Continuing with the results of our RTI project with the New Forest Park Authority, where we have completed a number of captures at Emery Down and Burley, Archaeovision spent a day at All Saints Church in Minstead capturing gravestones, as well as the church’s 12th century font. The church is made famous for being the last resting place of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was buried in the cemetery in 1955, but dates its origins to the 13th century. The recording completed by Archaeovision falls under the Heritage Lottery funded Our Past, Our Future project which incorporates community based outreach within their Rediscovering and Conserving Our Archaeological Heritage sub-project.

The results of the RTI survey, as well as the volunteer documentation project will provide a snapshot of the graveyard today, and will help define a management plan for the graveyard for the future, whilst identifying monuments that require conservation. All the data captured will be made publicly available, allowing residents or visitors to trace family members and their resting places, and local history groups to undertake research to discover more about the area’s past.

The following RTI examples provide a before and after snapshot of the results collected at Minstead. Unlike our other two RTI recordings, the inscriptions at Minstead are extremely worn and hard to decipher, even with RTI. The text has been digitised for those who may find it hard to identify all of the features, but parts of the inscriptions are missing due to the the deterioration of the gravestones

In Memory of Thomas Lovell
Who died
Octber 27th in the
Year of our lord
1818
Aged 68 years
My life is past
My glass is full
So I will with God

Also Barbara.
Wife of Thomas Lovell
Who died 27th 1821
Aged 66 years
Mourn not for me my children
(dear
Nor weep for me in vain
Think on the joys we shall
(poffefs
When we shall meet again

The Memory of
James Humby
Who departed this life
October 6th 1810
Aged 57 years
A faithful friend, brother dear
A ..son

Also
To the memory of
John Morris
Who departed this life
February 22nd 1812
Aged 61 years
Also of Elizabeth
Wife of the above
Who departed this life
May 16th 1839
Aged …

Sacred
To the memory of
John Gill late of
Bramble Hill lodge
Who departed this life
November 12th 1869
Aged 75 years
Also of Hannah
The beloved wife of the above
Who departed this life
May 26th 1866
Aged 62 years
“The Lord gave and the Lord hath
Taken away, blessed be the name
Of the Lord”

Sacred
To the memory of
John Gill
Who departed this life 29th April 1851
Aged 29 years
With conscience dear she rest in peace
Her cares are past her trouble…
Her soul on pious
And wait the command of a ..God

Sacred
To the memory of
Sarah wife of David Tuck
Who died 13th November 1828
Aged 66 years
Also of the above David Tuck
Husband of 20 years
H.C. Compton .. M P
Who departed this life 1. July 1812
Aged 81 years

In loving memory of
Ann
The beloved wife of
Joseph Compton
Who died November 23rd 1890
Aged 72 years
Also of
the above named
Joseph Compton
Who died June 22nd 1902
Aged 85 years
Rest In Peace