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Cornish cemeteries

 


About the Index

The project began with an effort to provide on-line access, in the form of one index, to the transcription work of Suezan James (now Elliott).  During 1998-2000 Suezan transcribed the details on headstones in a number of cemeteries in the West Penwith area of Cornwall.  An estimated 20,000 headstones were transcribed, although the number of deaths recorded is significantly higher because there are often two or more individuals commemorated on one headstone.

 

Transcriptions from other cemeteries have been added thanks to contributions by Rick Elliott, Keith Retallick, Harriet Cardinal and Geoff Holloway.

 

 

About the Cemeteries

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Format

The records are indexed by surname. Where more than one person is commemorated on the same headstone, each person has been individually indexed and relationships, where stated, have been included under "Detail".  The Cemetery from which the transcript was taken is included for each entry.

Maiden Names

Maiden names have been added under "Detail", if they were clearly stated on a headstone, along with the names of parents, where known. An additional entry has been added to the index in italics under the maiden name pointing to the entry under the married name.

 

Approximate Years of Birth

Unless a birth date was specifically stated, the "Born Abt.)" year has been calculated by subtracting the age at death from the year of death, where known, in an effort to make it easier to identify individuals and to determine whether any family connections exist. It should be considered approximate only.

 

Errors

Undoubtedly there are some, either in the original transcriptions or in my reproduction of them.  Please use these records as a guide only and, where possible, consult primary sources.  Where there is some doubt about a particular detail a query or note has been added on rare occasions. I have otherwise avoided interpreting the transcriptions.

 

Contacts

I no longer maintain a list of contacts on the site because of both the time and effort involved in doing so and the potential for it to generate spam.

 

More Information

With the exception of my own ancestors I have no information other than that included in the index.  I am not able to undertake research concerning any of the records.  I do suggest, from experience, that you become familiar with and consider the Parishes in Cornwall that are within a short distance of the Parish in which you have an interest.  The Cornish people in many instances do not appear to have moved very far within the county - if they stayed there. Broadening your research horizons to that extent can often be worthwhile.

 

Generally

Before you explore this or any other resource which includes information concerning birth, marriage or burial information please bear in mind that they include personal details about many people whose memories are treasured by the living and they deserve to be treated with appropriate respect. In some instances, particularly in the case of memorial inscriptions, the privacy of living relatives needs to be taken into account. Please contact me therefore if, for that reason, you would prefer an entry in the index was removed from this site.