For over thirty-five years, volunteers from the Northamptonshire Family History Society have been transcribing churchyard gravestone inscriptions, indexing them, producing graveyard plans, and publishing the results in inexpensive booklets. They have so far covered about 225 Church of England parishes in the county, together with any nonconformist graveyards and older parish cemeteries in the parish. Transcripts for several other parishes are in the pipeline, awaiting publication.
As many local church members know, these booklets can provide a very helpful reference source for queries from people tracing family or local history, whether local people, visitors, or people enquiring from afar.
As a result of browsing through a booklet in Great Addington Church quite recently, one local resident was so interested to find an entry for someone who previously lived in his house that he organised a special remembrance ceremony, attended by local people. The man being remembered was William Hepton who died over a hundred years ago, in 1919, as a result of injuries received in the First World War.
The booklet for Weedon Bec Church includes memorials to a number of soldiers who died whilst posted to the Weedon Barracks and the one from Kilsby churchyard records: “Here lyeth the body of JOHN BAYLY sonn of JOHN BAYLY of Kilesbe departed this life upon the 27 of November in ye yeare 1649. Well growne in statur, more in grace and hence removed to see God’s face.”
A list of the published parishes can be seen on the Society website at: www.northants-fhs.org/publications together with individual prices, varying from £1 to £6 each depending on the size of the booklet. It also gives details of how to purchase them.
Some parishes also find it helpful to have a supply in stock to sell to visitors - and might wish to arrange for an extra supply to be delivered to them to sell at a special church or community event. Copies could be provided on a sale or return basis if preferred.
Recording in the churchyards generally take place from May to October. The programme for 2025 hopes to record the remaining parishes in the Brackley area and details, when available, will be posted on the Society website. New volunteers to help record are always welcome.
If you would like further information on purchasing a supply of books for your parish or would like to volunteer to help with this remarkable work, please contact the society at info@northants-fhs.org