Tombstone project in cathedral ends
Bid to have research published
Published:
A MAJOR project to survey and record every tombstone in Elgin Cathedral ended yesterday after two-and-a-half years of work.
Moray Burial Ground Research Group (MBGRG) finished the project at the high altar area of the historic site after collating information from more than 1,100 tombstones situated above and below ground level.
It forms part of a bigger challenge that started in 2003 to record every tombstone in Moray, and to compile a complete archive of genealogical information that can be accessed by people all over the world.
So far, the group has collated information from 24 sites across the region, and is about halfway through the mammoth task.
Since October 2005, MBGRG has recorded inscriptions at Elgin Cathedral dating back as far as the 1400s, and discovered that some of the table tombs are double-sided, leading to speculation that it could be evidence of early recycling.
A record of tombstones at the historic site was last made in 1978, and the group is delighted to have been able to add an extra 150 records where information was missed last time.
The next aim of the group is to publish the findings from the cathedral in time for a Scottish family history conference in Aberdeen next April, a major task for which the group desperately requires financial backing.
Chairman Keith Mitchell said: “This is going to be a major piece of work, there’s so much information to process, so we’re desperately looking for any kind of financial help we can get from the community in Elgin or from local businesses.”
To contact the group about sponsorship or funding assistance, e-mail groupchairman@mbgrg.org or secretary@mbgrg.org
