Regarding the sort of stone likely to have been used, http://www.bedsrigs.org.uk/projects/Building%20Stone%20Atlas%20of%20Bedfordshire.pdf provides a map of the different areas and their geology. As for legibility, there are istm, two issues; corrosion of the actual stone, and the growth of lichens upon it. Lichens can grow quickly, as I found when visiting my grandmother's grave in Ireland only last week. 16 years dead, and I could only make out the inscription through touch and guesswork prompted by my aunt who had seen it previously. The size of the lettering will also affect legibility, smaller lettering eroding (and being overcome by lichens) sooner. There are a number of churches in Cockayne Hatley, which is in the Biggleswade deanery of the Diocese of St Albans; further information about them is available on the web if you google that name. It might be that a churchwarden of one of those churches could help your researches. Joan. Jackie Evans wrote: > Greetings from a new list member > > I'm new to Bedfordshire research and would appreciate any advice/pointers. > > I've known for some time that my ancestress Hannah Brookhouse (nee Moor) > 1730/32 - 1815 had died in Bedfordshire as her eldest son put a death notice > in his local newspaper. I've just found out that she was buried 24 Oct 1815 > St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley. > > If a gravestone was erected, is the local stone such that any inscription > would still be legible? (Her eldest son was affluent enough to have > afforded one, though I don't know whether he did so.) > > Ideally I'd like to find out if she was living there though her six children > were in Warwickshire, Leicester, Surrey and Kent. Why Cockayne Hatley?! > Maybe she was on a visit though at 80+ that doesn't seem that likely (though > not impossible). > > (Hannah married and had her children in Leicester). > > I'd be pleased to have any suggestions. > > Regards > > Jackie (in South Wales) > > > > > The List Guidelines > > http://bedfordrootsweb.blogspot.com/ > > The Bedfordshire Surnames List > > http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hughw/bedf.html > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BEDFORD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >