Hi Eve Like Ian, I have found excellent success with taking a rubbing of headstones.  When I'm doing cemetery research, part of my kit is a roll of paper, masking tape, a natural bristle brush, scissors and a box of the crayons sized for little hands - the crayons are nearly a half inch in diameter.  The paper I use is the heavier brown shipping type as it resists tearing.  The brush (used with a very judicious amount of pressure) is excellent for removing moss or other growth.  Then I wrap the marker with the paper, and tape it in place.  Holding the crayon sideways so that the entire length lies on the paper, I start rubbing.  You'll be amazed at the detail that comes up!  I've found that using the crayon held as a pencil is okay for fine details, but care must be taken not to do so with enough pressure that you tear the paper.  Once done, I record the name/place of the cemetery, the date and if possible the location of the marker within the cemetery on the end of the paper. Then roll it into a tube so that the identifying notes are visible, snap a rubber band or two over to hold it together.  Take photographs of the marker, then back up and get area photos so that if you ever want to go back, or you want to give directions to someone else, you can send them the photos to act as a map. I was doing research in a long-abandoned family plot in the woods of New Hampshire where the older markers were of a soft type of stone, and erosion had washed areas of the engraving away.  Stones that had been lying on the ground, some broken into pieces, were the hardest to read.  But when I took rubbings of them I was able to lift near-perfect images.  One in particular had been a very tall marker and when it had fallen it had fractured into 7 or 8 large pieces.  After arranging them on the uneven ground and carefully working my way over them I had a rubbing that had details that didn't show up in photos at all.  Knee pads come in handy for work in this sort of situation!   Good luck - Sharon Life is what happens while you are making other plans.

Hello Sharon, thank you for all those suggestions. I shall keep a note have a go next time I'm looking at headstones. regards, Eve ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharon" <MamaGull@yahoo.com> To: <Isle-of-Wight-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [IoW] Memorial inscriptions Carisbrooke church St Mary Hi Eve Like Ian, I have found excellent success with taking a rubbing of headstones. When I'm doing cemetery research, part of my kit is a roll of paper, masking tape, a natural bristle brush, scissors and a box of the crayons sized for little hands - the crayons are nearly a half inch in diameter. The paper I use is the heavier brown shipping type as it resists tearing. The brush (used with a very judicious amount of pressure) is excellent for removing moss or other growth. Then I wrap the marker with the paper, and tape it in place. Holding the crayon sideways so that the entire length lies on the paper, I start rubbing. You'll be amazed at the detail that comes up! I've found that using the crayon held as a pencil is okay for fine details, but care must be taken not to do so with enough pressure that you tear the paper. Once done, I record the name/place of the cemetery, the date and if possible the location of the marker within the cemetery on the end of the paper. Then roll it into a tube so that the identifying notes are visible, snap a rubber band or two over to hold it together. Take photographs of the marker, then back up and get area photos so that if you ever want to go back, or you want to give directions to someone else, you can send them the photos to act as a map. I was doing research in a long-abandoned family plot in the woods of New Hampshire where the older markers were of a soft type of stone, and erosion had washed areas of the engraving away. Stones that had been lying on the ground, some broken into pieces, were the hardest to read. But when I took rubbings of them I was able to lift near-perfect images. One in particular had been a very tall marker and when it had fallen it had fractured into 7 or 8 large pieces. After arranging them on the uneven ground and carefully working my way over them I had a rubbing that had details that didn't show up in photos at all. Knee pads come in handy for work in this sort of situation! Good luck - Sharon Life is what happens while you are making other plans.