Gravestone Inscriptions

Another useful source are the inscriptions on gravestones. Initially graveyards were usually attached to churches but in more recent times public cemeteries have replaced church graveyards as the main burying places. In earlier times the only graveyards were those attached to the Church of Ireland. So, if you are looking for an early inscription for any religion then you need to visit the Church of Ireland graveyard. Certainly my ancestors, who were Presbyterians, are buried in Ballymoney Old Churchyard.

Dorothy Arthur has published an excellent book on Ballymoney Old Church Graveyard (2008). Click here for more information about the book.

See also the CD - Billy Parish Church, Bushmills: Inscriptions at the Old Burying Ground, published in 2003 by John A. I. McCurdy and Norman Parkes. A copy of this CD is available in Coleraine Library. See also this website.

The McClay papers in PRONI are a useful source - read more.

Another useful source is the History from Headstones web site. Note that this site will give you some free information. However, for more details, you will have to pay.

The Ulster Historical Foundation also have a database of gravestone inscriptions. However, to access this database you need a to be member of the UHF.