{, align=right , 250px, The inscription, carved in stone, on the monument of Sir John Young and Dame Joane, erected in 1606 in Bristol_Cathedral,_

Bristol_Cathedral,_Bristol,_England">Bristol.html"_;"title="Bristol_Cathedral,_Bristol">Bristol_Cathedral,_Bristol,_England._Sir_John_entertained_Elizabeth_I_of_England.html" "title="Bristol,_England.html" ;"title="Bristol.html" ;"title="Bristol Cathedral, Bristol">Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England">Bristol.html" ;"title="Bristol Cathedral, Bristol">Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England. Sir John entertained Elizabeth I of England">Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen ...

when she visited Bristol in 1574 and was knighted by her. , - , image:bristol.cathedral.inscription.mary.arp.jpg, 250px, The memorial plaque to Mary Carpenter (1807-1877) in Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England. In the mid-19th century the Bristol streets were full of homeless and destitute children 'on the border of a criminal or vagrant life.' Moved by their plight, she looked after them and started schools. A monumental inscription is an inscription, typically carved in stone, on a

grave marker A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

, memorial plaque,

church monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

or other

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

. The purpose of monumental inscriptions is to serve as

s to the dead. Those on gravestones are normally placed there by members of the deceased's family. Those on memorial plaques inside a religious building are normally placed there by the wider community. The graves of those killed in wars and other armed conflicts are often placed together in military

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a bu ...

in the country where the conflict took place; they are also remembered on

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

s in their own country. Monumental inscriptions are important to genealogists and family historians, providing information on the subjects life and death, including dates. Family connections can sometimes be resolved as members of the same family may be buried together. Many old gravestones are now illegible due to weathering, but individuals and

family history Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

societies may have recorded their inscriptions and published them, either online, on microfiche or in book form. In

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, the

Society of Genealogists The Society of Genealogists (SoG) is a UK-based educational charity, founded in 1911Fowler, S School of Advanced Study, University of London. Date unknown. Retrieved 2011-10-30. to "promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge ...

has a large collection. The

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

has an

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" ...

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

war grave A war grave is a burial place for members of the armed forces or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. Definition The term "war grave" does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to b ...

s and inscriptions.

External links

Society of GenealogistsCommonwealth War Graves Commission
Types of monuments and memorials Inscriptions by type

See also

External links