Whithorn and Garlieston Primary School pupils from P5-6 studied tombstones in the 18th-19th Century graveyard in Whithorn to investigate what we can find out from tombstones as sources for the lives the inhabitants of Whithorn. These gravestones include remarkable examples of funerary artwork, showing the development of styles from Georgian to Victorian. They also include clues about individuals whose lives are interesting or different.
Bronze
20
8-9 years old
May to June 2021
How the project achieved the sections of the award
Plan
Whithorn and Garlieston Primary School pupils visited the 18th-19th Century graveyard in Whithorn to investigate what we can find out from tombstones about the inhabitants of Whithorn. The gravestones are passed daily by local residents on their walks or going to church, but the rich source for social history they represent is often ignored. Pupils visited, looked at sculpture, style and symbolism, and changing attitudes to death. They then chose which grave to research, and deciphered inscriptions. Teams of pupils of approximately five or six were set up. Each took on a special grave of interest.
Investigate
The aim of the project was to use clues from gravestone inscriptions, historical sources, online and published information to research and design a graveyard tour for visitors, explaining the unexpected stories we discovered.
When investigation started, we had only the most basic information and dates to go on; some had a far distant place of death which highlighted the graves as being of interest. The individuals we chose to research were a hero of Waterloo, a miner, a blockade runner, the murdered wife of a ship captain, a Town Clerk with possible links to slavery, and someone who perished in a Portuguese shipwreck.
Pupils started with the obvious sources, like Google, to research those buried in the graveyard and some individuals were traced by this method because of their historical or social importance. However, other individuals, like George Harrison the miner, were much less easy to trace. This led to a discussion of how some professions were much easier to trace than others eg. People of importance such as the Town Clerk had left us plenty of records.
Different sources were then tried: the local online Whithorn History Group put out an appeal among members, who sent over baptismal records, records of embarkation on ships, death certificates, and searches which revealed historical events in which the individuals had been involved such as the wreck of the SS Roumania. We put through a call to libraries and also used classic sources, like the The First Statistical Account of Scotland and Old newspapers were consulted.
Engage
Children visited the graveyard three times for two hours each session to see the gravestones, analyse inscriptions and update details in files kept by each pupil.
Google searches on a big screen showed Paintings of the Royal North British Dragoons in a charge at Waterloo so that the pupils could experience the drama of the battle. Replica helmets from Waterloo were tried out for size and weight.
The original edition of the First Statistical Account was used for research – the unusual 18th Century lettering eg. F representing the letter S was noted and decoded. The weight of the paper and the smell of the old book were part of the experience.
Inspire
The Whithorn History Group online were hugely helpful with research and the children’s work received widespread interest on social media. The Doors Open Day 2021 included tours by the Whithorn Trust’s tour guide, using the children’s research to show the public that the graveyard at Whithorn is one of the most continuous in Scotland.
The project has received media attention in the Galloway Diocesan Newsletter ( for the Catholic church). The Dumfries and Galloway Life Magazine is covering the Gossip from the Graveyard project in the autumn issue. Children presented work to parents at a final celebration on receiving certificates and a new leaflet is to be printed to feature their research and act as a guide for visitors to the graveyard. The leaflet will be on free offer at the Whithorn Trust visitor centre, featuring the names of the investigators.
This project will lead on to a further schools project on DNA and ancestry in the autumn, when we move from studying individuals whose lives have left us a few clues in their tombstones to individuals from mediaeval times who have left us no clues, except their bones, which are now hugely revealing of their lives for bioarchaeologists
Reflect
Several learning points emerged :
1) Graveyards are mines of information; each grave is a mini interpretation board or signpost which, with the right tools, can be deciphered and yield a huge amount of detail about an individual’s life.
2) Graveyards are interesting and not scary; these are real people with fascinating stories that we can get to know, even if nearly two centuries have passed.
3) We cannot always find out all details about a person; sometimes research ends in a brick wall. Sometimes the research leaves us with a question.
4) In a graveyard, we have to show respect for others, as this is a quiet place of reflection
5) The symbols on the graves differed with time, so did the type of inscription, what was said and the way it was written. The symbols show people’s beliefs in the afterlife. Some of the symbols have different interpretations like feathers for peace, flight to heaven, angels’ wings
6) Some people’s lives were lived in ways we don’t always think are good now: such as those who were slave traders or blockade runners.
7) Health changes over time: the large numbers of infant deaths would be very uncommon now because of the advances of modern medicine.
8) The different avenues for research included asking experts, local family, libraries, the internet, books, and pupils learnt to note their sources (references).
9) What seemed like a local burial of a Whithorn person led to far flung places – Russia, Dominica, Portugal, and Flanders. We are not always who we seem to be.
Lessons Learned
Collaboration with community experts and “elders” adds hugely to the project archive, but also to the children’s sense of having others interested in their work.
Graveyards are an amazing resource for teaching not only local history but for an introduction to larger themes such as infant mortality, slavery, emigration, health, and national events.
Highlight(s)
The children’s identification with their own chosen individual and the way they built up a biographical file over the weeks. The buzz of discovery was palpable.
The benefit of using the Heritage Hero Awards
The Heritage Hero awards were definitely an incentive; the idea of receiving an award for research, publicity in the local community and press, gave children a morale boost, including those who might not have felt they were good at history.
Quotes
The children have loved taking part in this Heritage Heroes award and we’re sure we’ll be participating again!
Whithorn P5 teacher
Case study compiled by
Julia Muir Watt
With thanks to
Whithorn History Facebook Group