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From the beginning the project has grown, and there now exists a book running to about 150 pages, meticulously cross-referenced with other information from parish registers, census returns, wills, newspapers and other sources. Each entry has become a mini biography of the person named on the stone and their families. A typical entry looks like this:
A booklet is available from the Society, which contains an index of those whose names appear on the gravestones. A full record of monumental inscriptions, including a location map for each grave in the main churchyard, is now available on CD-ROM. |
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Copyright © 2011 EILHS
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The project to record the Monumental Inscriptions of East Ilsley began with a
survey of the churchyard in the year 2000. Once all the visible signs of burials
were charted and numbered, those with inscripted stones were methodically
recorded. This took about 18 months. Many stones were found not to be in their
original position, and about 150 stand against the perimeter wall. There were
problems connected with badly eroded or flaking stones, or those encrusted with
lichen. When the recording was complete, all information was compiled in book
form, each entry bearing a number, a description of the condition and shape of
the stone or type of grave, and the inscription itself. To make the survey
comprehensive graves in the small Baptist graveyard were also included. Quite a
number of the occupants of unmarked graves have been identified by relatives and
friends, these are also included in the survey.