, losing the inscription for ever. That is of course providing the stones are still standing, owing to "vandalism" from many angles.
Please Note Brackets are used in my transcriptions where it has not been possible to read an item with certainty and anything within the brackets is a best possible guess. You should check the gravestone yourself if there is any doubt.
The grave numbers in the indexes refer to the transcribers numbering system, and NOT the number allocated by the graveyard authorities. The numbers should tally with the published transcriptions.
Transcribing from gravestones is very tedious and tiring work, especially with the poor quality of some of the stones, also the overgrown state of some of the older ones. But I do find it very relaxing and a good place to "de-stress", armed with a bottle of water and a bag full of tools, and some fine cool weather, it is a nice change from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
It is hoped that I will be able to set aside some time to visit graveyards in my area, and other areas, in the near future to continue transcribing . To do this, and publishing a website does cost quite a lot of money, so if anyone finds the information on my website useful and would like to make a donation, please do so, all donations would be gratefully received.
If anyone would like a specific gravestone to be transcribed, please let me know and, for a small donation, I will do what I can to help. If you would like to comment on this website, or its content, please use the contact me form, or Email me tom@tom-mercer.co.uk.
Note: The graveyards on this site have either been fully transcribed, or, are in the process of being transcribed. LATEST NEWS: WERN- Just one more stone to uncover, and transcribe, to finish the right-hand side of graveyard. Due to attack by wasps (at least a dozen stings) I have stayed away, but hope to return when wasps have died off. BRYN SION- Has been handed in for publication shortly.
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