Dorset Monumental Inscriptions

Monumental Inscriptions are transcriptions taken from gravestones, tombs, plaques and war memorials and they provide useful information for family history research. Examples can be found later on this page.

Information Available

Records have been compiled by the Somerset and Dorset FHS and donated by other people over many years, but at present there is no overall index of individuals.

There are approximately 300 parishes and/or graveyards in Dorset and about 260 of these have been transcribed to date and are held by the Society. They include inscriptions from Cemeteries, Church interiors, Churchyards and War Memorials in Church of England Parishes as well as from Methodist, Wesleyan and non conformist Chapels.

Click here for a list of Dorset Parishes for which Monumental Inscriptions are available.

From these sources there is a total of over 70,000 individual records containing useful genealogical information such as dates of birth and death, and family relationships, occupations, war service and place names.

Many parishes have a location plan so that individual gravestones can be found on site.

Searches

Searches can be carried out for one name entries in specific parishes and it is possible to search up to six parishes per request. It is necessary to provide the Surname (with similar spellings) and the Parish/es where the search is required.

If the exact place is unknown, a surname search can be carried out first, to locate the parishes for the one name request.

Sometimes no transcriptions are found. This does not necessarily mean that the ancestor searched for was not buried in the churchyard concerned, only that no tombstone or plaque exists today.

In addition, for confirmation of the date of death in Dorset, it would be worth while considering consulting the Burials Index .

A list of Parishes transcribed to date: FREE on receipt of a large stamped & self addressed envelope.

A Surname search for the whole of Dorset : Ł1.00 Members Ł2.00 Non-members.

Searches for one name entries in specific Parishes: Ł1.00 Members Ł2.00 Non-members. Please supply Surname with various spellings, (Up to 6 Parishes per request)

Mrs Olive Damon, 37 Beaucroft Lane, Colehill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2PD, England.

All postal enquiries and requests should be accompanied by a large envelope, self addressed and stamped for return, or additional payment.

Payments for searches and lists should be made by cheque made payable to S&DFHS (not Mrs Damon), in pounds Sterling.

Membership number must be quoted with all requests or the non-member charge will apply.

An example of an MI from St Andrews Church, Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset :-

No. 252 Tall Headstone, curved top, surface flaking away (in a holly tree)
The family grave of Joseph Young
Sacred to the memory of Jamima wife of the above who died Sept. 20th. 1861 aged 34 years.
Also Sarah Augusta daughter of the above who died Jany. 6th. 1862 aged 7 mths.
Also Sarah Sophia daughter of the above Joseph Young and Sarah his second wife who died June 2nd. 1875 aged 9 years.
Also Sarah second wife of the above Joseph Young and daughter of Sophia and George Ivory of St. Gaddlesden Herts; who died Nov. 4th. 1881 aged 51 years.
Also to the memory of Joseph Young who died Augst. 19th. 188? aged 68 years.

(Verse below, damaged unreadable)

From this transcription the birth dates of most of the individuals can be calculated and a further line of research leads from Joseph's second wife to the Ivory family of Hertfordshire.

An example from Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine, Dorset :-

No. 195. Headstone

In memory of Henry Barratt died August 1834 aged 77 years
Melyer his wife died Dec. 1816 aged 66 years
John Barratt their son died July 1862 aged 74 years
Mary his wife died January 1 1834 aged 49 years
Mary Martha their daughter died February 2 1879 aged 59 years
Sarah relict of John Barratt died January 14 1887 aged 76 years
Also of Isabella Louisa infant child of John and Sarah Barratt

This monument gives details of the Barratt family and it shows that John Barratt married Sarah after the death of his first wife Mary.

Monumental Inscriptions

Information Available

Searches

All text © Somerset and Dorset Family History Society

E-mail address: society@sdfhs.org Postal address: Somerset & Dorset FHS, PO Box 4502, Sherborne DT9 6YL, England; Telephone/Fax: 01935 389611

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