Date of death on gravestone appears to be wrong - is this usual?

[LizzieW]

My 4 x g.grandmother was buried on 10 February 1805 (according to Frodsham parish registers) making her aged 58 at death.  She was baptised in 1747.  However the gravestone states that she died on 8 February 1808 aged 58.  Presumably the stonemason got the date wrong and no-one bothered to get it changed.  Oddly enough, also on the gravestone is engraved the name and date of her daughter in law's death in 1825, even though the daughter in law appears to be buried in a different grave with her husband (that is d.i.l's husband).  The gravestone is standing up.

Surely stonemasons wouldn't make a mistake on a gravestone, especially as in 1805 not many people would have been able to afford one.  Her husband was a Yeoman and when his will was proved after his death in 1817 he left about £600.  Oddly although the date of his death and burial is shown in the parish registers there is no sign of his gravestone.

[davidft]

I have two stones where the date is wrong on them. One in the 1820's and the other in the 1940's

I just accept these things do happen and once done its too expensive to undo.

I am not surprised mistakes happen. I am surprised there are so few.

[mshrmh]

LizzieW - an idea - the stone wasn't engraved until, say, after her DiL's death by which time the family had got confused & gave the wrong year to the person doing the engraving. It would seem strange to put a future date on the stone if it was done soon after the first death, which to me does suggest a later stone. Of course it could still be the mason's error.

I'm aware of an error made in the 1990s on the stone of a distant relative - it was spotted & corrected, but only after the stone had been put up.

[heitch]

I have one from 1943, .....only a year out!  I'm guessing that the wife subtracted his age  from the year he died and came up with his year of birth

[LizzieW]

This particular stonemason seems to have got himself in a muddle.  My 4 x g.grandmother's stone which is still standing has her name and "wrong" date of death inscribed, plus her daughter in law's name and date of death, she being my 3 x g.grandmother.  That stone is still standing and on the reverse of it, he has then carved the daughter in law's name again, her husband's name being added some 20 years later.

However, the stonemason then carved another stone for the daughter in law, her husband's name added some 20 years later, this stone is laid down, so whether there is more inscriptions on the back of that one who knows.

In which gravestone my ancestors are actually buried, I have no idea and interestingly, my 4 x g.grandfather's name doesn't appear on any of the gravestones, despite being buried in the same churchyard.

[LizzieW]

It could be that, perhaps, when my 4 x g.grandfather died and was buried the family didn't have enough money to get his name engraved on the stone, (despite leaving around £600 which of course he split between all his children, 6 of them still alive at the time,  but when the d.i.law died a few years later they decided to get two engravings done at the same time and the stonemason got confused and carved the d.i.law's name instead of my 4 x g.grandfather. 

[heitch]

Got a few "later-added" too.

Have a few headstones where the mother dies, then the children who died before her are added



Modified:  ...talking to myself here and trying to make sense of my own family gravestones .............please excuse me

[williamtov]

'My 4 x g.grandmother was buried on 10 February 1805 (according to Frodsham parish registers) making her aged 58 at death.  She was baptised in 1747.  However the gravestone states that she died on 8 February 1808 aged 58.  Presumably the stonemason got the date wrong and no-one bothered to get it changed. '

Surely there is nothing unreasonable here: the stone records the date of death as the 8th, and the Register records the date of burial as the 10th. It is only comparatively recently that Burial Registers actually record the date of death.
williamtov

Sorry! Missed the point that it was the year, now pointed out to me by my wife. I think your explanation is right: no-one's infallible.
w

[Guy Etchells]

Never take anything you read for granted, always try to find other sources to back up your evidence, even if it is written in stone it may not be correct.
Tombstone, Holy Trinity Church, Ossett, W. Yorkshire. -

In memory
of
Daniel Overend,
of Ossett Street Side,
who DIED December 30th 1864,
aged 27 years.
Grieve not dear wife but be content,
For unto thee I was but lent,
My time is over, my glass is run,
Therefore to me prepare to come.
Also Martha, wife of Richard Codley,
of Dewsbury,
who died February 31st 1898,
aged 61 years.
Also of Dan Craven,
who died April 9th 1913,
aged 67 years.
"Peace perfect peace."

Cheers
Guy