Amateur historians restore lost grave records

More than 600 graves have been documented by a group of amateur historians In a bid to restore parish records.

The documents were lost when Holy Trinity Church in in Buckfastleigh, Devon, was destroyed in an arson attack in 1992.

Now in its second year, the Holy Trinity Graveyard project has finished one large section of the graveyard and its members said it had discovered local history and deepened their sense of community.

One of the founding members Jac Denley-Jones said: "We're very conscious that these are people's families but we all feel very connected with it, it's our project, and these are our people."

For grave markers that are not legible the group cleans the face of the headstone so they can be read or make wax crayon rubbings to make sure the information they gather is correct.

The group wants people to be able to come and find their family history so have been putting their findings on an international community-generated website called FindAGrave.com meaning anyone anywhere in the world can see the information.

Todd Gray, a historian from the University of Exeter, said there was a global trend at the moment for people to want to find their ancestors.

He said: "Tens of thousands of Devonians went all over, on convict ships to Australia, on fishing boats to Canada, on wagon trains across America, and now their descendants are coming back to find great-great-grandfather and they are delighted to be able to touch the ground and say this is where I'm from."

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