Monumental Inscriptions

Monumental Inscriptions are transcriptions taken from gravestones, tombs, plaques and war memorials and they provide useful information for family history research. They include inscriptions from Cemeteries, Church interiors, Churchyards and War Memorials in Church of England Parishes as well as from Roman Catholic, Methodist, Wesleyan and non conformist Chapels. Many parishes have a location plan so that individual gravestones can be found on site.

What information can they provide?

In addition to dates of birth and death, details of family relationships, occupations, employers, war service, public service, overseas records, and place names can often be found. Sometimes a deceased person may return to their place of birth to be buried giving clues for further research.

MI records held by the SDFHS

Records have been compiled by the Society for most of Somerset and Dorset, donated by individuals and exchanged with other Societies over many years.

You can carry out a database search on our monumental inscriptions research page.

The full transcriptions can be researched at our Centre in person, or by a volunteer.

The Society’s normal research fees apply, see here.

Dorset Memorial Inscriptions, Somerset Monumental Inscriptions, and Somerset Monumental Inscriptions (Full) are among our collections on FindMyPast.