Millstone used as a headstone, All Saints' churchyard, Hertford (2)

Introduction

The photograph on this page of Millstone used as a headstone, All Saints' churchyard, Hertford (2) by Stefan Czapski as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

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Millstone used as a headstone, All Saints' churchyard, Hertford (2)

Image: © Stefan Czapski Taken: 23 Jun 2013

As best I can tell, the wording on this stone reads: ELIZABETH Wife of ROBERT FINCHE Millwright died the 18th of July 1764 Aged 60 Years The graves of both Mrs Finche (or is it Fincher?) and her husband are marked by millstones. Robert outlived his wife by 13 years, so the decision to mark her grave in this way was in all likelihood his. My guess is that for him the millstone was simply an emblem of the family's trade - though he may have been complying with a family tradition. Could thrift have been a consideration? - why spend money on a stone when you've got plenty of old ones lying around in the yard? For the stone marking Elizabeth's husband's grave, see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3526075 Does anyone know of other graves marked by millstones - either in Hertfordshire or elsewhere in the country? Update, February 2016. I've just noticed this example in a Dorset village, geographed by Becky Williamson: Image

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Image Location

coordinates on a map icon
Latitude
51.794862
Longitude
-0.07631