I have been visiting the New Sandwick Cemetery between October 2025 and February 2026 on several occasions for the purpose of photographing all the gravestones, present in the cemetery at the time of each visit. Their total exceeds 2,000. Since then, I have indexed each gravestone regarding the persons mentioned on there as deceased. In addition, using the findagrave.com website, I have established marital and parental connections, as indicated by the inscriptions. Using additional research tools, such as GROS, I have added further information, where possible.
Legibility is a problem for 150 gravestones; hardly surprising, given the harsh conditions that prevail in our island. This is not just about wind and (acid) rain, but also sandblow from the shore below. The records I have entered on Findagrave do NOT include stones whose inscriptions are entirely illegible; names that are not legible are similarly not present.
The index does include 150 names that I have been unable to trace in the cemetery; this work was started by other users who are not based here, probably basing their information on a spreadsheet they acquired from an unknown source.
I am familiar with the publications by Stornoway Historical Society (of which I am a member), featuring transcriptions of inscriptions from the Old Cemetery, compiled 30 years ago by the late Norrie Macgregor. These volumes inspired me to embark on this odyssey through the New Cemetery.
I have, however, NOT yet started on the mammoth task of transcribing the 4,000 names, mentioned on all the gravestones.
Naturally, further burials are performed continually, new gravestones erected and inscriptions on existing ones updated. This is an on-going work, and all additional information, amendments &c are more than welcome.
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2373887/new-sandwick-cemetery
No comments:
Post a Comment