OLDEST DATED TOMBSTONE IN AMERICA! 

Indeed

You can also see where he left the M and E separate towards the middle of the first row or letters and realized his spacing errors which caused the carver to use the combined M & E and the missing E at the end of TEACHR. I'm surprised they didn't decrease the space between Sometimes and Teacher, and make those letters slightly thinner to allow for the full TEACHER. Being the oldest dated tombstone, I'd guess the person doing this didn't have a great deal of experience carving previous stones, so I have to say they did a great job. Two lines down "Vitall Breath" has less space in the lettering, so they learned as they went further down. The 3/4 inch deeper engraving may have also been due to the lack of experience. How was that metal rod put into the stone? Was it stones pieced together, and if so, how was the stone sealed together to stand this test of time?

Thank you for watching, and being interested!

I had high hopes a stone would exist in Jamestown earlier but it doesn’t seem to be the case. I saw one there from the 1690s but I think there are some a little older there

You are quite welcome! Thanks for watching

Excellent! Thank you!

Thanks Harvey! It has served us well!

Yea til they set the grass on fire😂😂😂.

It would be an honor to carve yours indeed. I hope I get to carve a model a on one someday

Thank you. That would truly be an honor!

I’m pretty sure that’s the one that has obviously been backdated. Its style is from 1670s to 80s I think if memory serves me correctly. Yes here is a link. Carved in 1670s or 80s based on its style. But it is a 1625 burial! That awesome isn’t it?! www.ancestoryarchives.com/2017/03/is-this-oldest-known-tombstone-in.html?m=1

Light makes all the difference doesn’t it?

No way!

Likely not but would love to! Thank you kindly

Indeed

It weathers very well which is why I love carving it!! Longevity is my goal!

Yes! The 5 of the 17th and 18th centuries on stones largely took this form as a number that dropped below the base line or is called descender. This one has a nice folk appeal but over isn’t much different in skeletal form than the ones I carve frequently. I think they look better personally! The 7 is pretty standard, but could be more stylized for sure! Good question!

I wish we were still up there! Maybe next time Lords willing!

look us up next time we have a lot of Zerubbabel Collins and his sons James and Charles Collins, the Sears of the late 18th century @@pumpkintown

Indeed!

Yes just position mirror backward and keep experimenting with angle until it works! Also yes you need to dig it up and reset it. Get Lynette Strangstads book “a Graveyard preservation primer” worth its weight in gold

I found the book online and I ordered it. It should be here in a week. I shared this with my genealogy group from my hometown and I hope we can save what is left of this old cemetery. The host of the group is from South Carolina and she actually attended one of your presentations. PS I'd like you to carve my gravestone

@@kathyclark9939 This is all excellent news! On the cover of Lynettes Book is BJ Berry helping move a big gravestone. I ended up having the privilege to carve his stone later. Thank you!

Yes sir I do. If it isn’t contemporary it can’t be more than a 10 year or so difference as there were several in there from the 1650s dated.

In 1657 the fives were sometimes carved a little differently than we think of today. The fives I carve are from the 1740s and still retain some of that flavor. And of course each carver had his own spin or style as well. Good question

Great work you do! Beautiful! I love old cemeteries! Thanks

Thank you

I really enjoy reading the diary of the expedition of De Soto across the South here in the 1540s