THE RENEWED public interest in genealogy has brought many new visitors to our churchyards and cemeteries seeking information about their ancestry from the stone memorials but unfortunately not all have withstood the effects of wind and weather over the centuries. Few of the tombstones from before the 18th century have readable inscriptions while even those from before 1900 will tax all but the most determined.

The majority of our memorials were erected in the past 200 years and as relatives and descendants who once cared for them die they become neglected and overgrown and cemetery staff fight a losing battle to keep them in trim. The problem of preservation has recently been exacerbated by health and safety considerations which decree that those in danger of falling will be laid flat if they fail the topple test and so more information about those who have gone before is being lost as they are left face down in the grass.

The oldest tombstones in Bourne can be found in the graveyard adjoining the Abbey Church in South Street which contains many grand memorials erected by the families of the great and the good, now long forgotten, and the inscriptions which recorded their lives have been obliterated by the elements. Names such as Dove, Mawby, Knott, Ferraby and Osborn, are fast fading while their memorials are in danger not only from the elements but also from vandals who make occasional sorties to disturb and destroy these ancient relics. Maintenance is expensive and so they have become abandoned and derelict.

The churchyard closed in 1855 because it was full and since then burials have taken place in the town cemetery, more than 10,000 since it opened, an average of around 60 a year, the highest number in any one month being 17 and this occurred three times, in March 1867, March 1872 and April 1873 while the most frequent name among those buried is Smith followed by Lunn, Parker and Pick.

Memorials have been made of wood, now a rarity although some survive, and slate which enjoyed a popularity because it was cheaper and those made of this material can still be read and are usually signed at the base with the name of the maker. The most prolific slate engraver in Lincolnshire was undoubtedly Richard Casswell of Rippingale (1746-1829) and 97 such memorials that can still be found in various parts of the county are attributed to him. His own headstone in the village churchyard at Rippingale commemorates his death at the age of 82 and is also made of slate but this was the work of another local mason called Blackwell who may even have been his apprentice and if so, he did his master proud because the tablet is immaculately carved and is as clear today as it was when it was first chiselled although the gilt decoration that would undoubtedly have been used to embellish the lettering has long since faded.

The slate for these headstones came originally from Swithland on the edge of the Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire but with the increase in communications by canal and rail, Welsh slate predominated in the latter part of the 18th century. The material did not, however, meet with the approval of everyone and the Rev Edward Trollope, secretary of the Lincolnshire Architectural Society, wrote in 1858 condemning both the slate headstones and the more elaborate stone memorials: "Country churchyards are filled with hideous slate slabs covered with a profusion of gold letters and flourishes, or else the ordinary white stones abounding in such absurd or repulsive devices as to make boys laugh, and Christian men sad when they look upon such an exhibition of folly, ignorance and vanity."

Although stone memorials were among the most popular, time has proved them to be impractical because the inscriptions have faded with the years and it is disheartening for those engaged with searches into family history to arrive in the cemetery armed with information about a particular grave and the plot number only to find the wording unreadable.

An example of the damage wrought by constant exposure was uncovered in October 2002 after a burial in the older part of the cemetery. A headstone on an adjoining plot had toppled many years before and was lying on its face and this detracted from the appearance of the new grave and relatives asked if it could be restored to give the spot a more respectable appearance. It was a hard task because these old stone memorials are extremely heavy but cemetery staff managed to lift it and place it back in its original position but they made a startling discovery when the front was revealed because it looked as good as new.

The memorial had been made in 1889 by Atton and Sons, stonemasons of Station Street, Spalding, for a local man who had died that year. However, there may have been a fault in the stone because in the subsequent years, it cracked near the base and toppled over, leaving the engraved side face down on the earth. This probably occurred fifty years ago, perhaps even longer, because the back of the memorial that has been exposed to the elements, was eroded and covered with lichen but the front when lifted was as sharp and as clear as the day it had been carved. The inscription reads: "In affectionate remembrance of Eliza, the beloved wife of John Collins, who fell asleep December 23rd 1889 in her 52nd year. Peace perfect peace. Also of John Collins, husband of the above, who passed away January 6th 1908 in his 75th year. At rest."

Imagine what it would be like for social historians and descendants researching their family trees if they were able to read every tombstone with such clarity. Stone is now rarely used for memorials and black, grey or white marble has become the favoured material because it does seem to be more durable. They look good and are easy to read and it is to be hoped that they will survive the years much better than their stone predecessors.