Original Memorials

ORIGINAL MEMORIALS

Today, more people are chosing to be cremated rather than buried. Six in ten people (58% of the population) opt for cremation which means that you will be limited in the choice of memorials you can choose for your loved one. Cemetery rules differ from one to another but most stipulate that memorials for cremations should be smaller and usually in the form of plaques or cremation stones. Lawn cremation memorials are typically smaller than the standard burial memorials. However, Garden cremation memorials can be used as an alternative to a cemetary gravestone or marker. The garden of remembrance may stipulate a particular size and design.

You may, however, decide not to commemorate your loved one with a memorial in a cemetery but rather in a garden or special place that pays tribute to the departed.

Simon Burns-Cox makes original handcarved memorials for both cremations or remembrance. Simon will create you a unique and special memorial to celebrate the life of the deceased. This can be either for the cemetery or for a garden or special place.

COMMISSIONING A HAND CARVED ORIGINAL MEMORIAL

Commissioning a hand carved original memorial is a collaborative process which starts with an initial consultation with the client. Often at the time of bereavement, the client does not know what they require. Simon will take time to talk with the client about the deceased and what would be a suitable memorial for them. This will include the following:

  • The ideas for the design
  • Suitable inscriptions and different types of fonts for the design
  • Relief designs if required
  • The choice of materials to be used, and the maintenance of the material chosen
  • The size of the work and its overall finish
  • Churchyard and Cemetery Regulations regarding cremations.
  • Installation if required
  • The timescale and the costs involved including installation if required
  • Delivery costs

The client will be kept fully informed throughout the whole process.

Costs vary according to the type of stone used, the number of letters carved, the overall design and installation and delivery requirements. For a simple mememial with a brief description, the cost will start from about £1250 upwards depending on the requirements.

There is a fixed cost with payment in advance before the work commences with a written commission agreement. If installation is required, this is an additional cost and may be done by a third party depending on location.

If you would like to discuss your requirements, please contact Simon Burns-Cox at [email protected] or visit his website at www.simonburnscox.co.uk.

Simon Burns-Cox is based at The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland but works throughout the UK and overseas. All work can be delivered by courier at additional cost.

Simon Burns-Cox is an Associate Member of The Letter Exchange and a Licentiate Member of The Society of Designer Craftsmen, London.

HISTORY OF GRAVESTONES

Gravestones have been around for thousands of years and began when the deceased was buried near the home. The grave was marked with a stele or marker made from stone or wood. This was usually placed over the grave as a mark of respect and to stop the deceased from rising. The gravestone is also referred to as a grave marker, headstone or tombstone. In the case of two graves, it is known as a memorial marker, companion headstone, double deep marker or headstone for two.

Churchyards began in the Norman times when it was recognised that there was money to be made. Bodies were then placed in public cemeteries. The graves were usually marked with simple, slender headstones made from sandstone or slate and were a sign of wealth.

Over time, gravestones became more elaborate. The name, date of birth and death and a message or prayer were often carved into the gravestone. The headstone was made from a range of stones such as fieldstones, granite, marble and limestone, sandstone, slate, or other material such as iron, bronze or wood. Funerary art such as a bas relief carving was used and later on photographs of the deceased where attached to the gravestone which can still be found in Europe. Names of the relatives were often added over the years making a chronological timetable of the passing of the family over the decades.

 

 

Headstone by Simon Burns-Cox

Headstone by Simon Burns-Cox

TYPES OF GRAVESTONES

Flush or Flat or Lawn-Level Marker which are at ground level

Upright Headstone

Bevel Marker where one side is slightly raised

Slant Marker which is similar to the Bevel Marker but is taller and larger

Ledger Marker which is a thick slab covering the grave

Standard Stone which is a simple tablet set into the ground

Domed Tablet which is a dome-shaped stone

Shoulder Tablet which has an angled top

Gothic Tablet stones or Obelisks which are tall columns.

The tombstone has a stone lid on the stone coffin or, as in the past, on the coffin itself, and the gravestone is a stone slab lying flat while the headstone is upright.

The headstone was placed at the head of the grave but sometimes also at the foot which indicated the length of the grave and respect for the deceased. In pagan times, the gravestone was west facing pointing towards the rising sun but in Christian and Jewish burials they were east facing according to biblical beliefs.

By the late 19th century, The Victorians had more elaborate gravestones made from white marble with detailed symbolic sculptures depicting faith, glory and hope with poignant inscriptions and epitaphs.  For example, The Angel of Death, The Dove, Flowers, Horseshoes, and The Weeping Willow. Marble, however, was not a good material for a gravestone as it does not weather well and many of the stones were destroyed by moss or lichen. For this reason, there was a move away from marble to grey granite. Today, there has been a return to the more simple gravestone often lying flat.

Simon Burns-Cox creates beautiful hand carved Gravestones, Memorials and Headstones and offers all types of Stone Letter Carving. He is based at The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland.

If you would like to discuss your requirements for a Gravestone, Memorial or Headstone, please contact Simon Burns-Cox at [email protected] or visit his website at www.simonburnscox.co.uk

chevron-down