Most of the
old Harkness family memorials are located in the south west
corner of the graveyard near the small gate.
This photograph and the next were taken in April 2000. Winter
storms had brought down some trees
and while the larger tree
parts had been removed much debris still remained.
Of
these three table stones the one top left is perched on just three
supports. One is out of place and one has fallen.
This situation is very dangerous for anyone approaching and trying to read
them.
The close-ups below give the full MIs.
Unstable gavestones like the one shown could fall at any time
with dire consequence to anyone
unfortunate enough
to get in the way. Similar conditions
are not uncommon in many old graveyards and visitors must take
great care.
The
rest of the inscription on this stone is shown in the next photo
below.
The gravestone
shown here with the distinctive repair was photographed in
April 2000.
Four years later, when this graveyard was
surveyed by DGFHS volunteers they discovered
that this stone had
fallen and again was broken into three parts. The upper
section now lies
face down and can not be read. The most likely cause was frost
damage. The material used
for the repair, being of a different
porosity from the rest of the stone, absorbs different
levels
of moisture. When a hard frost occurs the bonding
material begins to separate
and eventually, over time, the bond breaks free and the stone falls apart again.
Transcribers examining damaged or unstable stones must be very
careful and
avoid taking any risks that might endanger themselves or others in their
survey team.
This
photograph details the full inscription of the fallen stone.
This
Harkness Family memorial, unlike the sandstone monuments shown
above, is in granite
and is most likely a 20th century replacement for a missing or
damaged stone.
